[Photo] KCTU leader to be released from prison

Han Sang-gyun, leader of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), helped organized a rally that drew tens of thousands of people in opposition to the policies of the Park Geun-hye administration. After taking refuge in Jogye Temple in central Seoul, he turned himself in to the authorities on Dec. 10, 2015, and was charged a three-year prison sentence on charges related to “illegal protests.” Han is expected to be released on May 21, along with 800 others who were arrested under similar charges. Han’s arrest sparked further protests nationwide and raised issues regarding the Park administration’s repressive policies. Han’s release comes after insistences by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and several international human-rights organizations that he be released.