S. Korea expels Aust. minister

Press, 23 June 1978, Page 6

S. Korea expels Aust. minister

I ' NZPA Tokyo The South Korean Govern-; meat is harassing low-paid industrial workers and preventing them from organising effectively, an Australian | missionary who was expelled | from South Korea last week, [has said in Tokyo. Stephen Lavender, with (the Urban Industrial Mission > until his departure from 1 Seoul on Saturday, said: ‘‘South Korean authorities are especially nervous about ■ labour-union activity betj cause they fear the frustra- ! \ tions of workers who are not sharing in the benefits ’of the country’s recent 1 economic miracle.” Mr Lavender had worked [ with the mission in Yong; ' Dong Po, a working-class 1 district of Seoul, since July, ' 1976. The mission has claimed successes in doing away with a 90-hour work week at one plant, although Mr Lavender said that 55-hour I weeks with eight hours of ■pay for every 10 hours i worked was still the rule in I some shops. J The mission, an arm of the ; Presbyterian Church of [Korea, was established in 11958. and until recently had I a 500-member credit union and a 300-member consumer ■ union. Eight ministers tookj 'turns listening to stories of; arbitrary firings and physical;

'abuse from workers, he said. Mr Lavender said: “The authorities launchced a campaign to destroy the Urban Industrial Mission. One of our ministers has been arrested for a sermon he delivered, and our credit union [ has been closed down because we refused to surrender ouf membership list.” Mr Lavender said that his I own expulsion was part of; the Government’s plan to isolate the mission. He is the third missionary forced to leave South Korea. The other! two, both Americans also had worked with labourers. One of rhe non-missionaryi activities on a list which the; Government had compiled, against him and which) authorities let some of his I friends see was a note that he; had gone for a hike with 150! members of the mission, Mr| Lavender said. A spokesman for die! Korean Embassy in Tokyo! said the non-renewal of Mr Lavender’s visa was a last step. An embassy spokesman said that Mr Lavender had been warned three times that this activities went beyond i the scope of his visa.