It belatedly came to light that a department store security guard asked labor union members who visited the store to take off their "union vests." The union is pushing back, calling it worker hate.
According to Human Rights Movement Network Baram and others on the 12th, members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) Metal Workers' Union went to the basement restaurant of Lotte Department Store Jamsil in Songpa-gu, Seoul, on the 10th wearing Metal Workers' Union vests and were stopped by the department store with a request to "take off the vests."
At the time, a department store security guard reportedly stepped in and asked the union members to remove the vests they were wearing. The vests carried phrases such as "Dismissal is murder," demanding the reinstatement of a fired worker from Lee Soo corporations, a Hyundai Motor subcontractor.
The controversy spread further with a video posted on social media. In the video, the security guard told the union, "In public places, you need to observe some level of etiquette." The union responded, "We go around like this in public places."
The security guard then replied, "This is private property." The union said, "So ultimately it's a standard set by the department store, and that standard is worker hate." They added, "Please think carefully about whether it is hate."
The security guard also told the union, "I am a worker too." The union said, "That's exactly why you shouldn't think that way," adding, "It's your job so there's nothing you can do, but please think carefully about whether it is hate."
As the controversy grew, Lotte Department Store apologized to the union and reportedly explained, "There is no customer dress code." It added, "The safety officer sensed a somewhat uncomfortable atmosphere nearby and asked for the vests to be removed to prevent issues from arising."
Lotte Department Store also said, "It was an excessive measure, and we are very sorry to customers who felt uncomfortable," adding, "Lotte Department Store will redefine the manual on entry regulations, inform all stores and service partners, and work to prevent similar cases from recurring."
Human Rights Movement Network Baram criticized, saying, "In Korea, freedom of expression is enshrined in the Constitution, and union activities are also rights stipulated in the Constitution," adding, "The (security guard's) arbitrary judgment and expression stem from the department store's deep-rooted culture of union hate."