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Committee: Union covered up case
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2902236

March 14, 2009
A special fact-finding committee of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions announced yesterday that union leaders had intentionally and systematically worked to cover up a sexual assault case.

The case involved a high-ranking union official who allegedly attempted to assault a female labor union member who has been providing shelter for a fugitive leader Lee Seok-haeng last December. The leadership of the KCTU, including Lee, resigned en masse four days after the scandal broke on Feb. 5, rocking both the organization and the country. The KCTU later launched the special fact-finding committee to investigate the case.

�Some officials learned about the attempted rape right after it happened, but tried to hush the case among KCTU members, overlooking how serious the matter was,� the committee said in a press conference yesterday after wrapping up a 22-day probe. �[The officials� behavior] prevented the issue from being solved in an appropriate manner. They manipulated the organization into concealing the incident.�

The committee also found that an earlier fact-finding mission into the matter launched on Jan. 7 downplayed the case as an incident involving two members - wrongdoer and victim. They ended their probe without examining the possible cover-up, the committee said.

A high-ranking KCTU official, identified as Kim, is suspected of attempting to rape the victim. He told prosecutors that �he does not recall what happened because he was drunk at that time.�

The committee said �his statement that he was drunk at the time is not reliable.� Members said they reached the conclusion after examining various evidence, including CCTV camera records. �His insincere apology and attempts to encounter the victim led the victim to suffer more pain,� the committee said.

The committee urged the umbrella labor union to establish a gender equality committee to reform the union�s sexual discriminatory culture to prevent a recurrence of such an incident. It also urged the union to slap disciplinary measures against five officials allegedly involved in the cover up.


By Chang Chung-hoon JoongAng Ilbo/ Kim Mi-ju Staff Reporter [[email protected]]

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