Complete Removal of Illegal Tents by Industrial Workers' Union in Front of Gangbuk-gu Office

Gangbuk-gu Industrial Complex Union’s ’Citizen Hostage Violent Sit-in‘ Lasting Over 140 Days Surrenders

Industrial Complex Union Voluntarily Removes Illegal Tents and Banners on the 20th

District Office: “Strict Response in Compliance with Law and Principles Against Illegal Acts... Hope to Establish Proper Labor-Management Relations”

Gangbuk-gu (District Mayor Lee Soon-hee) announced on the 20th that the Industrial Complex Union, which had been conducting illegal protests for over 140 days, has returned to work, and all illegal tents and banners installed in front of the district office have been removed.

The Gangbuk-gu Industrial Complex Union started a strike on November 28 last year, demanding unconditional workforce increases and the establishment of basic overtime pay, which the complex could not accept. Just one day after the strike began, they occupied the district office without permission and conducted illegal protests for about a month.

During this period, an incident occurred where Mayor Lee Soon-hee and district office staff were assaulted. As a result, Mayor Lee sustained injuries requiring three weeks of medical treatment and was hospitalized. Unable to tolerate the illegal protests, the district office eventually requested police protection in December last year and forcibly evicted the protesters.

However, the union continued protests by installing illegal tents and banners around Dobong-ro 89-gil in front of the district office, aiming to illegally occupy the building again.

In this process, the union caused inconvenience to nearby shop owners and residents by using loudspeakers near the district office. Despite continuing the illegal sit-in for over 140 days, the union ceased the protest on the 20th (Thursday) by voluntarily removing the illegal tents and banners, as Gangbuk-gu consistently took a firm stance, including administrative enforcement warnings.

The district office consistently maintained the position that the Industrial Complex is a separate independent institution and that the district mayor cannot legally intervene in the complex’s management, thus refusing to negotiate with the union.

Additionally, starting with the first warning notice on March 6 to voluntarily remove the illegal tents unlawfully occupying the area in front of the district office without Gangbuk-gu’s approval since February 23, the district office delivered a second warning on March 7, and fourth warnings on March 24 and March 31.

After the union voluntarily removed the illegal tents, the district office cleaned Dobong-ro 89-gil, where the tents had been installed, around 5 p.m. on the 20th. A nearby shop owner (female in her 40s) said, “Please spray some water here too. It’s nice now that they are removed,” welcoming the cleaner street.

A district official stated, “Gangbuk-gu will continue to strictly respond to any illegal acts in compliance with laws and principles,” and added, “We hope this incident will serve as an opportunity to establish proper labor-management relations in Korean society.”

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