Workbear재주넘는곰
대법원 95도1959

Obstruction of Business · Dereliction of Duty · Incitement to Dereliction of Duty업무방해·직무유기·직무유기교사

Decided1996. 01. 26. Court대법원Employer won
AI-generated English translation (summary, key points, decision summary and full text) for reference only — not an official translation and without legal effect. The Korean original below is authoritative.
AI Easy read — AI summary of this decision
AI-generated summary for reference only — the Korean original below is authoritative.

The Supreme Court of Korea ruled that a strike conducted by a labor union without following the legally required procedures could not be recognized as a legitimate labor dispute act (정당한 쟁의행위). Consequently, the union official who led the strike was found guilty of obstruction of business (업무방해죄). The Court reaffirmed that a strike must satisfy all four requirements—proper subject, legitimate purpose, lawful procedure, and peaceful means—to be considered a lawful labor action.

Key takeaways
  • CaseA labor union carried out a strike without filing the legally required labor dispute notification or having proper bargaining authority.
  • OutcomeThe Supreme Court ruled the strike was not a legitimate labor dispute act and convicted the union leader of obstruction of business.
  • LessonUnions and workers must strictly follow all four legal requirements—subject, purpose, procedure, and means—before striking, or risk criminal liability for obstruction of business (업무방해죄).
Issues
  • What requirements must be met for a worker's collective action (strike) to qualify as a legitimate act under Korean Criminal Law (justifiable act, 정당행위)?
  • Whether a strike conducted without following lawful procedures constitutes the crime of obstruction of business (업무방해죄)
Key reasoning

Under Korean law, a strike or other collective labor action is only considered legitimate if it meets four cumulative requirements: (1) it must be initiated by a party with proper bargaining authority (주체의 적법성), (2) it must pursue a legitimate purpose (목적의 정당성), (3) it must follow lawful procedures, such as filing a labor dispute notification (노동쟁의 발생신고) (절차의 적법성), and (4) it must be carried out through peaceful means (수단의 평화성). In this case, the strike was organized by a voluntary association that lacked the legal authority to engage in collective bargaining, and it was conducted without filing the required labor dispute notification. Because these procedural and subject-related requirements were not met, the Court held that the strike could not be deemed a legitimate exercise of labor rights, and therefore the acts of the union leader constituted obstruction of business.

Summary of Decision (English, AI translation)

[1] For the legitimacy of a worker's collective action (쟁의행위) to be recognized, all of the following conditions must be satisfied: first, its subject must be one who can be a party to collective bargaining; second, its purpose must be to promote autonomous bargaining between labor and management for the improvement of working conditions; third, it must be commenced when the employer has refused collective bargaining over specific demands concerning the improvement of workers' working conditions, and, absent special circumstances, it must go through procedures such as a resolution of approval by the union members and a report of the occurrence of a labor dispute; and fourth, its means and methods must be in harmony with the employer's property rights and must not amount to the exercise of violence.

[2] A case citing and upholding the lower court's judgment which found the defendant, who led workers in a sit-in and strike, guilty of obstruction of business (업무방해죄).

Full text (English, AI translation) 4,605 chars

[Defendant] Defendant
[Appellant] Prosecutor and Defendant
[Defense Counsel] Attorney Jeong Deok-jin
[Lower Court Judgment] Daejeon District Court Decision 94No1531, decided July 14, 1995

[Order]

Each appeal is dismissed.

[Reasoning]

1. As to the grounds of appeal by the defendant's defense counsel
A. As to Ground 1
The lower court determined as follows: the legitimacy of a worker's collective action (labor dispute action) can only be recognized when all of the following requirements are satisfied: first, the subject thereof must be a person capable of being a party to collective bargaining; second, its purpose must be to foster autonomous negotiation between labor and management for the improvement of working conditions; third, it must be commenced when the employer has refused collective bargaining regarding specific demands for improvement of working conditions, and, absent special circumstances, must go through procedures such as a resolution of approval by union members and the filing of a report of the occurrence of a labor dispute; and fourth, its means and methods must be in harmony with the employer's property rights and must not constitute the exercise of violence (see this Court's Decision 91Do324, decided May 24, 1991). According to the record, the ○○ Association (○○협), which was the subject of the collective action at issue in this case, was not an organization formed through lawful procedures as a subject of a labor dispute, and thus was merely a voluntary association without the right to collective bargaining; moreover, it can be recognized that this dispute was carried out solely pursuant to instructions from the ○○ Association's central headquarters, without going through lawful procedures such as filing a report of the occurrence of a labor dispute. Accordingly, the lower court determined that the defendant's acts leading to this strike cannot be regarded as a legitimate labor dispute action by workers such that its illegality would be negated. Upon examination in light of the record and relevant statutes, the above determination by the lower court is correct, and there is no illegality therein as alleged in the grounds of appeal. This ground of appeal is without merit in its entirety.

