History of Labor Movement in Korea
History of Labor
Movement in Korea
Kim Keumsoo
Honorable Chairperson of
Korea Labor & Society Institute
(KLSI)
Formation of wage workers
• Commodity-money economy started in 17th and
18th centuries
• Employed labor started in state and private
sectors
• The embryo of capitalism
• Peasant revolts and revolution
• The Ganghwado Agreement with Japan in 1876
• Worker organizations organized in mining,
seaport and transport sectors
• The first labor union in Korea: in May 1888
Sungjin Bonjung Dockers Union
• Workers struggle in mining, dock, railway sectors
Colonization by Japan
(1810-1845)
• Japan colonized Korea in 1810 (actually
a protectorate in 1805).
• Colony economy: “reform” of land,
currency, finance, banking system.
• World War 1 (1814-1818), Socialist
Revolution in Russia in 1817
• The March 1st Movement (popular
uprising): 7000 peoples killed
• Workers joined the uprising, and staged
strike and collective actions.
1820s
• Growth of Working class in industrialization.
• Strike in Busan dock (1821), Gyeongsung
Rubber factory strike (1823), Yeongheung
strike (1828), Wonsan General Strike
(1828).
• Workers organizations established at
national level:
– Korean Laborers Mutual Aid Association (1820)
aiming at mutual aid, awareness raising, and
employment agency.
Workers organizations
established at national level in
1820s
• Korean Laborers Mutual Aid Association (1820)
•
•
•
•
•
•
aiming at mutual aid, awareness raising, and
employment agency.
Korean Labor Federation (1822) aiming at new
society and class unity
General Federation of Laborers and Farmers
(1824) aiming at the emancipation of workers
and farmers, struggle against capitalists
General Federation of Labour (1827):
The Shanghai Provisional Government (1818)
Communist Party of Korea (1825)
Shinganhoe (popular front) (1827)
1830s
• The Great Depression in USA
• Monopoly capitalism developed in Japan.
• Industrial workers increased in Korea: 101,843
in 1830; 188,250 in 1836; 520,027 in 1842
• Militarism, excessive exploitation, oppression
over labor movement
• Violent and revolutionary labor movement:
social revolution, underground activity, link with
communist party.
• Sit-in struggle, demonstration, sabotage,
escape from factory.
• Armed struggle for national liberation
1845-1850
•
•
•
•
•
•
US army occupied South Korea, while Soviet occupied North Korea
Unemployment, high consumer price, lack of life essentials
Anti-communism and cold war policy by US army
In November 1845 Korea National Council of Trtade Unions(KNCTU:
Chunpyong) was established with 505 delegates; 16 industrial
unions, 1,184 workplace-level locals, 500,000 members aiming at
full independence, popular front government in pursuit of
progressive democracy, cooperation with national capitalists
In March 1846 Korean Labour Federation for Independence
Promotion (KLFIP: Daehan Nochong) was established with 48
delegates; 15 unions based on right-wing movement aiming at
cooperation between management and union,
Political strike of KNCTU: the September General Strike (1846), the
March General Strike (1847), the February 7 Strike (1848), the May
8 Strike (1848)
1850-1860
• The Korean war (1850-1853)
• Pro-US and anti-communist government:
President Rhee Sungman (1848-1860),
• Failure of land reform, US-aid economy, the
formation of monopoly capitals.
• Labor laws were made in 1853: the Trade
Union Act , the Labor Dispute Act, the Labor
Relations Commission Act, the Labor
Standards Act.
• KLFIP was only accepted by Rhee government
• The Rhee Sungman government was down
with the April revolution in 1860.
1861-1870
• Military coup in May 1861 led by General
Park Junghee (1861-1878).
• The Authoritarian regime:
• 5-year economic plan
• High economic growth, wide income gap
• Student movement was activated
• Oppression on labor movement: ban of
union’s political activity, ban of multi-union,
complication of legal procedure concerning
labor dispute, government intervention,
• Political crisis
1861-1870
• “Reorganization” of labor movement into
the Federation of Korean Trade Union
(FKTU) by military government.
• Forced establishment of industrial unions:
union structure based on industry, but union
activity confined to company level.
• economic struggles were active.
• Extra-Ordinary Law on Trade Unions and
Labor Disputes Adjustment for Foreign
Invested Companies (1870)
• Trade union movement gave up political
struggle and legal/institutional reform
1871-1878
• Military dictatorship
• Export-first economy, heavy industry, Foreign
Direct Investment
• The Special Law on National Security
• Oppression on labor movement
• Student movement, popular and workers
movement grew.
