Unionized teachers issue second anti-government statement

SEOUL, July 19 (Yonhap) -- A group of progressive teachers issued a second
anti-government statement during a rally in downtown Seoul on Sunday in defiance
of the education ministry's warnings that participants will face punishment.
The statement criticized the government's massive punishment of fellow teachers
who organized a similar street protest a month earlier against the Lee Myung-bak
administration's education policy.
The Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union claims that the government is
pursuing an education policy tailored solely for the benefit of the nation's rich
and that under the current administration households have come under an
increasing financial burden to cover the costs of private tutoring.
During last month's rally, the union issued a statement signed by more than
17,000 union members strongly criticizing the Lee administration's education
policy. The education ministry slapped severe administrative punishments on 88
teachers that spearheaded the campaign and also asked prosecutors to investigate
their involvement in the anti-government movement. Many other participants
received verbal warnings.
The government argues that the teachers violated legal restrictions that bar
state employees from engaging in political activity.
The second statement issued at Sunday's rally, which drew some 28,635 signatures
from union members across the country, said the government is trying to "gag"
teachers who are campaigning to protect the country's democracy.
"The massive punishment of those teachers is an abuse of power that destroys the
basic order of democracy," the statement read. It called for the government to
retract the punishment and scrap its elite education policy.
lcd@yna.co.kr
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