Prime contractor pressed on with deliveries, police secured exit lanes — tragedy
Truck driver A urgently arrested on suspicion of aggravated injury
Police consider murder charge and may seek an arrest warrant
Truck driver A urgently arrested on suspicion of aggravated injury
Police consider murder charge and may seek an arrest warrant
A fierce blame game has erupted over the death of a Cargo Solidarity union member in Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province. The union staged a large rally, blaming lead contractor BGF Retail’s refusal to negotiate and what it called excessive police action for the incident, while police say they are focused on reconstructing the sequence of events.
About 3,000 people, including roughly 1,700 union members, gathered outside the Jinju logistics center on April 21 for the protest. The union sharply criticized both the police and BGF Retail over the fatal incident that occurred the day before.
“The prime contractor forced deliveries to proceed, and the police aggressively secured exit lanes — that’s how the accident happened,” the union said, calling the death “a tragedy caused by police overreach and the company’s refusal to negotiate.”
Cargo Solidarity chair Kim Dong-guk said, “We wanted to rest, even on a holiday. Under this system, you can’t even take time off if a parent dies. What kind of law is this?” He added, “If the police had acted only as mediators or prioritized basic safety measures, our comrade would still be alive. This is unbearable,” and paused, overcome with emotion.
He went on, “This was not an accident. We will not stand down unless the head of the Gyeongnam Provincial Police resigns,” raising his voice.
Several politicians, including members of the National Assembly and party leaders, visited the rally. Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Ju-young (representing Gimpo, Gyeonggi) met with union leaders at the scene.
The union urged the ruling party to address what it described as the Gyeongnam police’s misuse of authority, one-sided backing of the company, and the need for direct negotiations with the prime contractor.
Earlier, union members had held a press conference outside the Gyeongnam Provincial Police headquarters demanding punishment for those responsible, then attempted to enter the building and clashed with police.
The crash took place at about 10:32 a.m. on April 20. A 2.5-ton truck brought in to replace striking drivers collided with demonstrators, killing one union member in his 50s and injuring two others. Police say the accident occurred when protesters stepped in front of the truck to prevent it from leaving. The union contends that police pushed protesters who were staging a sit-in and then guided the truck out, and that a protester fell and was run over in that process.
Police immediately detained the truck driver, a man in his 40s identified as A, on suspicion of aggravated injury. Investigators are examining how the collision unfolded, whether the vehicle reversed after impact, and other details. Authorities are also considering applying murder charges and seeking an arrest warrant.
The dispute intensified after the union released closed-circuit (CCTV) footage. Around the time of the crash, the video shows roughly 50 union members gathered for a demonstration and four police companies positioned between the protesters and the facility.
The footage shows police controlling access around the logistics center entrance and clearing a path for vehicles to exit. It then shows the replacement truck attempting to leave slowly and protesters moving in front of it — a sequence that culminates in a collision.
The video appears to show the deceased union member using his foot against the truck’s front to stop it, losing his balance, falling backward, and being struck. Notably, the recording captures the vehicle moving forward after the impact and then stopping, with the sound of the collision audible — details that have heightened debate over whether the movement was intentional.
A temporary memorial altar for the deceased union member has been set up at the scene. Cargo Solidarity plans to continue rallies with members who have gathered from across the country.
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