Korean Government Employees’ Union (KGEU)

Korean workers believe that the Korea-EU FTA is being negotiated in the interests of European and
Korean transnational corporations, and that it will privatize public services. Therefore, we are
adamantly against it.

– The EU is demanding that local governments be included in government procurement
measures. This will lead to outsourcing, subcontracting, commissioning of public and
administrative services that are at the moment provided by central and local governments.

– European transnational corporations in the services sector want access to Korean services,
and are demanding elimination of regulations. Public services such as water and environmental
services, education, healthcare, energy are expected to be ound to the FTA, which will mean
privatization of these services.

– The Korean economy is already being distorted by foreign speculative capital (mostly from US
and Europe) that ignores national economic policies and pursues only “hot money”.
Transnational speculative capital endangers the economy and incapacitates public policies.

– European capital records top in foreign investment to Korea. However, recently more and more
European corporations are committing illegal labour practices. If a FTA is consolidated, far from
punishing those deeds, it will instead legalize the illegal actions of these corporations.

Korean workers including government employees have fought to stop the WTO
ministerial meetings in Mexico (2003) and in Hong Kong (2005), and recently against
the Korea-US FTA. Furthermore, public sector workers have continuously gone on
strikes and fought in order to stop privatization and to protect public services for the
benefit of the people.

We are firm in our stance against the Korea-EU FTA, and will struggle to stop it. The
Korea-EU FTA will be detrimental not only to Korean workers and people but also to
those of Europe.

We call upon the workers, peasants,, NGOs
and all progressive democratic forces
in Europe for solidarity and support.

Box

European Corporations Thirsty for Korean Water

8 out of top 10 transnational water corporations are European. These corporations are lobbying for
access to Korean watersupply. The Korean government has recently started to promote water
privatization, which will turn over watersupply from local governments to private enterprises. If Korea-EU
FTA is signed under these circumstances, water privatization will be accelerated and the Korean people
will face serious problems. Government workers who produced water will face job instability. In 2002,
Vivendi (now Veolia) tried to acquire a purification plant in Masan but was stopped due to resistance from
government workers. Veolia is now proposing to acquire watersupply rights in Incheon city.

Korean Government Employees’ Union (KGEU) - Affiliate of Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU)

Address: 7^th Floor, Daeyoung Building, Youngdeungpo 2-ga, Youngdeungpo-gu, Seoul, Korea

Email: kgeu kgeu.org

Tel: +82-2-2631-1948 (Ext.131 or 158) | Fax: +82-2-2631-1949 |
Web: http://inter.kgeu.org

Korean Government Employees’ Union (KGEU)

JEON Sohi, Director of External Relations

Korean Government Employees’ Union (KGEU)

Tel: +82-2-2631-1948 (158) Fax: +82-2-2631-1949

MP: +82-11-9072-5782