At a medium-sized business in Cheongju, a union with mostly twenty-something members took action against their superiors’ oppressive attitude and verbal abuse. Made up of roughly a hundred people, the union was founded in February with an average age of 26. The spark for their rebellion was the managers in their forties’ frequent use of foul language and oppressive tactics. The union created a group chat where the bosses’ profanity could be seen frequently, and the workers declared that the verbal abuse was not only present in digital mediums, but also included physical aggression, such as hitting and unwanted physical contact.
The MZ union’s formation was soon countered by a larger union, diminishing their influence. This caused a series of conflicts, with certain supervisors’ verbal abuse leading to protests outside the company. The firm acknowledged the mistreatment, requesting information from the union, yet they received no answer. They declared that an internal investigation would be done and necessary measures taken, emphasizing that they would not accept the incident. As for the union’s constitution, the company said they would not interfere, as it was an issue between the unions. In reaction to the MZ union’s claims, the Cheongju Regional Employment and Labor Office decided to implement special surveillance on the firm and conduct a thorough investigation.