A North Korean labor organization has held two South Korean umbrella labor groups financially responsible for expenses it alleges to have incurred preparing for a visit that was later cancelled, a South Korean union official said Saturday.
The North's General Federation of Trade Unions "demanded financial compensation for funds it says it used in preparing welcome performances and lifting off an airplane to bring South Korean union officials," an official at the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions said, asking for anonymity.
Two major labor unions in South Korea -- the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions and the Federation of Korean Trade Unions -- were supposed to send their officials to the reclusive nation in mid-July but called off the trip in consideration of recent floods that had caused extensive damage to the country earlier that month, the official said.
A North Korean airplane designated to accommodate the South Korean passengers apparently took off unaware of the cancelled schedule, only to turn around immediately after being informed, the official said, quoting his North Korean counterpart.
According to the official, the North has apparently requested 30 million won (US$30,000) for the compensation.
"We think it is probably appropriate for us to assume responsibility for the losses since the situation was caused by us in the first place, but we will still have to figure out the exact mode of compensation," the official said.
Seoul, Aug. 5 (Yonhap News)
N. Korea demands compensation for cancelled trip: labor union |
