Labor Day Rally in Gyeongnam Also Draws Over 8,000 Participants

On the 1st, International Workers' Day and Labor Day, major labor union rallies were held nationwide, and a general strike rally took place in Gyeongnam as well.

The rally hosted by the Gyeongnam branch of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) gathered an estimated 8,000 participants, including the KCTU General Union, Metal Workers' Union, Chemical, Textile and Food Industry Union, Service Federation, School Irregular Workers' Union, Delivery Workers' Union, and Public Solidarity.

At the Labor Day rally hosted by the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions held in front of Changwon-daero, in front of the Korea Industrial Complex Corporation Gyeongnam Headquarters, union and solidarity flags are marching.
[Photo by Lee Seryeong]

Around 1 p.m., sporadic pre-rallies by individual unions were held throughout downtown Changwon since the morning. After the General Union's full-scale resolution rally around 1 p.m., the participants marched approximately 1.6 km from the square in front of Changwon City Hall to Changwon-daero in front of the Korea Industrial Complex Corporation, continuing the rally.

They demanded ▲ elimination of discrimination against irregular workers in the public sector ▲ guarantee of direct negotiation with primary contractors ▲ real wage increases ▲ measures to prevent serious industrial accidents ▲ promotion of workers' health rights ▲ abolition of the National Security Law ▲ cessation of public security repression ▲ measures against carcinogens in school cafeterias, and announced a general strike scheduled for July.

Cho Hyung-rae, head of the Gyeongnam branch of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, is speaking on the podium.
[Photo by Lee Se-ryeong]

Cho Hyung-rae, head of the KCTU Gyeongnam branch, said, "The DNA that has protected democracy flows within us," adding, "Trusting that DNA, let's start a counterattack against the government's labor oppression from now on."

The rally concluded around 4:30 p.m., and to manage road congestion and prevent safety accidents caused by the rally, about 600 police officers, including eight police companies, were deployed on site.

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