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| President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during a Cabinet meeting at his office in Yongsan District, Seoul, Tuesday. Joint Press Corps |
President slams labor unions for overnight street rally
By Nam Hyun-woo
President Yoon Suk Yeol called Tuesday, for "a coalition of the free world," which he believes will eventually help to bring peace to the Korean Peninsula and Ukraine, signaling a push for stronger security relations with the United States and Japan.
Yoon made the remarks during a Cabinet meeting. He recalled discussions and achievements shared with global leaders in a flurry of diplomatic events on the sidelines of the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Japan last week. There he reiterated the importance of a coalition with Western democracies, which share common values such as freedom, human rights and the rule of law.
"All of the diplomatic actions which we pursue, should be based on the universal values of freedom, the rule of law and international norms, as well as on the spirit of our Constitution," Yoon said in a nationally televised speech.
"I am convinced that a solid coalition of the free world will help secure peace on the Korean Peninsula and in Ukraine, and will eventually bring out the victory of liberty."
From May 17 to 22, Yoon held summits and meetings with leaders of 12 countries ― Canada, Australia, Vietnam, India, the United Kingdom, Japan, Comoros, Indonesia, Ukraine, Italy, Japan and the United States ― and the European Union in South Korea and Japan, on the occasion of his attendance at the G7 event in Hiroshima.
During the summits, Yoon reiterated South Korea's strong intention to stand by countries seeking freedom and the rule of law, asking for their support for Seoul's effort to deter North Korea's threats and echoing the condemnation by Western countries of Russia's aggression toward Ukraine.
The president said he engaged with the leaders with the constant aim of prioritizing security.
"During the G7 summit, I urged for a stronger coalition and cooperation between countries safeguarding freedom and the rule of law," Yoon said. "The leaders condemned North Korea's illegal actions ― which are contrary to the nuclear non-proliferation regime ― in a single voice as well as pledging their support for Seoul's efforts to strengthen its security."
During the G7 summit, Yoon had a brief meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Sunday. Although the content of their talks was not revealed, the three countries each released statements saying that they will strengthen trilateral security cooperation, which was viewed as a warning not only to North Korea but also to China.
"On the occasion of the summit, I reaffirmed the necessity for stronger trilateral security cooperation between the three countries with Biden and Kishida, and we decided to continue discussions," Yoon said.
"The trilateral security cooperation against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats will be upgraded, and the three countries' cooperation will naturally expand to advanced future technologies."
Yoon also stressed that the free world's strong support and effort to bring freedom and peace back to Ukraine are "a just measure against an illegal invasion."
"South Korea will be in solidarity with countries sharing the universal values of freedom, human rights and the rule of law, and make every possible support for securing peace in Ukraine and rebuilding its economy," Yoon said.
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| Members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions stage a rally in central Seoul, May 16, in a protest against the Yoon Suk Yeol administration's labor policy. The rally continued until the following day, causing an inconvenience to the public. Yonhap |
On the domestic front, Yoon slammed the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) for its overnight street rally last week, saying its actions infringed on people's freedoms and disturbed public order.
From Tuesday to Wednesday, approximately 25,000 KCTU members staged an overnight rally in protest against the Yoon administration's labor policy. In doing so, however, some members drank alcohol and caused a disturbance, but the police did not control them.
"Guaranteeing the freedom of assembly and demonstration does not mean infringements on another person's freedoms and basic rights, or acts that disturb the public order, are justified," Yoon said.
He blamed the previous Moon Jae-in administration, saying that effectively, it had given up its law enforcement duties concerning illegal rallies and demonstrations, leading to intolerable levels of inconvenience for the people.
"The KCTU's rally practices that infringed the public's freedom and basic rights will not be tolerated by the people … I urge police and government officials to strictly enforce the law against these illegal activities," Yoon said.
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