When I read the following Yonhap News article, I was dumbstruck by the stupidity of the whole thing. The progressives are getting very desparate to ask for outside “help” in trying to intimidate the ROK government. I could understand their desparation when they called in Amnesty International for a farce review (with followup by other “human rights” groupies) — and even the using of the ineffectual National Human Rights Commission (NHRCK) for their purposes…but this is sheer nonsense.

The International Trade Union Confederation, which claims the membership of 168 million workers in 155 countries and territories, said Seoul was violating international labor standards by persecuting labor leaders and suppressing street protests. “The ITUC is extremely concerned that your government is again choosing to target top trade union leaders exercising legitimate trade union activities and even violate the privacy of their spouses,” Guy Ryder, general secretary of the Brussels-based organization, said in a protest letter sent to Lee on Aug. 4.

But what makes this so ludicrous was that Yonhap News stated,

Ryder was referring to the way Jin was arrested on July 24, with police forcefully apprehending her as she was going out to meet her husband.

My question is when do you arrest a person who refused to appear for a summons and an arrest warrant was granted by a judge? I guess nowadays by the International Standards, the Korean National Police should have called ahead to make an appointment to find out if it was a convenient time to be arrested.

The stupidity continued:

“The ITUC would once more like to remind the government of Korea of its obligation under international law deriving from its membership of the ILO (International Labor Organization) to respect core labor standards, including the right to freedom of association,” Ryder said.

We all agree about the freedom of association and peaceful protest, but when does the bylaws of the ILO (which Korea became a part of when it joined the United Nations) say that the “core labor standards” include beating police with pipes, destroying police buses, etc. — and more specifically for the KCTU: violence against police, roadblocks to prevent free trade, blockages to impede commerce, strikes (unrelated to labor issues) on political matters, etc. etc. etc.

President Lee has not responded according to the article — and they probably shouldn’t hold their breath waiting for a response — but I suggest some Cheong Wa Dae legal beagle send a letter to the Trade Union Headquarters and ask them if they want to join as co-defendants in the various lawsuits pending against all these organizers — using “core labor standards” as their defense.

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