Union Extorted 1.5 Billion Won from Construction Site Using Baby Crying Sounds through Large Speakers

"Use Our Equipment," Disrupting Construction
Playing Dog Barking Noise to Cause Complaints

The police have arrested three construction union officials on charges of extorting 1.5 billion won from construction sites nationwide by creating noise during protests, including baby crying and dog barking sounds.

On the 17th, the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crime Investigation Unit of the Gyeonggi Southern Provincial Police Agency detained three individuals?A, the head of a construction industry union based in Osan City; B, the deputy head; and C, an advisor?on charges including violation of the Act on the Punishment of Violent Crimes (joint extortion), and transferred them to the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office, according to Yonhap News Agency.

This photo is not directly related to the article content. [Image source=Pixabay]

According to the police, they are accused of coercing victim companies to rent construction equipment such as loaders and excavators, which are used for foundational work, that belong to their union.

They used sound equipment to broadcast sounds such as a baby crying plaintively, dogs barking, and gunshots to disrupt construction or provoke complaints from residents, thereby pressuring site managers.

They divided construction sites nationwide into regions such as the Seoul Metropolitan Area, Chungcheong Area, Jeolla Area, and Gyeongsang Area, and separately employed full-time negotiation managers and union members solely responsible for protests.

When companies refused to comply with their demands, they held protests in front of construction sites and obstructed vehicle traffic to interfere with the construction work.

Based in Gyeonggi Province, the suspects diversified union-owned equipment not only to include loaders and excavators but also lowbeds (low-floor trailers), then monopolized the rental of this equipment to companies or rented it out at prices several million won higher than existing rental fees, extorting 1.5 billion won from May 2020 to January 2023.

Construction union rally site.
[Photo by Gyeonggi Nambu Police Agency]

Victim companies, unable to withstand the union's threats and coercion, paid 2 to 3 million won more than the usual equipment rental fees, and were found to have paid for equipment rentals they did not even use, as well as money under the names of development funds and full-time fees.

Construction site managers, fearing retaliation, paid bribes for years and did not report the incidents, but began to report the damage after crackdowns on violent acts at construction sites started.

During police investigations, A and others reportedly claimed their actions were part of legitimate protests or struggles to protect workers' rights and create jobs.

The police obtained arrest warrants for the three key executives on the 6th and are expanding the investigation by also indicting seven union members who worked with them as accomplices.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.