Arrest warrant sought for chief of media union for leading 'illegal' walkout

SEOUL, July 28 (Yonhap) -- Police sought an arrest warrant for the chief of a
national union of media workers Tuesday, accusing him of leading a days-long
"illegal" walkout against government-led media reforms.

Choi Sang-jae, chief of the National Union of Media Workers -- which claims
thousands of workers, including those from the country's major terrestrial TV
stations -- is suspected of leading four days of strike from July 21 to block the
passage of the media reform bills, officials from Seoul's Yeongdeungpo police
station said.
Choi, who has been in police custody since Monday morning, is also suspected of
illegally intruding into the National Assembly on Wednesday, when the ruling
Grand National Party (GNP) unilaterally passed the controversial media bills.
"He has been arrested on charges of interfering with the normal affairs of the
media by leading four days of illegal strikes from July 21," the police said.
Thousands of unionized workers at South Korea's newspapers and television
networks have protested against the media law revisions, under which large firms
and major newspapers will be allowed to own stakes in terrestrial and cable
television stations.
Critics view the revisions as favorable to conglomerates and as part of an
attempt by the conservative government to exercise greater control over major
news outlets.
Opposition parties and media unionists argue the GNP vote was invalid, citing
procedural violations. They suspect some of the ruling party votes were cast by
legislators' aides, an issue currently under parliamentary investigation.
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