THE EMBATTLED South Korean President, Mr Kim Young sam, escalated his showdown with the unions crippling the country's industries yesterday, issuing summonses to 20 union leaders to appear before state prosecutors by today or face arrest.
The issue of the summonses - which union leaders say they will defy - came as the outlawed Korean Confederation of Trade Unions staged its first major show of strength in the capital, Seoul since the ending of the traditional Korean New Year holidays.
In tense scenes up to 12,000 protesters, braving snow and sub zero temperatures, halted traffic in central Seoul and skirmished with riot police, after marching from outside the ancient ChongMyo palace to a second rally at the Catholic cathedral at Myongdong.
Unionists from both the "no chong" (official) lab our organisations, and the outlawed minjunochong" are angry over the passage of draconian new labour and national security laws rushed through the National Assembly on December 26th at 6 a.m. while opposition members were still asleep. Under the new labour laws companies can lay off workers in South Korea's heavily protected workplaces and dismiss strikers.
Yesterday's demonstration coincided with walk outs (now declared illegal) by an estimated 100,000 industrial and white collar workers from some of South Korea's largest companies around the country. Planned strikes in the public sector, including hospital and transport workers, were suspended over the weekend until after President Kim Young Sam's address.
The official unions leaders have warned, however, that if the ruling party does not capitulate, it will call out public sector workers after January 11th.
Yesterday's street protests are a fresh blow to President Youngsam and his New Korea Party, which is entering a presidential election year with Mr Young sam; recording an all time low of 18 per cent of public approval for his handling of the economy and the present social unrest.