[On-site Video] "Yoon, Listen to the Voices of Labor" Large-scale Rally by Minjunochong Ends Without Clashes with Police

[Asia Economy PD Yoon Jin-geun] "Stop anti-labor policies and listen to the voices of the labor community!"

The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) forcibly held a large-scale rally at Jongmyo Park in Jongno, Seoul at 3 p.m. on the 13th. The rally ended without major clashes between the KCTU and the police.

The KCTU rally was held in defiance of the partial injunction granted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Administrative Court. The KCTU reported the rally on the 12th, but Seoul City issued a ban on the rally.

The Seoul Administrative Court allowed only rallies with up to 299 participants from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. The KCTU defied this and proceeded with the rally.

KCTU members gathered at Jongmyo around 1 p.m., and from 2:30 p.m., the Metal Workers' Union held a preliminary rally.

Participants held placards with slogans such as "Quality jobs without irregular workers" and "Labor rights without discrimination," criticizing President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol.

Yang Kyung-soo, Chairman of the KCTU, raised his voice, saying, "The labor policies presented by President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol and the transition team are anachronistic and anti-labor," adding, "The KCTU will stand up and fight against the vested interests and government in this country that hold hostile views only toward workers."

Yang Dong-gyu, Vice Chairman of the KCTU, criticized President-elect Yoon's labor-related policies for ▲extending working hours, ▲suppressing wages, and ▲forcing labor flexibility. He continued, "We demand labor rights without discrimination, strengthening publicness instead of privatization, and state responsibility instead of market laissez-faire, not labor deterioration."

Meanwhile, the KCTU rally lasted about an hour and a half from 3 p.m. and ended around 4:30 p.m. There were no clashes between the KCTU and the police during the rally.