Union Executive Arrested and Indicted for Blocking Non-Union Equipment Deployment and Extorting Full-Time Fees

Changwon District Prosecutors' Office, Gyeongnam.
Photo by Lee Seryeong

An executive of the construction union was arrested and indicted on charges of obstructing construction site work by using non-union members' equipment.

The Changwon District Prosecutors' Office in Gyeongnam announced on the 26th that it had arrested and indicted Mr. A, head of the Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam regional headquarters of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) Construction Union.

According to the prosecution, Mr. A is accused of obstructing construction work by holding rallies or blocking the deployment of equipment at six apartment construction sites in the Gyeongnam area from June to August last year, where non-union members' equipment was being used.

In October last year, he is also charged with extorting 13 million won from two construction companies under the pretext of union full-time fees by threatening to disrupt construction.

During the investigation, it was reported that the victim companies testified that they had no choice but to pay the money due to concerns that construction delays would cause daily losses worth tens of millions of won.

A prosecution official stated, "Most of the money received from the construction companies was used for union executives' salaries and was not used to improve the working conditions or rights of other union members," adding, "We plan to respond strictly to illegal acts that infringe on others' rights to enforce collective interests."

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