[Editorial] KCTU Needs Unity in Wake of Resignations

he entire leadership of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU, Minju Nochong), including president Lee Soo Ho, has decided to accept responsibility for the corruption case involving one of its former leaders, Gang Seung Gyu, and resign. Whatever the causes and course of events through which this came about, it is very regrettable and distressing that things have come to the point where the leadership of the KCTU, which has long led the labor movement, has had to step down.

Lee's resignation demonstrates that there exists the possibility for the KCTU to engage in internal reform. It could not have been easy for someone who represents hundreds of thousands of members to have resigned, accepting criticism for holding off on such a decision only nine days ago. If his decision is to have a positive effect, the organization will have to straighten matters out and seek unity. It is only the membership that will suffer if KCTU is not functioning properly. An interruption in discussion about labor issues would also be a major loss for the whole of society as well. That is something the labor movement should be thinking about, as should government and business leaders.

It is also why KCTU must guard itself against behavior that causes division. A typical example would be division between hard-liners and moderates within the organization. Some blame the so-called hard-line conservatives for Lee's resignation, but that appears to be far from the case since even the key group among his supporters had called for him to resign.

Something else the organization must be careful of is the idea that hard-liners have the upper hand, and that relations with the government and with business will turn sour as a result. That assertion risks covering up responsibility for a deterioration in relations. When Lee became president early last year most people assumed that relations with the government would go smoothly because he was a moderate, but the result was the exact opposite. The primary responsibility for the situation is the government's coercive labor policy. It must not be forgotten that what needs to happen for labor-government relations to be restored is change in government policy instead of hasty guesses about the organization.

The Hankyoreh, 21 October 2005.

[Translations by Seoul Selection]