The Chosun Ilbo flew drones without prior consent to the high-altitude agricultural growth of Hite Jinro workers, which drew criticism from the workers who were in the siege. The Chosun Ilbo took photos by approaching the drone to a distance of 5 meters from union members.
The workers of the Hite Jinro branch of the Freight Solidarity Headquarters of the National Confederation of Trade Unions for the 98th day of the strike entered the Hite Jinro headquarters at dawn on the 16th. Some union members started a high-altitude protest in the rooftop tower. On this day, the Chosun Ilbo flew a drone to film a union member who was sitting at high altitude, and published an article regarding it. It was a photo shoot without asking the cargo regiment and the high-altitude protesters for permission to take the photo. The Chosun Ilbo, JoongAng Ilbo, Dong-A Ilbo, TV Chosun, and Channel A are the media that the KCTU is ‘refusing to report’.
A member of the Cargo Solidarity, who was sitting at high altitude, complained in a phone call on the 17th, “Isn’t it too much for us?” Person A remembered the Chosun Ilbo drone that approached on the followingnoon of the 16th. A drone that was circling around the tower then approached the union member behind the tower. Person A said, “When we looked at the drone, it flew to another place for a while, and following regarding 5 minutes, they took a picture of us openly. When I filmed it as if I was looking at people with my eyes, I was embarrassed and there was a commotion.”
Person A said, “(At the time), the wind was blowing quite a bit from the tower overall. It was to the extent of shaking a little when people were standing, and it was a dizzying situation because of the heat.” If the Chosun Ilbo drone had crashed, it might have led to a serious accident.
Union members say that the appearance of drones has increased psychological anxiety. Person A said, “When I saw the drone, I was engulfed in anxiety and nervous.
Mr. A said, “It was too much for the media to take pictures without consent, but I felt even worse when I saw the contents of the article.” “The media should listen to both sides and write articles fairly, but they are instigating the need to use public power to take strict measures,” he said. Person A then pointed out, “People who see such articles may think of us as a gang or a violent union.”
Cheongdam Station, where Hite Jinro’s headquarters is located, is a restricted flight area. In order to take pictures with a drone, you must obtain permission from the military. Media Today covered military and police officials, but might not confirm whether the Chosun Ilbo had permission to shoot drones. The Chosun Ilbo side admitted to the fact that the Hite Jinro drone was filmed on Media Today.
On the 16th, the Chosun Ilbo posted a drone photo shoot in the report of ‘”I brought thinner, the police come, I will work”… Freight Solidarity, Occupying Hite Jinro Headquarters” They have entered the country and are conducting illegal sit-ins.” In addition, the Chosun Ilbo on the 17th, in an editorial on the 17th, ‘The labor union broke into the company with thinner, and the police who sent their employees here’, defined the occupation and siege of the cargo solidarity as an ‘act of terrorism’ and demanded the use of public power.
Mr. A said, “If (the press) writes articles that are not fair with prejudice, readers will not be able to view the matter fairly. I wish I might give it to you.”
According to the Cargo Solidarity, freight rates for Hite Jinro freight workers have been frozen for 15 years. They demanded a freight rate increase, but Hite Jinro and Foster Logistics, a freight consignor, notified the union member of the contract termination and claimed 2.776 billion won in damages. In response, Hite Jinro countered to the media on the 17th, saying, “After the application of the oil price index system, the rate of increase in transport unit price (fare) was 26.36% compared to 14.08% in consumer price inflation for 10 years from 2011 to 2021.”