B. As to Ground 2
The crime of obstruction of business does not require that the result of obstruction of business actually occur; it is sufficient that there be a risk of such a result occurring. According to the record, it can be recognized that the defendant, as vice-chairperson of the ○○ Association and concurrently chairperson of its Daejeon branch, as found by the lower court, installed a sit-in protest site in front of the △△△△△ Office from around June 17, 1994 to around June 23 of the same year by placing a large tent, an amplifier and microphone, an electronic organ, etc.; posted banners inciting a strike on the building and elsewhere; had members wear combat/protest attire; closed the entrance gate to prohibit the entry and exit of vehicles; had members stand guard at the side door of the entrance to control entry and exit; completely closed the rest area, etc. within the above office; mobilized an average of about 90 members, who might go on strike or turn into a riot, to the sit-in site to chant slogans and the like, and to play folk percussion music (samulnori) using gongs, small gongs (kkwaenggwari), etc., thereby causing the crowd to make a disturbance and stage a sit-in protest, ultimately leading to the strike. Given these facts, it is reasonable to conclude that the normal performance of duties by public officials belonging to the △△△△△ Office was obstructed, or that a risk of such obstruction was created. The lower court's determination to the same effect is justified, and there is no illegality therein as alleged in the grounds of appeal.

2. As to the grounds of appeal by the prosecutor
Upon examining the reasoning of the lower court's judgment in light of the record, the lower court's disposition of acquitting the defendant on the charge of dereliction of duty (직무유기), for the reasons stated therein, can be affirmed, and there is no illegality therein, such as a violation of the rules of evidence or a misunderstanding of the law, as alleged in the grounds of appeal. This ground of appeal is without merit.

3. Accordingly, the appeals by the defendant and the prosecutor are each dismissed, and it is so decided as stated in the Order by the unanimous opinion of the participating Justices.

Justice Ji Chang-kwon (Presiding Justice), Cheon Gyeong-song (Justice in charge), Ahn Yong-deuk, Shin Seong-taek

【판결요지】

[1] 근로자의 쟁의행위 정당성은 첫째 그 주체가 단체교섭의 주체로 될 수 있는 자이어야 하고, 둘째 그 목적이 근로조건의 향상을 위한 노사간의 자치적 교섭을 조성하는 데에 있어야 하며, 셋째 사용자가 근로자의 근로조건 개선에 관한 구체적인 요구에 대하여 단체교섭을 거부하였을 때 개시하되 특별한 사정이 없는 한 조합원의 찬성결정 및 노동쟁의 발생신고 등 절차를 거쳐야 하는 한편, 넷째 그 수단과 방법이 사용자의 재산권과 조화를 이루어야 할 것은 물론 폭력의 행사에 해당되지 아니하여야 한다는 여러 조건을 모두 구비하여야 비로소 인정될 수 있다.

[2] 근로자들의 농성 및 파업행위를 주도한 자에게 업무방해죄를 인정한 원심판결을 인용한 사례.

【참조조문】

[1] 노동조합법 제2조, 제33조, 노동쟁의조정법 제2조, 제12조 제1항, 제13조 제1항, 제16조, 헌법 제33조 제1항, 형법 제20조

[2] 구 형법(1995. 12. 29. 법률 제5057호로 개정되기 전의 것) 제314조

【참조판례】

[1] 대법원 1990. 5. 15. 선고 90도357 판결(공1990, 1306),대법원 1990. 10. 12. 선고 90도1431 판결(공1990, 2334),대법원 1991. 5. 24. 선고 91도324 판결(공1991, 1817)

【주문】·【이유】 전문 1,635자 · 펼쳐 보기

【피고인】 피고인

【상고인】 검사 및 피고인

【변호인】 변호사 정덕진

【원심판결】 대전지법 1995. 7. 14. 선고 94노1531 판결

【주문】

각 상고를 기각한다.

