Construction Union Tyranny, Yong Hye-in Controversy Reignites

The Yoon Seok-yeol government had nearly eradicated union problems with strong measures, including prosecuting 51 and arresting 153 for violent acts at construction sites. However, commentator Song Guk-geon pointed out that these bad habits have resurfaced since the inauguration of the Lee Jae-myung government, and construction unions are again rampant at construction sites. Indeed, cases of forced employment of tower crane operators and forced union membership are recurring, creating a vicious cycle of construction delays and union intervention at construction sites.

The construction industry is currently experiencing a recession, with construction volume plummeting by 30% compared to last year. As a result, with fewer jobs, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) is moving to expel non-union members from construction sites and assert control to protect their members' jobs, explained commentator Song Guk-geon. He stated, "The construction industry is in a severe recession right now. Because of the recession, jobs are shrinking. So, while union members remain, jobs are decreasing, meaning non-union members have to be pushed out."

Commentator Song Guk-geon revealed, "Assemblyman Ahn Cheol-soo looked up all the details on the National Assembly broadcast for that date and time. What he found was that the timeline of what Kim Seung-won, who was then a member of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee, did during the National Assembly audit, matched exactly as shown in the chart." This confirmed inappropriate text messages and call records by Assemblyman Kim Seung-won during the National Assembly audit, raising suspicions of private dealings beyond simple complaint handling.

He stated, "If you look at that situation and Kim Seung-won's current situation, aren't they almost similar? So, he probably did it to that extent because there was something significant coming back to him, rather than just a simple relationship from a past entertainment venue." This suggests that Kim's actions might have been a quid pro quo relationship beyond mere acquaintance.

Supreme Council member Woo Jae-joon advocated for lifting the disciplinary action against former Chairman Han Dong-hoon and appointing him to the confirmation committee. This is also interpreted as a scenario for Han to re-enter the party to gain control. Commentator Song Guk-geon questioned the legitimacy of the data released by former Chairman Han Dong-hoon and his method of engaging in opposition struggle, stating, "Although Assemblyman Han Dong-hoon's sources for the information in this incident are uncertain, he claims to have received it from a public interest whistleblower. However, he keeps presenting the data that supposedly went through the prosecution in a piecemeal fashion, showcasing his presence."

Within the People Power Party, there is a strong negative sentiment regarding the readmission of individuals with disciplinary records related to criminal involvement. Commentator Song Guk-geon conveyed the party's mood, stating, "We are not people who clean up trash. Although the People Power Party needs to clean up trash, it is not a place to pick up trash. There is no reason to readmit or stop disciplinary actions against those involved in such criminal acts." This suggests that there is insufficient justification for former Chairman Han Dong-hoon's readmission, and political support or cooperation as a colleague would be difficult.

Commentator Song Guk-geon reported, "The Democratic Party stated they cannot accept a single witness or reference. The People Power Party requested 44 witnesses and 4 references, but the Democratic Party accepted none, zero." This can be interpreted as an intention to reduce the hearing itself to a mere formality.

However, commentator Song Guk-geon countered that a deferred prosecution is not an acquittal and that political considerations may have influenced the decision at the time. He explained, "It was not 'nothing.' Deferred prosecution is not an acquittal. One must stand trial, but it was deferred due to other circumstances." He asserted that the truth can only be revealed by having the investigative prosecutor and relevant parties testify at the hearing.

Candidate Kim Seung-won initially claimed to have met Yang Soo-jin at a place frequented by legal professionals, then later insisted it was a cafe restaurant. However, it was confirmed in the court ruling to be an entertainment venue called 'Rotation Bar,' leading to accusations of lying. Commentator Song Guk-geon pointed out, "The core issue is that candidate Kim Seung-won keeps lying. When asked how he met Yang Soo-jin, he first said it was a place legal professionals often go, and then he said it was a cafe restaurant." The establishment is known as a modified entertainment venue where female hostesses rotate among tables.

Assemblywoman Yong Hye-in argued that a proportional representative stepping down when becoming a minister is 'job sharing,' justifying her dual role as minister and assemblywoman. However, commentator Song Guk-geon refuted this, criticizing, "It's absurd to say that a proportional representative stepping down to become a minister is 'job sharing' because another proportional representative takes their place. She's making an absurd argument to hold onto the position because of the 1.1 billion won in national subsidies." He interpreted it as a sophistry to receive party subsidies, disregarding the proportional representation succession structure, and added that while she cited the DJP alliance, the situations are completely different.

This draws criticism as a illicit use of political funds. Commentator Song Guk-geon claimed, "She did it that way because she couldn't keep the 300 million won herself." The use of political funds is strictly restricted and requires reporting to the National Election Commission. However, it is suspected that she exploited the fact that party dues allow for more flexible use than political funds, using them for her personal justification and public relations activities.

Commentator Song Guk-geon emphasized the severity of the controversy by comparing it to the People Power Party, stating, "If, in the same situation, the leader of the People Power Party hired their spouse or child as a secretary in their office or as the chief of staff to the party leader, paying them tens of thousands of won, or hired their child as chief of staff or gave a spouse or child a crucial position and paid them several million won monthly, what would the situation be like? It would be chaos." While claiming the legitimacy of the party's one-person decision-making method at its inception, the appointment of her spouse as secretary-general and election as supreme council member have raised concerns about the transparency of party operations and the absence of checks and balances.

Assemblywoman Yong Hye-in admitted to having secretly participated in the Labor Party's underground organization from 2013 to 2017. She claimed the organization disbanded in 2017 due to a culture of sexism and lack of self-correction. However, commentator Song Guk-geon criticized this, saying, "Park Geun-hye's government term started in 2013 and ended around 2017, so it fits well. But saying it disbanded before the Moon Jae-in government started because there would be no suppression then is an excuse." The reason given for its disbandment, public security crackdowns under the Park Geun-hye government, seems questionable, raising suspicions that the timing of the disbandment was manipulated to align with the nature of the current government.

Commentator Song Guk-geon emphasized that Assemblywoman Yong Hye-in's press conference was a message to Chairman Lee, stating, "This is a message sent to Lee Jae-myung: 'You nominated me out of your own necessity, and now you're abandoning me.' So, this was a declaration that I will not resign voluntarily. 'Dismiss me if you want, withdraw my nomination if you want, but I will not resign,' is the message she sent to Lee Jae-myung, I believe." Some analyses suggest that her independent action, even to the point of accepting the withdrawal of her nomination (dismissal), backfired on the pro-Lee faction's bait strategy.

The host explained, "Democratic Party lawmakers on the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee proposed an amendment to the special prosecutor act that would strip the special prosecutor team's investigators of their investigative powers, but withdrew the bill within two days as controversy threatened to escalate significantly." This move was analyzed as an attempt to obstruct future investigations related to Chairman Lee Jae-myung, and it appears there was opposition from the pro-Lee faction and internal coordination.

He stated, "I believe there is merit to the analysis that the Democratic Party attempted to strip the special prosecutor's investigative powers in anticipation of a future withdrawal of Lee Jae-myung's indictment." He also suggested that this was a complex interplay of intentions to conduct a lackluster investigation by the National Election Commission and internal concerns about preventing blowback on Chairman Lee Jae-myung, with the possibility of a retreat due to strong opposition from the pro-Lee faction.