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Philip J. Jennings General Secretary Tel.: +41 22 365 2126 E-Mail: [email protected]

Nyon 16.05.2017,

To President Moon Jae-in, South Korea

Request: Immediate release of KCTU President Han Sang-gyun

Dear President Moon Jae-in,

As the General Secretary of UNI Global Union, and on behalf of the UNI Management Committee and our 20 million members in the services’ sectors worldwide, including many in South Korea, I wish to congratulate you on your election as President. In the name of UNI Global Union’s entire membership, I would request that you ensure the immediate release of KCTU President Han Sang-gyun from captivity.

President Han is facing a five-year prison sentence for simply exercising his constitutional right to protest. A right which is backed by international law and the Conventions of the International Labour Organisation. He is not alone, more than 20 Korean trade union leaders are also wrongfully imprisoned for similarly exercising constitutional rights which your government is legally bound to uphold.

I know that you are a human rights’ lawyer who in the past has suffered injustice at the hands of the authorities and that you will understand the urgency of this matter. Therefore, I, with the full backing of the international labour movement, would urge you to immediately review President Han’s case and those of the other trade union leaders wrongly imprisoned.

Furthermore, we are very proud of Bro. Lee Yong-Deuk, now a member of the Democratic Party of Korea on the National Assembly, who has been a long-time friend of myself and UNI members across the globe. We believe that your new administration and Bro. Lee Yong-Deuk will develop a new social dialogue with the unions to discuss the number of social and labour policies.

The release of President Han and his colleagues would be a sure sign to the international community that Korea has returned to the path of full democracy.

I respectfully await your response.

Yours sincerely,