ⓒYONHAP News

The state spy agency and police raided one of South Korea’s largest umbrella labor unions on Wednesday on suspicions that some of its members violated the national security law.

While the investigators arrived with a court-issued warrant on charges of violating the national security law, the labor group demanded that the search and seizure be conducted with its lawyers present, resulting in a scuffle.

According to police, the raids follow a yearslong internal investigation into suspects alleged to have engaged in underground activities related to North Korea.