Do You Know Jeon Tae-il's 'University Friend' Jo Young-rae?

Jeon Tae-il Exposed Harsh Working Conditions
During His Life, He Wanted a 'College Friend' Who Could Interpret the 'Labor Standards Act'
Lawyer Cho Young-rae Authored 'The Biography of Jeon Tae-il'... Brought Jeon Tae-il's Outcry to the World

Introduction of the late lawyer Cho Young-rae at the Jeon Tae-il Memorial Hall on Cheonggyecheon-ro, Gwan-su-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Han Seung-gon hsg@asiae.co.kr

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] "Ah, if only I had a college student friend too..."

In November 1970, Jeon Tae-il, a late labor activist who worked as a tailor at a sewing factory in the Cheonggyecheon Peace Market in Seoul and exposed the miserable labor conditions to society, tried to obtain a "Labor Standards Act Commentary" but found it difficult to interpret due to the abundance of Chinese characters.

He desperately wished to have a college student friend who could help him understand the difficult Chinese characters and interpret the law. Later, human rights lawyer the late Cho Young-rae became Jeon Tae-il’s friend after hearing about Jeon’s self-immolation and led political declarations.

In fact, Cho Young-rae, born in 1947, was only one year older than Jeon Tae-il. Thus, the "college student friend" who Jeon Tae-il so desperately wanted to expose the harsh labor environment to society was born.

The statue of the late Jeon Tae-il at the entrance of the 'Jeon Tae-il Memorial Hall.' He is holding the Labor Standards Act and running vigorously. Photo by Seunggon Han hsg@asiae.co.kr

◆ How Cho Young-rae, Jeon Tae-il’s Friend, Wrote Jeon Tae-il’s Biography

When Jeon Tae-il self-immolated on November 13, 1970, Cho Young-rae was preparing for the bar exam. Upon hearing the news from a friend, he immediately led the student council at Seoul National University Law School and drafted a political declaration.

At that time, Cho Young-rae was wanted in connection with the National Democratic Youth and Students Federation case and lived in hiding for six years from 1974 to 1979. During three of those years, he met Jeon Tae-il’s mother, Mrs. Lee, and roamed the Cheonggyecheon area to learn about the sewing factory workers who had worked with Jeon.

Cho Young-rae, who compiled Jeon Tae-il’s life story, published a book titled "Flame! Burn Me" in Japan in 1978 due to the harsh military dictatorship in Korea.

In Korea, it was published in 1983 as "The Life and Death of a Young Worker ? Jeon Tae-il Biography." However, the author’s name could not be disclosed. Much of the manuscript was also heavily edited. Immediately after publication, the authorities banned its sale and blocked the book launch event.

The book sales were organized not through bookstores but systematically by labor movement groups, religious organizations, and labor unions under the supervision of the Jeon Tae-il Memorial Hall Construction Committee.

The influence of "Jeon Tae-il Biography" was tremendous. It became required reading among universities nationwide, labor groups, intellectuals, and religious figures. Later, in 1991, a revised edition was published with Cho Young-rae’s name revealed as the author, and the book was published as originally written.

The 1970s Seoul Cheonggyecheon Pyeonghwa Market garment factory as seen in the Jeon Tae-il Memorial Hall. The poor working conditions, with a height of less than 1.5 meters, have been faithfully recreated. Photo by Han Seung-gon hsg@asiae.co.kr

◆ "Workers Cannot Even Turn Their Bodies in Their Seats"

In "Jeon Tae-il Biography," Cho Young-rae described the working conditions in the Peace Market, where workers shouted "Comply with the Labor Standards Act."

"At first glance, the interior of the glossy three-story Peace Market building is packed with workshops, and anyone entering is shocked by the suffocatingly stale air and the dirty, gloomy atmosphere," he wrote.

He continued, "Inside the already cramped workshops, about four workers are crowded per pyeong (approx. 3.3 square meters), and the space is so filled with various equipment, supplies, and tools that workers sitting on chairs cannot even turn their bodies in their seats, living in a stifling environment. The piles of fabric in a corner of the workshop emit the smell of formalin all day long."

Regarding Jeon Tae-il, who organized the labor union called "Babohoe" (Fools’ Association), he wrote, "Jeon Tae-il explained that although we have the right to live with dignity and be treated humanely, we have been treated like machines and unfairly abused by employers without uttering a single word like fools. Therefore, our tailors’ gathering is a gathering of fools."

A text describing the miserable working conditions in the sewing factories of Pyeonghwa Market at the time. The girls in the photo are sitting closely together, working tirelessly without a break. Photo by Seunggon Han hsg@asiae.co.kr

He added, "We must thoroughly realize this, and only then can we someday escape being fools. He also said that when he started the tailors’ gathering, he sought cooperation from older senior tailors, but they all said, 'That’s impossible. What do you know to try to start such a huge thing?' and called anyone who tried to do labor activism a 'fool.' Then fine. Whether we become fools or not, let’s just charge ahead and die trying. That was the essence of his proposal."

However, Jeon Tae-il faced various difficulties: persuading colleagues, cynicism and ridicule from those around who said "What can workers do?", neglect by labor inspectors and the media?he was truly standing alone on the streets.

Nevertheless, Jeon Tae-il founded the Babohoe and began informing Peace Market workers about the Labor Standards Act and the unfairness of their working conditions, conducting surveys to investigate labor realities. Later, workers attended night schools opened with the help of Protestant and Catholic clergy to learn labor laws and became outraged at the unjust reality where they could not enjoy their rightful rights.

"Comply with the Labor Standards Act, we are not sewing machines." Jeon Tae-il's cry continues to be relevant in 2020, with labor groups pointing out that it calls for the protection of workers' human rights. Photo by Han Seung-gon hsg@asiae.co.kr

Meanwhile, human rights lawyer Cho Young-rae, who devoted himself to the socially vulnerable, passed away on December 12, 1990, at age 43 due to worsening lung cancer. After completing the Judicial Research and Training Institute in February 1982, Cho opened the Namdaemun Joint Law Office and the Citizens’ Public Interest Legal Counseling Center the following year.

In 1984, he handled the "Mangwon-dong Flood Damage Case," Korea’s first large-scale public interest group lawsuit in judicial history, and in 1986, he defended cases such as the "Bucheon Police Torture Case," "Lawsuit to Abolish Early Retirement for Women," and the "Park Jong-cheol Torture Death Case." He also played a key role in founding the "Association of Lawyers for Justice" (Jeongbeophwe), a group of human rights lawyers during the military dictatorship. In 1988, he participated in the founding process of the Lawyers for a Democratic Society.

A labor human rights activist said about Jeon Tae-il and Cho Young-rae, "The 'college student friend' Jeon Tae-il so desperately wanted was Cho Young-rae. Since then, countless college students have become Jeon Tae-il’s friends," emphasizing, "Today, those involved in the labor movement are also Jeon Tae-il’s friends."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.