Title: South Korea Labor Rights Violations under Democratic Rule
Abstract: Since the end of thirty years of military dictatorship and the election, nearly four years ago, of the country's first civilian president in three decades, the Republic of Korea is a more open country with a government that pledges respect for international human rights.Nevertheless, the government of South Korea has not lived up to its pledges.Key laws that suppressed human rights in the country during the decades of military rule have not been changed, and President Kim Young-sam has used them against political opponents and labor activists.It is still legal in South Korea for the security forces to carry out arbitrary arrests and detention, and for the government to suppress free association, expression and assembly, for workers and other dissidents.Provisions of South Korea's labor laws, the Trade Union Law, the Labor Dispute Adjustment Act, and the Public Servants Act, suppress basic labor rights.These include the internationally guaranteed protection for freedom of association, freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, as well as the right to engage in collective bargaining and peaceful collective action.The U.N.