Despite the law, Korea’s largest company is in a double-bind since pulling a knife on such a matter can be depicted as a tyrannical act of a big corporation and stir up a backlash from the public. (image: th_squirrel/ Flickr)
SEOUL, June 25 (Korea Bizwire) – Samsung Electronics‘ Seocho Headquarters in Seoul’s Gangnam is having a rough time dealing with piles of stickers glued to its sidewalks’ paving blocks.
The stickers are scattered and attached on to the sidewalks by Samsung Electronics service union members. The union has protested against the company by camping outside the office building since when Samsung Electronics offered to negotiate after the suicide of the head of the Yangsan local chapter of the union on May 19.
The stickers are blue and printed with a caption that says, “Dad, it’s the 21st century already. It is time to recognize the union.” The protesting flyers are scattered in not only the sidewalks, but parks, bus stations and telephone booths that are within one to two kilometer radius from the Seocho campus.
Korea’s law on outdoor advertisement mandates that illegal distribution of promotion stickers be punishable with a year of imprisonment or less or under a 10-million-won fine. Despite the law, Korea’s largest company is in a double-bind since pulling a knife on such a matter can be depicted as a tyrannical act of a big corporation and stir up a backlash from the public.
Indeed, the look away from the conglomerate is not helping the public sanitation workers at all. One of the street cleaners said, “There are just little over 40 of us and we have to clean up the myriads of stickers glued on to the whole block. We hope to see the matter resolved as soon as possible.”
Samsung Electronics is not the only one who’s at a loss over what to do. An official in the district’s office said, “We only deal with commercial advertisements. I think this one must be dealt with by the police.” But the police disputed by saying, “We can’t do anything about it until there is an official report from the district office or the company.”
Written by J. H. Kim (jhkim@koreabizwire.com)
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