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E.land workers' struggle and George W. Bush visit used by Korean government: Union leaders are jailed and heavy handed police repression on the streets is encouraged

In a show of weakness and nervousness in preparing for the arrival of U.S. President George W. Bush, South Korea's conservative government is sending its police out to quash freedom of speech. Once again, the target is the trade unions and particularly the country's militant union confederation KCTU. Arrest warrants are out against its top leadership, and its 1st Vice President - the top woman union leader Jin Yeong-ok - is already held at the Seoul Detention Centre.

But the police repression is not only about quieting down anti-Bush protests. It is also about trying to grab an opportunity to accomplish a long time goal of right wing politicians and many employers: Busting the country's militant trade union structures.

Korean police search for trade union leaders in cars leaving the KCTU confederation headquarters in Seoul. (Picture: KCTU)

Lee Myung-bak who was elected President last December has not managed to gain much popular support. He won the elections not so much because of his own qualities, but more as a reaction against the centre-left government which many thought had betrayed its own social aims. Particularly the candlelight vigil protests earlier this summer must have sent bad vibrations to the Blue House - Seoul's presidential palace - as they upset the whole government's stability.

This popular uprising against planned large-scale beef imports from the United States must also have sent warning signals about what could arrive when President George W. Bush was due in Seoul in early August. The result which could already have been predictable was a police crackdown both on demonstrators and on their background organisations, particularly the KCTU.

Arresting top union leaders just to prevent their organisations to speak out for their members in legal demonstrations would have been too much even for the Lee Myung-bak administration to defend. Therefore, other excuses had to be found. One of them was to point at KCTU's engagement in the E.Land struggle, in defence of repressed and striking shop workers.

Not only has the Korean government sent out its police to arrest union leaders. According to media reports from Seoul, they are also offering bonuses to police officers who are prepared to take an even more heavy handed approach to the demonstrators than what has been  done before. Now, police use spray cans to mark protesters like animals, so that they can find and arrest them later.

It is obvious that the conservative Grand National Party government of Lee Myung-bak would prefer a South Korea without the militant trade union confederation KCTU. The U.S. President's visit may be both a catalyser and a thinly veiled excuse for proceeding with union busting, in the middle of the most important holiday season.