Campaigning has officially started for the October 28th by-elections in five districts across the country. This round of by-elections is significant because the results could change both the ruling and opposition party leaders. In the past decade, no ruling party has won seats in a by-election, but the Grand National Party candidates are hoping that Lee Myung-bak’s rising approval rating will change this. The by-elections are scheduled for the Sangok-B disctrict of Ansan in Gyeonggi-do,  Gangneung, Gangwon, Jincheon, North Chungcheon, the Jangan district in Suwon, and Yangsan in South Gyeongsang. The race between former GNP leader, Park Hee-tae, and former political assistant to the late Roh Moo-hyun, Song In-bae, in Yangsan is drawing the most attention from political observers who expect that it might turn into a proxy war between  Lee Myung-bak and Roh.

The Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU), Korea’s largest labour union, announced yesterday that it will launch a national strike if the government passes two bills that allow multiple unions at a single company and bans companies from paying wages to full-time employees in labour unions.  The FKTU and the government had been collaborating on labour policy in joint policy coordination meetings,  but relations have since deteriorated and FKTU members agreed unanimously yesterday to abandon these talks. The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), the country’s second largest union, could follow the FKTU in a general strike considering their positions are the same on the controversial bills.

Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency could face legal action from civic groups after it was revealed yesterday that police chief, Ju Sang-yong, ordered the mass round-up of demonstrators at a  candle-light protest in May. The radio transcripts show Ju instructing officers to round-up as many as possible and even “chase after those on the sidewalk.” While the chief faces criticism for his hard-line stance on demonstrators, the agency has been instructed to form a special investigative team to address crimes committed by foreigners. This new special crime unit is being launched following a recent report that found crimes by foreigners rose from 12,000 in 2004 to 34,000 in 2008.

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