Chairperson Yang Kyung-soo ties a headband at the metropolitan general strike rally held near the National Assembly in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul on the 16th. /Yonhap News

The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) held a general strike and a rally in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 16th, demanding the passage of the National Assembly's amendments to Articles 2 and 3 of the labor union law, known as the 'yellow envelope law', as well as the regularization of labor-government negotiations. The strike caused production disruptions at Hyundai's Ulsan plant. The KCTU plans to hold a large rally in downtown Seoul on the 19th.

The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) held a general strike rally at 3 p.m. in front of the National Assembly in Yeouido, Yeongdeungpo District, Seoul, demanding 'complete amendments to Articles 2 and 3 of the labor law, the abolition of Yoon Suk-yeol's anti-labor policies, and achieving labor-government negotiations.' Prior to the main rally, the KCTU's affiliated Democratic General Union held a preliminary rally starting at 1:30 p.m.

At the time of the event, it was raining about 2.5 mm per hour in Seoul. KCTU members participated in the rally wearing raincoats or carrying umbrellas. Around 4,500 people participated, which is fewer than the 15,500 initially reported to the police (according to unofficial police estimates).

Participants shout slogans at the metropolitan general strike rally held by the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) near the National Assembly in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul on the 16th. /Yonhap News

They occupied about 300 meters of three lanes on Uisadang-daero in front of the National Assembly. According to the Seoul Traffic Information System (TOPIS), vehicle speeds on Yeoui-ro, which detours Uisadang-daero, were around 15 km/h at about 3:30 p.m., causing traffic congestion in the area.

The rally participants shouted slogans such as 'The new government must execute regularizations of labor-government negotiations and industry-wide negotiations' and 'Amend Articles 2 and 3 of the labor law immediately.'

Yang Kyung-soo, Chairperson of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), said, 'Yoon Suk-yeol (former president) has attacked workers and aimed to destroy labor unions over the past three years.' He added, 'We demand labor negotiations from the new government.' He also stated, 'We have stood against Yoon Suk-yeol and fought in the plaza last winter,' and that 'Now is the time to achieve those results.'

However, the KCTU has not returned to the Economic, Social and Labor Council, the official dialogue forum for labor, management, and the government, since withdrawing in 1999, and only the Korean Federation of Trade Unions is currently participating in labor-management dialogues.

The KCTU also criticized the Lee Jae-myung government. In a resolution for the general strike, they stated, 'The low-wage, long-hours labor policy of the Yoon Suk-yeol government has led to a 2.9% increase in the minimum wage under the Lee Jae-myung government,' adding, 'The Grain Management Act, intended for agricultural sacrifice, is likewise.'

The KCTU also demanded the government legislate the yellow envelope law. The yellow envelope law includes provisions to limit corporations' ability to file damages against union members who engage in illegal strikes and allows workers from subcontractors to demand negotiations from primary companies.

The general strike on that day caused production disruptions at Hyundai's Ulsan plant. Because union members from Motras, a subsidiary of Hyundai Mobis, participated in the strike, the supply of parts was hampered, leading to a decreased operational rate of most production lines at five Hyundai Ulsan plants after 1:30 p.m., and some production lines stopped.

Motras is a supplier of modules including electronic devices to Hyundai. The union members at Motras's Ulsan Plant 1 and Plant 2 total over 1,500 and participated in the strike for four hours that day. The Hyundai union had around 200 executives participate in the strike.

The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) plans to hold a general strike and all-out struggle march near Sungnyemun in Jung-gu, Seoul, on the 19th.

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