The newly organised union of civil servants, the Korean Government Employees’ Union (KGEU), has been struggling for official recognition as the labour ministry has three times refused to recognise it because its membership reportedly contains dismissed public workers and non-civil servant staff. The union denies having dismissed workers as members and says staffers account for only eight of some 100,000 members. A lawsuit has been filed against government officials for abuse of authority.
In March 2010 a rally planned by the KGEU was termed an «illegal collective action». After the rally the Ministry of Public Administration and Security said that KGEU had violated the law by pushing though with a launching ceremony and that it (the Ministry) would fire 18 union leaders, including 13 headquarter heads including the KGEU Vice Chairman Park Yi-jae and Secretary General Ra Il-ha. The authorities also stated that they would punish all government employees who attended the rally after confirming their identities and ban all the union’s activities including establishing an office, picketing and leafleting. It would also impose up to KRW 5 million (EUR 3,270) in fines.
By banning all activities under the KGEU name, the Ministry has virtually rendered the union unable to function. According to the KGEU, the union is not an illegal group but a union undergoing the formation process according to the law; notification documents of a new union have been filed with the Labour Ministry, but these have been returned.