• Wage workers increased: 3.78 million in 1870,
6.52 million in 1878
• Low wage, long working hours, industrial
accidents
• President Park Junghee was killed by KCIA chief
in October 1878.
Labor movement in 1870s
• “Bread and better” unionism of FKTU
• Increased union members (470,000 in 1870; 1,100,000
in 1878)
• Extreme struggle: self-burning of Jeon Taeil in 1870
• Spontaneous struggles: riot by Hyundai Shipbuilding
workers, riot by Hyundai construction workers
• Strike increased (133 strikes in 1875, 110 ones in
1876, 86 strikes in 1877, 102 strikes in 1878, 105
strikes in 1878) demanding for wage increase, the
right to organize, union democratization
• Intellectual and religious communities supported labor
movement.
• Making of democratic unions (Wonpung Woolen,
Chunggye Clothes, Dongil textile, Contral Data, YH
Trade)
1880-1886
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
The second military coup by military Jeon Doohwan (1880-1887).
The Gwangju Popular Uprising in May 1880
Union “purification” policy
Democratic unions were destroyed.
Change of labor laws: ban on multi-unionism, enforcement of
company unionism, ban on the “third party” intervention, wage
control.
Government task force team on labor unions
Labor disputes increased, worker struggle for union democratization
Union membership increased (850,000 in 1881; 1,300,000 in 1887)
Strikes increased: 186 in 1881, 88 in 1882, 88 in 1883, 113 in 1884,
265 in 1885, 258 in 1886
Spontaneous, but non-legal struggle: labor disputes in 1880, taxi
workers strike in 1884, Daewoo Motor strike in 1884, Guro district
strike in 1885.
Combination between intellectual movement and labor movement
Solidarity struggle among diferent company unions
The Great 1887 Workers
Struggle
• Turning point of Korean labor movement
• The results and achievements of labor movements in
1860s (embryo), 1870s (beginning) and 1880s
(growth).
• 3,748 collective actions in 1887; 1,873 strikes in 1888;
1,318 strikes in 1888. most of the strikes were nonlegal or illegal, ignoring the legal procedure.
• Members-led strike. Half of the strikes were staged in
non-unionized factories.
• Workers Uprising rather than industrial disputes.
• The biggest scale of workers struggle in Korean
history.
• The Beginning of working class movement as political
forces
1888-1880s
• Internationally, collapse of socialist bloc
• Nationally, conservative politics: military
general-turned president Roh Taewoo (18881882), merger among the right-wing ruling
party and 2 opposition parties.
• The first civilian president (1883-1887) failed to
implement the reform of social and economic
policies.
• Change of two Koreas’ relationship
• Structural change of Korean economy
• Market opening: entry to OECD and WTO,
absorbed into the Globalization.
• Economic crisis: IMF-control regime in 1887
1888-1880s
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Oppression on labor movement
Failure of labor law reform (1888-1880) and change of labor laws
Aggressive labor policy by government (relaxation of the dismissal
requirements, “no work no pay” principle, exclusive personnel and
managerial rights, the government investigation on union business.
Neoliberal policy: deregulation on capital, fexibility of labor
market, government strategy of labor control, market opening.
New Management Strategy: downsizing, fexibility, performancebased wage system, workplace control, spread of “company
culture”.
The General Strike of 1886 December
The election of liberal governments: Kim Daejung government
(1888-2002) and Roh Moohyun government (2003-2007).
The two liberal governments had failed to achieve the substantial
reforms, but resulted in strengthening the neo-liberal regime.
Lee Myungbak government (2008 – present): anti-union, anti-labor,
anti-North Korea, attack on democracy and freedom, dependency
on USA
1888-1880s
•
•
•
•
•
•
Rapid development of union organizations: 2,675 unions with 1
million members in 1886; 7,880 unions with 1.8 million members
in 1888, but slowdown since 1880.
Expansion of unionized sectors: teachers, white-collar,
professionals and technicians, services
Uplift of labor disputes: 176 in 1886, 3748 in 1887, 1873 in 1888,
1616 in 1888, 322 in 1880, 243 in 1881, 235 in 1882, 124 in
1883, 125 in 1884, 88 in 1885, 74 in 1886.
