Democratic Labor Union Holds 'Jeon Tae-il Martyr Workers' Rally' Near Dongdaemun Station... About 20,000 Expected to Participate

The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions is holding an emergency press conference on the 13th in Yeouido, urging the guarantee of the National Workers' Rally. Behind them, police barricades can be seen. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Dong-hoon] The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) will hold a large-scale rally with about 20,000 participants near Dongdaemun Station in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul on the 13th.

The KCTU announced around 1 p.m. on the day, "The nationwide workers' rally to inherit the spirit of martyr Jeon Tae-il will be relocated to the area near Dongdaemun due to the government's and Seoul city's refusal to permit the originally planned venue," adding, "We confirmed that there has been no change in the stance of the government and Seoul city, and decided on the area near Dongdaemun Station close to Pyeonghwa Market, where the breath of martyr Jeon Tae-il lingers, while ensuring a safe distance for about 20,000 participants."

The rally will be held under the theme of resolving inequality and polarization and making a major transition to an egalitarian society, with the KCTU and five progressive political parties jointly announcing a presidential election declaration.

The KCTU is expected to argue that "with a full revision of the Labor Union Act, the rights to have multiple unions, sectoral bargaining, and bargaining with primary contractors should be expanded, and the Labor Standards Act should be fully applied to all workers, including workplaces with fewer than five employees, ultra-short-time workers working less than 15 hours per week, special employment, platform workers, and freelancers."

They also plan to call for the abolition of irregular workers in the public sector and the complete repeal of the Dispatch Act. As the KCTU chose Dongdaemun, outside the police cordon, as the gathering place, the police are relocating some of the personnel previously deployed mainly around Gwanghwamun and Sejong-daero to Dongdaemun.

In preparation for possible additional movement of protesters, the police are reportedly maintaining the no-stop passage of trains at seven subway stations for a while, including Gyeongbokgung Station, Gwanghwamun Station, City Hall Station (Lines 1 and 2), Jonggak Station, Anguk Station, and Euljiro 1-ga Station.

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