After the strike was violently suppressed, the strikers were blackballed from employment with other large Korean companies. In addition, SsangYong and local police used civil courts to sue them for damaging the company. Union members were ordered to pay hefty “economic damage” fines of about $9 million—a sum that these workers did not have and would never see in their lives. What’s more, the deferred interest on these fines was to increase by 620,000 won per day, soon exceeding 1.5 times the principal owed.

To pay these astronomical fines for their union activity, workers’ wages and assets (including even their homes) were sometimes seized by courts. They were delivered to SsangYong Motor Company or the police under Korea’s harsh anti-union “economic damage” compensation laws.

Thirteen SsangYong workers and family members died by suicide as a result of this anti-union oppression between 2009 and 2011. One worker’s final statement read, “My salary was reduced dramatically, and it is painful to feed my kids ramen (instant noodles) because I can’t afford to buy rice.” Another worker told his wife, “I am leaving you debts only until the last moment. I am so sorry.” Between 2009 and 2018, another 30 SsangYong workers committed suicide for similar reasons.