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Even after the Korea Fair Trade Commission’s Apology for Union Repression, Upper Court Turns a Blind Eye

KPTU-TruckSol condemns the Seoul Central District Court’s guilty verdict against it in relation to obstruction of KFTC investigation

Today, 29 October 2026, the Seoul Central District Court overturned a lower court’s acquittal of KPTU-TruckSol on charges of obstructing an on-site investigation by the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC), finding the union guilty and imposing a fine of KRW 30 million (USD 22,400). TruckSol strongly condemns this ruling, which rolls back fundamental labour rights and gives the KFTC a free pass for its repression of our union.

During the 2022 national strike in defence of Safe Rates, the government and the KFTC classified TruckSol as a business association and attempted to conduct an on-site investigation at union offices. TruckSol was brought to criminal trial for refusing to cooperate with this unjust investigation. The lower court acquitted our union, recognising truck drivers as workers under the Trade Union and Labour Relations Adjustment Act and finding that the Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act could not be applied to collective action concerning Safe Rates. The appellate court, however, found the union guilty on the grounds that the KFTC had lawfully exercised its investigative powers.

In separate administrative proceedings, the Seoul High Court overturned KFTC sanctions against TruckSol’s Samsung Chapter and the Korean Construction Workers’ Union’s Ulsan Construction Machinery Branch, respectively, putting a brake on the overreach in the application of competition law. Even KFTC Chairperson Joo Byung-gi apologised during the 2025 parliamentary audit, acknowledging that the commission’s actions against TruckSol had resulted in serious violations of constitutional rights. Yet this court has now justified the KFTC’s past exercise of investigative powers, running counter to progress towards guaranteeing fundamental labour rights.

This ruling marks a clear setback for truck drivers’ fundamental labour rights. Instead of correcting past wrongs—treating legitimate trade union activities as the conduct of a business association and using competition law to suppress them—the court has given its blessing to union repression. If the government continues to speak of respect for labour while failing to rectify unjust sanctions, its promises will amount to empty slogans. The government must stop applying competition law to trade union activities and imposing sanctions on that basis.

TruckSol cannot accept this ruling, which undermines fundamental labour rights and legitimises union repression. We will fight this ruling together with the labour movement and civil society, and continue our struggle until the fundamental labour rights of truck drivers and all specially-employed (dependent self-employed) workers are fully guaranteed.

29 October 2026

KPTU Cargo Truckers’ Solidarity Division