SEOUL, Jan. 26 (UPI) -- South Korea's top umbrella labor group offered a rare apology Wednesday over a money-for-jobs scandal involving the labor union at carmaker Kia Motors.
Prosecutors said labor union leaders at the company had taken bribes for helping candidates land jobs at the plant.
"We sincerely apologize to the nation. We will make every effort to restore our confidence and support through self-regulatory efforts and fact-finding investigations," said Lee Soo-ho, leader of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions.
The umbrella labor union will punish the unionists involved in the recruit scandal at Kia Motors, the country's second-largest carmaker, Lee told a press conference in Seoul.
The KCTU, which claims a membership of around 600,000, has long been criticized for its militant labor protests, which have forced local and foreign investors to leave the country.
The apology came as the money-for-jobs scandal is expected to deal a severe blow to the nation's labor movement, with the growing public outcry.
