YTN union launches eighth strike over Eugene Group
April 29 (Asia Today) -- The YTN branch of the National Union of Media Workers began its eighth strike Wednesday, urging South Korea's broadcasting regulator to make a decision on canceling approval of Eugene Group, a large South Korean chaebol, as YTN's largest shareholder. YTN is South Korea's first 24-hour, all-news channel.
The union said it will continue the strike for five days and called on the Broadcasting Media and Communications Commission to take responsibility for the issue.
Union members held a rally at 3:30 p.m. in front of the government complex in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province.
"There are more than enough reasons why Eugene Group cannot be the owner of YTN," said Jeon Jun-hyung, head of the YTN union branch. "The court has already ruled on the illegality of the two-member decision-making system, and Eugene Group has ignored most of the approval conditions set under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration."
Jeon urged the commission to revoke Eugene Group's status as YTN's largest investor as soon as possible.
"Creating a legal advisory group and conducting a legal review should take one or two weeks," he said. "We strongly urge the commission not to hesitate and to cancel Eugene Group's qualification as YTN's largest shareholder at an early date."
The commission placed the issue on the agenda at its second plenary meeting at the government complex in Gwacheon on April 17. The move followed a Seoul Administrative Court ruling in November that canceled the former Korea Communications Commission's approval of Eugene Group as YTN's largest shareholder, finding the decision under a two-member structure unlawful.
Commission members reportedly differed over whether to reach a quick conclusion after the lower court ruling or wait for the appeals court's decision.
At Wednesday's rally, union members held signs and chanted slogans, including, "The court also recognized it. Decide to remove Eugene," and "Eugene Group trampled on YTN. Remove it now."
Lee Ho-chan, head of the National Union of Media Workers, urged the commission to determine whether Eugene Group's acquisition of YTN through the two-member communications commission followed law and principle.
"We strongly demand that the commission find a solution to the YTN situation from the public's perspective and make a swift decision," Lee said.
The YTN union plans to hold another rally Thursday in the lobby of YTN Newsquare in Seoul's Mapo district. On Friday, union members plan to join a May Day preliminary rally organized by the media workers' union on the east side of Seoul City Hall.
During the strike, the union also plans to attend a seminar Thursday at the Irum Center in Seoul's Yeongdeungpo district on public ownership structure and institutionalizing social responsibility for the normalization of YTN.
-- Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI
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This story was originally published April 30, 2026 at 12:11 AM.