The Korea Educational Teachers and Workers Union (KTU; abbreviated to Jeon-gyojo) is a labor union of teachers in South Korea. The organization has 94,000 members among 360,000 public-school teachers.

The KTU was founded in 1989. However, the South Korean government refused to authorise it in its infancy, stating that there was no precedence of teachers' union. Several thousand of teachers were fired by the educatonal authorities on account of illegal activities. KTU finally received official recognition in 1999, and many of the dismissed teachers were allowed to return to their former positions.

As one of the major contributors to the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, the KTU is often accused by its opponents for its pro-North Korean and anti-US activities. Critics argue that the KTU members implant their anti-US doctrines in schoolchildren, hide the negative side of North Korea and even deny South Korea's own past. They consider that the KTU is partly responsible for the rapid-spreading anti-US sentiments of the younger generation. Its policial activity including the denouncement of President Roh Moo-hyun's impeachment and the endorsement of Democratic Labor Party led to the warning by Acting President Goh Kun, that it is violating the regulation which requires public servants including public-school teachers to keep political neutrality.

See also

• List of Korea-related topics

External link

• KTU (Korean)