Get 40% Off
🤯 This Tech Portfolio is up 29% YTD! Join Now to Get April’s Top PicksGet The Picks – Just 99 USD

South Korea labor boss jailed for 5 years over violent protest rally

Published 07/04/2016, 05:14 AM
Updated 07/04/2016, 05:20 AM
South Korea labor boss jailed for 5 years over violent protest rally

South Korea labor boss jailed for 5 years over violent protest rally

SEOUL (Reuters) - A South Korean court sentenced the leader of a major labor group to five years in jail on Monday for leading a violent protest last year against the labor reform policy of President Park Geun-hye.

Han Sang-gyun, the head of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), the more strident of the country's two umbrella labor groups, turned himself over to police in December after evading arrest for weeks following the Nov. 14 protest rally.

Han was convicted of violating laws on public assembly and protests as well as obstruction of operation of public service, the court said.

The Nov. 14 rally involved more than 60,000 demonstrators, some of whom wielded steel pipes and clashed with police wearing riot gear, in the biggest and most violent protest of Park's presidency, which began in early 2013.

Park's plan to reform the labor market to enable employers to dismiss workers based on performance and cap salaries of senior staff to encourage youth employment have prompted sharp objections from organized labor.

KCTU has about 626,000 members, according to government data.

Rights group Amnesty International said on Monday that the sentencing was against the right of peaceful assembly in the country, saying Han was punished as an organizer of an event for the acts of others who engaged in violence.

Latest comments

Risk Disclosure: Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.
© 2007-2024 - Fusion Media Limited. All Rights Reserved.