Korean riot police raid union building

Following the crack down of the KGEU [Korean Government Employees' Union] Gangwon Hwacheon Chapter offices on October 2, today saw more attacks on the chapter of KGEU Gangwon Regional Branch. Today is a national holiday, the National Foundation Day of Korea.

The KGEU Chuncheon Chapter’s office was taken over by the riot police and the execution officials at 06:20 this morning. More than 60 members from KGEU and solidarity organizations strongly resisted the crack down, but they couldn’t reverse the wave of the attack which had started at 05:10. The riot police armed with fire-fighting dust, hammers, claw hammers and steel pipes swept into the union office from all directions. Windows and doors to the office were all broken.

Another attack on a KGEU local office took place in Samcheok. From 11:45 this morning the riot police began to be deployed around the union office. At 14:20, the first barricade set up by union members was broken through by the riot police and 20 minutes later the union office was taken over. The riot police and the execution officials mobilized axes, claw hammers, hammers, fire hoses, a ladder truck and a fire engine to break into the union office, as usual now. 2 KGEU members were arrested. One of them was directly struck with water cannons and hospitalized. He was diagnosed that he has some trouble in his lung and now he is being taken to a bigger hospital. And the other arrestee was released in an hour. The riot police even tried to arrest journalists there. Furthermore, a KGEU member’s wife, who was also there to protect her husband and his colleagues with other KGEU members’ family, was pulled down by the riot police and injured on her head causing a concussion of her brain. Although shortly after being hospitalized she recovered consciousness, the doctors diagnosed that she needs more careful treatment. Now she is on her way to a bigger hospital as well in a neighborhood city.

Meanwhile, the 3 KGEU members arrested when the KGEU Gangwon Hwacheon Chapter was raided by the riot police at 05:30 on October 2 were released at noon today.

The government shut down about 140 offices of the Korean Government Employees’ Union (KGEU) on September 22, under a law stating that the union must register as a legal entity. The law went into effect in January, but the union has refused to do register itself officially, saying that the law would limit its freedom of assembly and freedom to strike.

Taken from the Korean Government Employees' Union website.