Growth of struggle capacity: drastic improvement of wage and
working conditions, reinstatement of dismissed workers,
democratization of workplace, union right to personnel and
managerial matters, job security, social reform
Development of struggle form: sporadic and isolated struggle →
coordinated and organized struggle; company-level struggle →
regional/industrial/national struggle
Determined struggle: fact-to-face confrontation with state power
(the nation-wide political general strike of 1886/1887)
Growth of labor movement
• A new confederation based on democratic unions, the
Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) was
established in November 1885.
• KCTU declared: the equal society, rejection of labormanagement “collaborationism”, active struggle with
general capital, national reconciliation between two
Koreas, construction of industrial unionism, making of
working class as a political forces (construction of
workers party).
• FKTU deleted anti-communism in its constitution and
declared the trade unionism of democratic and
welfare society.
• Democratic Labor Party was established in 2000 in the
initiative of KCTU and got 10 seats in the National
Assembly in 2004 general elections.
Current situation and tasks
of labor movement in Korea
• 4688 unions with 1.64 million members (male: 1.28
million, female: 354,368) as of 2008.
• Organizational form of trade unions: 4,354 unions are
based on company-level, 228 regional/occupational
unions, 62 industrial unions, 43 industrial federations,
2 confederations (national center)
• FKTU: 2,513 unions with 740,335 members
• KCTU: 553 unions with 588,384 members
• Independent/neutral unions: 1,623 unions with
311,605 members
• 28.4% of FKTU members belong to industrial unions;
78.1% of KCTU members belong to industrial unions
• Union density: 10.1%
• 121 strikes in 2008
Ideology and Politics
• Movement ideology:
– FKTU: Social Reform Unionism
– KCTU: Social Revolution Unionism
• Political strategy:
– FKTU: had alliance with the right-wing
ruling party, now has broken up with the
party, not clear direction.
– KCTU: has supported the progressive
parties such as the Democratic Labor Party
and the New Progressive Party, demanding
to two parties to be merged.
Tasks
• Organizational task: expansion of union
organizations, consolidation of industrial unionism.
• Struggle task: struggle to reform government policy
and institutions
• Political task: increase of progressive party
members among union members and construction
of a new united progressive party by political
education, political propaganda, and political
activity.
• Strategy task: making of a new strategy for the
future of labor movement
• Self-reform task: restoration of the
“authoritativeness” of labor movement, selfinnovation, restoration of the self-respect of workers
Movement in Korea
Kim Keumsoo
Honorable Chairperson of
Korea Labor & Society Institute
(KLSI)
Formation of wage workers
• Commodity-money economy started in 17th and
18th centuries
• Employed labor started in state and private
sectors
• The embryo of capitalism
• Peasant revolts and revolution
• The Ganghwado Agreement with Japan in 1876
• Worker organizations organized in mining,
seaport and transport sectors
• The first labor union in Korea: in May 1888
Sungjin Bonjung Dockers Union
• Workers struggle in mining, dock, railway sectors
Colonization by Japan
(1810-1845)
• Japan colonized Korea in 1810 (actually
a protectorate in 1805).
• Colony economy: “reform” of land,
currency, finance, banking system.
• World War 1 (1814-1818), Socialist
Revolution in Russia in 1817
• The March 1st Movement (popular
uprising): 7000 peoples killed
• Workers joined the uprising, and staged
strike and collective actions.
1820s
• Growth of Working class in industrialization.
• Strike in Busan dock (1821), Gyeongsung
Rubber factory strike (1823), Yeongheung
strike (1828), Wonsan General Strike
(1828).
• Workers organizations established at
national level:
– Korean Laborers Mutual Aid Association (1820)
aiming at mutual aid, awareness raising, and
employment agency.
Workers organizations
established at national level in
1820s
• Korean Laborers Mutual Aid Association (1820)
•
•
•
•
•
•
aiming at mutual aid, awareness raising, and
employment agency.
Korean Labor Federation (1822) aiming at new
society and class unity
General Federation of Laborers and Farmers
(1824) aiming at the emancipation of workers
and farmers, struggle against capitalists
General Federation of Labour (1827):
The Shanghai Provisional Government (1818)
Communist Party of Korea (1825)
Shinganhoe (popular front) (1827)
1830s
• The Great Depression in USA
• Monopoly capitalism developed in Japan.
• Industrial workers increased in Korea: 101,843
in 1830; 188,250 in 1836; 520,027 in 1842
• Militarism, excessive exploitation, oppression
over labor movement
• Violent and revolutionary labor movement:
social revolution, underground activity, link with
communist party.
• Sit-in struggle, demonstration, sabotage,
escape from factory.