【이유】 1. 피고인 변호인의 상고이유를 본다.

가. 제1점에 대하여

원심은, 근로자의 쟁의행위 정당성은 첫째 그 주체가 단체교섭의 주체로 될 수 있는 자이어야 하고, 둘째 그 목적이 근로조건의 향상을 위한 노사간의 자치적 교섭을 조성하는 데에 있어야 하며, 셋째 사용자가 근로자의 근로조건 개선에 관한 구체적인 요구에 대하여 단체교섭을 거부하였을 때 개시하되 특별한 사정이 없는 한 조합원의 찬성결정 및 노동쟁의 발생신고 등 절차를 거쳐야 하는 한편, 넷째 그 수단과 방법이 사용자의 재산권과 조화를 이루어야 할 것은 물론 폭력의 행사에 해당되지 아니하여야 한다는 여러 조건을 모두 구비하여야 비로소 인정될 수 있는바(당원 1991. 5. 24. 선고 91도324 판결), 기록에 의하면 이 사건 쟁의행위의 주체인 ○○협은 적법한 절차를 거쳐 쟁의주체로서 조직된 단체가 아니어서 단체교섭권이 없는 임의단체일 뿐만 아니라, 이 사건 쟁의에 관해서는 ○○협 중앙본부의 지시에 따라 이루어진 것일 뿐 노동쟁의 발생신고 등의 적법한 절차를 거치지도 아니한 사실을 인정할 수 있으므로 피고인 등의 이 건 파업에 이른 행위는 근로자의 정당한 쟁의행위로서 위법성이 조각된다고 볼 수 없다고 판단하고 있는바, 기록과 관계 법령에 비추어 살펴보면 원심의 위 판단은 옳고, 거기에 소론과 같은 위법이 없다. 논지는 모두 이유 없다.

나. 제2점에 대하여

업무방해죄가 성립되려면 업무방해의 결과가 현실적으로 발생하여야만 성립되는 것이 아니고, 업무방해의 결과를 발생할 염려가 있으면 족한 것인바, 기록에 의하면 피고인은 ○○협 부의장 겸 대전지부 위원장으로서 원심이 판시한 바와 같이 1994. 6. 17.경부터 같은 해 23.경까지 △△△△△사무소 앞에 대형천막, 앰프와 마이크, 전자오르간 등을 비치하여 농성장을 설치한 후, 파업을 선동하는 현수막을 건물 등에 게시하고 회원들에게 투쟁복을 착용시키고 출입문을 폐쇄하여 차량 출입을 금지시켰으며, 출입문의 쪽문에 보초근무를 서게 하여 출입을 통제하는 한편, 위 사무소 내의 휴게실 등을 전면 폐쇄하고 위 농성장에 파업에 돌입하거나 폭동으로 돌변할지도 모를 평균 90명 정도의 회원을 동원하여 구호 등을 제창하고, 징, 꽹과리 등을 사용하여 사물놀이를 하면서 다중이 소란을 피우고 농성하다가 마침내 파업하게 한 사실을 인정할 수 있고, 사실관계가 그와 같다면, △△△△△사무소 소속 공무원들의 정상적인 업무수행이 방해되었거나 업무방해의 결과를 초래할 위험이 야기되었다고 봄이 상당할 것이므로 같은 취지의 원심판단은 정당하고 거기에 소론과 같은 위법이 있다고 할 수 없다.

2. 검사의 상고이유를 본다.

원심판결 이유를 기록과 대조하여 검토하면, 원심이 그 판시와 같은 이유에서 직무유기의 점에 관하여 피고인에게 무죄를 선고한 조치를 수긍할 수 있고, 거기에 소론과 같은 채증법칙 위배나 법리오해의 위법이 있다고 할 수 없다. 논지는 이유 없다.

3. 그러므로 피고인과 검사의 각 상고를 기각하기로 하여 관여 법관의 일치된 의견으로 주문과 같이 판결한다.

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