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The Korean Health and Medical Workers Union (KHMU) has anounced that they will visit the Vatican in Rome unless the situation regarding the Catholic University Incheon St. Mary’s Hospital is settled soon.KHMU held a rally in front of the hospital and the Incheon Catholic Diocese, to urge the organisations in charge to be more responsible and active in settling the violations previously reported at the hospital.

The KHMU's President, Yoo Ji-Huan, stated in the rally: “The hospital has successfully grown in size over the past 10 years by exploiting patients as well as workers. They oppressed labor union activities and since last April, they have even bullied the union branch head in an organized way. Now, it is time for the Incheon Diocese to solve the problem up front. If the diocese does not respond to our request by the end of August, we will visit the Vatican. With the workers’ collective power, we will keep struggling to improve conditions at St. Mary’s hospital."

The rally was also addressed by Vice Chairman Lee Sang-jin of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), National Assemblywoman Jang Ha-na of the Labor and Environment Committee and representative of the Civic Taskforce Committee. They denounced the practices at the hospital with a unified voice and urged managers and the church to address the issues.

Following the rally in front of the hospital, unionists moved to Dapdong church where the Incheon Diocese is located to continue the rally. There, the KHMU demanded a direct meeting with the bishop, but the request was rejected. Protesters continued a sit-in demonstration until late evening in front of the church.

On August 20, Ms. Hong, the hospital’s labor union head, began an ongoing protest in a tent in front of the church to urge the diocese to actively involve itself in settling the issues. Also Ms. Hong will start a hunger strike on August 25.