• Armed struggle for national liberation
1845-1850
•
•
•
•
•
•
US army occupied South Korea, while Soviet occupied North Korea
Unemployment, high consumer price, lack of life essentials
Anti-communism and cold war policy by US army
In November 1845 Korea National Council of Trtade Unions(KNCTU:
Chunpyong) was established with 505 delegates; 16 industrial
unions, 1,184 workplace-level locals, 500,000 members aiming at
full independence, popular front government in pursuit of
progressive democracy, cooperation with national capitalists
In March 1846 Korean Labour Federation for Independence
Promotion (KLFIP: Daehan Nochong) was established with 48
delegates; 15 unions based on right-wing movement aiming at
cooperation between management and union,
Political strike of KNCTU: the September General Strike (1846), the
March General Strike (1847), the February 7 Strike (1848), the May
8 Strike (1848)
1850-1860
• The Korean war (1850-1853)
• Pro-US and anti-communist government:
President Rhee Sungman (1848-1860),
• Failure of land reform, US-aid economy, the
formation of monopoly capitals.
• Labor laws were made in 1853: the Trade
Union Act , the Labor Dispute Act, the Labor
Relations Commission Act, the Labor
Standards Act.
• KLFIP was only accepted by Rhee government
• The Rhee Sungman government was down
with the April revolution in 1860.
1861-1870
• Military coup in May 1861 led by General
Park Junghee (1861-1878).
• The Authoritarian regime:
• 5-year economic plan
• High economic growth, wide income gap
• Student movement was activated
• Oppression on labor movement: ban of
union’s political activity, ban of multi-union,
complication of legal procedure concerning
labor dispute, government intervention,
• Political crisis
1861-1870
• “Reorganization” of labor movement into
the Federation of Korean Trade Union
(FKTU) by military government.
• Forced establishment of industrial unions:
union structure based on industry, but union
activity confined to company level.
• economic struggles were active.
• Extra-Ordinary Law on Trade Unions and
Labor Disputes Adjustment for Foreign
Invested Companies (1870)
• Trade union movement gave up political
struggle and legal/institutional reform
1871-1878
• Military dictatorship
• Export-first economy, heavy industry, Foreign
Direct Investment
• The Special Law on National Security
• Oppression on labor movement
• Student movement, popular and workers
movement grew.
• Wage workers increased: 3.78 million in 1870,
6.52 million in 1878
• Low wage, long working hours, industrial
accidents
• President Park Junghee was killed by KCIA chief
in October 1878.
Labor movement in 1870s
• “Bread and better” unionism of FKTU
• Increased union members (470,000 in 1870; 1,100,000
in 1878)
• Extreme struggle: self-burning of Jeon Taeil in 1870
• Spontaneous struggles: riot by Hyundai Shipbuilding
workers, riot by Hyundai construction workers
• Strike increased (133 strikes in 1875, 110 ones in
1876, 86 strikes in 1877, 102 strikes in 1878, 105
strikes in 1878) demanding for wage increase, the
right to organize, union democratization
• Intellectual and religious communities supported labor
movement.
• Making of democratic unions (Wonpung Woolen,
Chunggye Clothes, Dongil textile, Contral Data, YH
Trade)
1880-1886
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
The second military coup by military Jeon Doohwan (1880-1887).
The Gwangju Popular Uprising in May 1880
Union “purification” policy
Democratic unions were destroyed.
Change of labor laws: ban on multi-unionism, enforcement of
company unionism, ban on the “third party” intervention, wage
control.
Government task force team on labor unions
Labor disputes increased, worker struggle for union democratization
Union membership increased (850,000 in 1881; 1,300,000 in 1887)
Strikes increased: 186 in 1881, 88 in 1882, 88 in 1883, 113 in 1884,
265 in 1885, 258 in 1886
Spontaneous, but non-legal struggle: labor disputes in 1880, taxi
workers strike in 1884, Daewoo Motor strike in 1884, Guro district
strike in 1885.
Combination between intellectual movement and labor movement
Solidarity struggle among diferent company unions
The Great 1887 Workers
Struggle
• Turning point of Korean labor movement
• The results and achievements of labor movements in
1860s (embryo), 1870s (beginning) and 1880s
(growth).
• 3,748 collective actions in 1887; 1,873 strikes in 1888;
1,318 strikes in 1888. most of the strikes were nonlegal or illegal, ignoring the legal procedure.
• Members-led strike. Half of the strikes were staged in
non-unionized factories.
