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ULSAN, Jan. 27 (Korea Bizwire) — A South Korean court on Tuesday acquitted former labor union leaders at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries who had removed facial-recognition access equipment from the company’s shipyard, ruling that their actions constituted a legitimate response to an imminent violation of workers’ rights.
The Ulsan District Court found 13 former officials of the Hyundai Heavy Industries branch of the Korean Metal Workers’ Union not guilty of charges including property damage.
The defendants had been indicted for dismantling parts of an entry system — including facial-recognition devices and fire detectors equipped with surveillance camera functions — installed at the company’s worksite in April 2024.
In its decision, the court said the process by which workers were asked to consent to the collection of personal data failed to sufficiently guarantee their right to self-determination.
Judges noted that employees were warned of possible disadvantages — including restrictions related to vacation allowances, travel stipends and fulfillment of labor contracts — if they refused to give consent, making it difficult for workers to make a free and voluntary choice.
A ship under construction is seen at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries in Dong-gu, Ulsan. (Yonhap)
The court also said the equipment could be considered worker surveillance devices, which under labor law require consultation through a labor-management council. Despite the union’s prior objections to the installation, the issue was not formally discussed in such a body, the ruling said.
“The defendants’ actions amounted to a minimal response taken in a situation where violations of fundamental labor rights and procedural rights related to personal information were imminent,” the court said, adding that the conduct qualified as a “justifiable act” under criminal law.
Ahead of the verdict, the union held a news conference outside the courthouse, accusing the company of attempting to collect and control sensitive personal data from subcontracted workers amid rapid industrial restructuring.
“This was not technological progress,” the union said in a statement. “It was an outdated way of thinking that views labor solely as something to be monitored — and a clear violation of human rights.”
The union called on the company to issue a formal apology and to withdraw disciplinary measures imposed on its former leaders.
Jerry M. Kim (jerry_kim@koreabizwire.com)
