Action for Genuine Life

Action for Genuine Life Large-scale anti-"government" actions of labor circle were staged in south Korea on May Day, marking the 125th anniversary. The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions held a rally on May 1 at Seoul Square putting up slogan "End to Park Geun-hye". It was attended by at least 50 000 workers under the confederation and more than 200 bereaved family members of the ferry Sewol disaster. Speakers at the meeting said that the workers get the minimum standard cost of living and suffer all kinds of grinding toil in poor working condition. Han Sang-gyun, chairman of the confederation, declared it would fight to put an end to the Park corrupt regime, not yielding to any threat. He stressed they would continue the general strike in May and June. At the end of the rally the participants staged demonstrations. The south Korean riot police barricaded the road with their vehicles, sprayed tear gas and water on the demonstrators and took many people to the police station. Meanwhile, there took place a rally in Youido, Seoul denouncing the puppet authorities for retrogressively revising the structure of labor market with at least 120 000 workers under the Federation of Trade Unions attending. Speakers deplored that the reality of south Korea is becoming more disastrous and miserable owing to unemployment and financial crisis during two-year-long Park regime’s rule and there is neither hope nor future. They said that they would stop the authorities’ move to retrogressively revise the structure of labor market through the June general strike. That day members of the Government Employees Union staged a strike in Seoul in protest against the Park group's moves to retrogressively revise pension for government employees.