Posted 22nd June 2001

Korean Tiger A Cannibal

Linked to below is an urgent appeal for help from one of the largest labour unions in South Korea. The appeal has been posted to the LabourStart website: The Korean government has issued warrants for the arrest of DAN Byung-Ho, the leader of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU). They have been hunting him down for several days but have so far failed to apprehend him. Meanwhile a large number of other trade union leaders have either been arrested or are facing imminent arrest. These include leaders of hospital workers, pilots, and others.

The document received from the Korean trade unionists includes a sample letter appealing for help by sending this or a similar message to the Prosecutor General and to the President, and to send copies to the KCTU. All the email addresses and the full text of a sample letter can be found here: The arrest of trade union leaders whose only 'crime' is to lead a strike would be in itself the crime, not in South Korea, such arrests are, unfortunately, a fact of everyday life.

As the statement of the Korean unionists points out, since coming to power, the Kim Dae Jung government has arrested 552 trade unionists -- and this from a leader hailed by Western media as the "Nelson Mandela of Asia". It is extremely urgent that we act on this appeal and spread the word throughout our media -- labour, alternative and mainstream -- about the crisis in South Korea.

Let us use the Internet for what is best at -- not selling trinkets to consumers, but allowing the speedy and uncensored exchange of information around the world. For continuing coverage of the crisis in Korea, point your browsers to: www.labourstart.org/korea/"