19 December, 2008Korean union leader Yoon Hae-Mo is convicted of criminal obstruction of business and sentenced to one year imprisonment
KOREA: The IMF affiliated KMWU informs that Yoon Hae-mo, KMWU Hyundai Motor Branch Chair, was convicted of Criminal Obstruction of Business and sentenced to one year imprisonment without stay of execution. In practice this means that brother Yoon, Hae-Mo will have to spend one year in prison. The KMWU is appealing the conviction.
IMF has previously reported on the arrest warrants issued against Korean union leaders including KMWU President Jung Gab-deuk, KMWU Vice-President Nam Taek-gyu, KCTU President Lee Suk-haeng, KCTU First Vice-president Jin Young-ok, KCTU General Secretary Lee Yong-shik, and six top elected officers of the Hyundai Motor Branch namely Yoon Hae-mo, Kim Tae-gon, Kim Jong-il, Jung Chang-bong, Joo In-koo, and Jo Chang-min.
The IMF sent a letter of protest to the South Korean President Lee Myung-bak urging the Korean Government to withdraw the arrests warrants and to stop persecution of trade union leaders in Korea. Unfortunately the Korean Government has failed to take any adequate steps so far.
The IMF is organising a joint global unions mission to Korea at the end of February 2009 to put further pressure on the Korean Government to stop the persecutions.