Prosecutors conducted on Monday a search operation looking for any evidence that a teachers’ union had illegally involved itself in last year’s presidential election.

Officials from the Seoul South District Prosecutor’s Office raided an unnamed server provider to investigate traces of illegal electioneering on the Korean Teacher’s Union homepage.

Prosecutors have reportedly found evidence supporting the charges against the KTU on the union’s website and intranet system.

The KTU has been on a rollercoaster ride lately, as the government stripped the leftist union of official union status, citing the membership of several teachers who had been fired by their respective schools. A court ruling reversed the government order.

A rightist civic activist group then filed an injunction against the KTU last month, accusing teachers of having posted comments on the union homepage that were supportive of the opposition camp’s presidential candidate.

Since teachers are officially employed by the government, they have violated election laws forbidding public officials from participating in election campaigns, the Young’s Liberty Union said.

The KTU has denied the charges. 


By Jeong Hunny
(hj257@heraldcorp.com)