Korea: Unions call on government to resign and demand an end to escalating attacks on rights

Up to one million workers and citizens rallied in the Korean capitol Seoul in a national Peoples Rally November 12 to demand the immediate resignation of President Park Geun-hye. Over 150,000 trade unionists also held a Workers’ Rally organized by the national center KCTU to highlight demands for the release of all imprisoned trade unionists and an end to the ongoing attacks on democratic rights and workers and their trade unions. A delegation of international, European and US trade union representatives joined the demonstration and rallies.

IUF Regional Secretary for Asia/Pacific Hidayat Greenfield said “The IUF is here to show our active solidarity with trade unions fighting the government’s escalating attacks on trade union rights and basic civil liberties. Trade unionists are being condemned to prison for opposing casualisation, defending the right to strike and opposing the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Together with our members in Korea, the Asia/Pacific region and around the world we demand that the government be held accountable for these ongoing human rights violations”