Issued July 19, 2016
WASHINGTON, D.C. —In response to a Seoul court's sentencing of Korean Confederation of Trade Union (KCTU) President Han Sang-gyun to five years in prison for leading a rally last November, SEIU International President Mary Kay Henry issued the following statement:
“We stand with our brothers and sisters in the KCTU against government repression. The criminalization of freedom of speech and assembly is totally unacceptable in a modern democracy. We join the international trade union movement in calling on the government of Korea to respect workers’ rights and fundamental freedoms and to drop the charges against all KCTU leaders.”