(1 May 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Seoul, South Korea – 1 May 2024
1. Wide of members of Korea Confederation of Trade Unions during May Day rally
2. Close of flags
3. Various of rally
4. SOUNDBITE (Korean) Yang Kyung-soo, Chairman of Korea Confederation of Trade Unions:
"I am worried that ever since the beginning of the current administration, the government has implemented labour laws that take everything back to late 90’s neoliberalism, instead of preparing for the future. Everyone says that the hiring system and industry structures will soon change. It is very concerning that the government is trying to take us back to the past and workers are suffering because of that."
5. Various of rally
STORYLINE:
Thousands of workers in South Korea gathered on May Day on Wednesday to hold a mass rally calling for greater labour rights.
May Day, which falls on May 1, is observed in many countries as a day to celebrate workers’ rights.
May Day events have also given many an opportunity to air general economic grievances or political demands.
In Seoul, the South Korean capital, thousands of protesters sang, waved flags and shouted pro-labour slogans at the start of their rally on Wednesday.
Organizers said their rally was primarily meant to step up their criticism of what they call anti-labour policies pursued by the conservative government led by President Yoon Suk Yeol.
Members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, which organized the rally, decried Yoon’s December veto of a bill aimed at limiting companies’ rights to seek compensation for damages caused by strikes by labour unions.
They also accuse Yoon’s government of handling the 2022 strikes by truckers too aggressively and insulting construction sector workers whom authorities believed were involved in alleged irregular activities.
Since taking office in 2022, Yoon has pushed for labour reforms to support economic growth and job creation.
His government has vowed to sternly deal with illegal strikes and demand more transparent accounting records from labour unions.
“The remarkable growth of the Republic of Korea was thanks to the sweat and efforts of our workers. I thank our 28.4 million workers,” Yoon said in a May Day message posted on Facebook.
“My government and I will protect the precious value of labour.”
Seoul rally participants later marched through downtown streets.
Similar May Day rallies were held in more than 10 locations across South Korea on Wednesday.
Police said they had mobilized thousands of officers to maintain order, but there were no immediate reports of violence.
AP video shot by: Yong-ho Kim
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