Labor umbrella group leaders resign over rape scandal

SEOUL, Feb. 9 (Yonhap) -- The entire leadership of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), a leading labor umbrella group, resigned on Monday, holding themselves responsible for a rape scandal involving ranking KCTU members.

The more militant and progressive of the nation's two largest labor federations,
the KCTU came under fire after one of its senior officials, identified only by
the initial of his first name K, was accused of attempting to rape a female KCTU
member at her home near Seoul last December.
The KCTU took a further beating when the unidentified victim disclosed last week
that the group's leadership attempted to cover up the failed rape attempt.
KCTU Chairman Lee Suk-haeng and three other members of the confederation's
nine-member leadership announced their resignations, offering a sincere apology
to the victim and vowing to revamp the umbrella labor group's internal
organization to eradicate sexual violence.
Five other members of the KCTU leadership, mostly vice chairpersons, already
offered to resign last week after issuing a statement of public apology.
The KCTU chairman announced his resignation from jail, as he has been under
arrest since last December on charges of organizing illegal strikes in protest
against U.S. beef imports.
According to KCTU officials, the woman, who claims to have narrowly escaped a
rape attempt by K at her home, is known to be a union member who offered a
hideout late last year for Chairman Lee.
The suspect, fired by the KCTU last week, is alleged to have made several
attempts to sexually assault the female member while trying to persuade her to
make a false statement to the police about providing shelter to Lee, said the
officials. The suspect has apologized to the woman, saying he was under the
influence of alcohol at the time.
The victim last week asked the prosecution to launch a criminal investigation
into the man, insisting that the labor group initially tried to cover up the
scandal.