On May 1, 2023, Yang Hoe-Dong, district leader of the Korean Construction Workers’ Union, fatally set himself on fire in protest of the Yoon Seok Yeol’s racketeering charges against him. Yang was just one of over a dozen of union leaders facing trumped up charges under President Yoon’s war on unions, which he has compared to “gangsters” and the “mob.” Since Yang’s death, construction workers have mobilized in the tens of thousands to demand an apology and an end to the Yoon government’s anti-labor crackdown. The Real News reports from Seoul.

This story, with the support of the Bertha Foundation, is part of The Real News Network’s ‘Workers of the World’ series, telling the stories of workers around the globe building collective power and redefining the future of work on their own terms: https://therealnews.com/workers-of-the-world

Producer, videographer, and video editor: Dongmin Yang
Translator: Bori

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25 thoughts on “‘The president forced our comrade to die’—South Korea’s unions vs. Yoon Seok Yeol”
  1. there's a media blackout on this, just like the silence on the india farmers' protests a couple years ago

  2. It was the trade unions in Poland standing together which eventually overthrew the Russian controlled Communist government.
    The united workers there went in a whole different direction.

    So…

  3. Unions that do illegal things should be prosecuted and if prosecuted and found guilty should be arrested. Unions are NOT above the legal system. No one is above the legal system, including the government. More government oversight and accountability is needed for construction regulation and enforcement.

  4. South Korea is getting chewed-up alive by the five mega-corporations and wealthy families that rule over it, including while conforming to Western neoliberalism and militarism as a client state, which pressures are laying waste to its population. South Korea's anti-human right-wing desolation and occupation truly requires a revolutionary reboot, including realignment with BRICS and China.

  5. Struggle struggle struggle', well these people are real Socialists. Probable Communist. No wonder the Governement is not fond of them.
    Socialism will destruct human freedom, restrict the individual, taking away it freedom by letting the State or the Establisment control the worker, the inhabitant, das volk, everybody. …and thus enslaving you.

  6. Thank you so much for bringing us news from Korea. Solidarity with the people who struggle against the owning classes for rights, freedom ad dignity.

  7. The current South Korean government is abusing the rights of ordinary workers and the President has done a deal with the Japanese government to forget about the COMFORT WOMEN ISSUE. This President is a traitor to the Republic of South Korean. He should be impeached now!

  8. Sounds like what Biden just did to the US rail workers. Their needs are much the same and he ordered them back to work….
    The horrible ongoing East Palestine disaster and
    ALL the other recent train disasters were entirely preventable. ALL have been due to rail companies letting necessary infrastructure and upgrades go unattended while reaping huge profits.

    Ah, the joys of deregulation, unfettered capitalism and corrupt politicians…

  9. The current President of South Korea is a breath of fresh air after the socialist Moon who almost destroyed that country. This narrator is just another pampered poodle socialist.

  10. Just like all unions the intent was good but it grew too much. The union leaders became fat cats often working against the members.

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