• Workers Uprising rather than industrial disputes.
• The biggest scale of workers struggle in Korean
history.
• The Beginning of working class movement as political
forces
1888-1880s
• Internationally, collapse of socialist bloc
• Nationally, conservative politics: military
general-turned president Roh Taewoo (18881882), merger among the right-wing ruling
party and 2 opposition parties.
• The first civilian president (1883-1887) failed to
implement the reform of social and economic
policies.
• Change of two Koreas’ relationship
• Structural change of Korean economy
• Market opening: entry to OECD and WTO,
absorbed into the Globalization.
• Economic crisis: IMF-control regime in 1887
1888-1880s
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Oppression on labor movement
Failure of labor law reform (1888-1880) and change of labor laws
Aggressive labor policy by government (relaxation of the dismissal
requirements, “no work no pay” principle, exclusive personnel and
managerial rights, the government investigation on union business.
Neoliberal policy: deregulation on capital, fexibility of labor
market, government strategy of labor control, market opening.
New Management Strategy: downsizing, fexibility, performancebased wage system, workplace control, spread of “company
culture”.
The General Strike of 1886 December
The election of liberal governments: Kim Daejung government
(1888-2002) and Roh Moohyun government (2003-2007).
The two liberal governments had failed to achieve the substantial
reforms, but resulted in strengthening the neo-liberal regime.
Lee Myungbak government (2008 – present): anti-union, anti-labor,
anti-North Korea, attack on democracy and freedom, dependency
on USA
1888-1880s
•
•
•
•
•
•
Rapid development of union organizations: 2,675 unions with 1
million members in 1886; 7,880 unions with 1.8 million members
in 1888, but slowdown since 1880.
Expansion of unionized sectors: teachers, white-collar,
professionals and technicians, services
Uplift of labor disputes: 176 in 1886, 3748 in 1887, 1873 in 1888,
1616 in 1888, 322 in 1880, 243 in 1881, 235 in 1882, 124 in
1883, 125 in 1884, 88 in 1885, 74 in 1886.
Growth of struggle capacity: drastic improvement of wage and
working conditions, reinstatement of dismissed workers,
democratization of workplace, union right to personnel and
managerial matters, job security, social reform
Development of struggle form: sporadic and isolated struggle →
coordinated and organized struggle; company-level struggle →
regional/industrial/national struggle
Determined struggle: fact-to-face confrontation with state power
(the nation-wide political general strike of 1886/1887)
Growth of labor movement
• A new confederation based on democratic unions, the
Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) was
established in November 1885.
• KCTU declared: the equal society, rejection of labormanagement “collaborationism”, active struggle with
general capital, national reconciliation between two
Koreas, construction of industrial unionism, making of
working class as a political forces (construction of
workers party).
• FKTU deleted anti-communism in its constitution and
declared the trade unionism of democratic and
welfare society.
• Democratic Labor Party was established in 2000 in the
initiative of KCTU and got 10 seats in the National
Assembly in 2004 general elections.
Current situation and tasks
of labor movement in Korea
• 4688 unions with 1.64 million members (male: 1.28
million, female: 354,368) as of 2008.
• Organizational form of trade unions: 4,354 unions are
based on company-level, 228 regional/occupational
unions, 62 industrial unions, 43 industrial federations,
2 confederations (national center)
• FKTU: 2,513 unions with 740,335 members
• KCTU: 553 unions with 588,384 members
• Independent/neutral unions: 1,623 unions with
311,605 members
• 28.4% of FKTU members belong to industrial unions;
78.1% of KCTU members belong to industrial unions
• Union density: 10.1%
• 121 strikes in 2008
Ideology and Politics
• Movement ideology:
– FKTU: Social Reform Unionism
– KCTU: Social Revolution Unionism
• Political strategy:
– FKTU: had alliance with the right-wing
ruling party, now has broken up with the
party, not clear direction.
– KCTU: has supported the progressive
parties such as the Democratic Labor Party
and the New Progressive Party, demanding
to two parties to be merged.
Tasks
• Organizational task: expansion of union
organizations, consolidation of industrial unionism.
• Struggle task: struggle to reform government policy
and institutions
• Political task: increase of progressive party
members among union members and construction
of a new united progressive party by political
education, political propaganda, and political
activity.
• Strategy task: making of a new strategy for the
future of labor movement
• Self-reform task: restoration of the
“authoritativeness” of labor movement, selfinnovation, restoration of the self-respect of workers