Gwangju Labor and Disability Communities Also Declare Support for Lee Jaemyung

Korean Federation of Trade Unions, Sanitation Workers, and Buk-gu Children's Center, etc.

On the 16th, as various sectors in the Gwangju area continued to declare their support for candidate Lee Jae-myung, the labor and disability communities also made their endorsements. From the left in the photo, declarations of support from the Korean Federation of Trade Unions and the Buk-gu Regional Children's Center. Provided by the Democratic Party Gwangju Election Committee.

On May 16, the fifth day of the official election campaign, various sectors in the Gwangju area continued to declare their support for candidate Lee Jaemyung, with the labor and disability communities also joining in to announce their endorsements.

The Gwangju Regional Headquarters of the Korean Federation of Trade Unions (Korean Federation of Trade Unions, hereafter KFTU) declared its support for candidate Lee Jaemyung at its headquarters office on the same day. Previously, Gwangju city sanitation workers also held a declaration of support at the Democratic Party's Gwangju Election Committee office. The disability community, including the Gwangju Federation of Disabled Persons and the Gwangju branch of the National Association of Parents of the Disabled, also declared their support for Lee Jaemyung.

The KFTU Gwangju Headquarters signed a policy agreement with the Democratic Party's Gwangju Election Committee, promising joint solidarity and action for victory in the presidential election and for realizing a just social transformation led by labor, and officially declared its support for Lee Jaemyung.

Yoon Jonghae, head of the Gwangju headquarters, stated, "We support candidate Lee Jaemyung, who started as a child laborer and understands workers well," adding, "He is the best candidate to create a society that respects labor and ensures that workers receive fair compensation for their work in a safe workplace."

A total of 675 sanitation workers from the five autonomous districts of Gwangju also declared their support, saying they were deeply moved by Lee's statement that 'environmental sanitation workers must be respected and treated well.'

Jo Gwangho, head of the Living Environment Workers' Union, explained the background of their support, saying, "Candidate Lee Jaemyung, whose father and younger brother both passed away while working as sanitation workers, is the candidate who can wipe away the tears of household environmental sanitation workers."

He added, "We highly value Lee's policies for creating a safe, worker-centered work environment and establishing non-discriminatory employment practices, and we believe he will create a world where those who do difficult and undesirable work are more respected and treated better."

The Gwangju Federation of Disabled Persons, which encompasses disability organizations in the region, along with 89 representatives, also emphasized, "Lee Jaemyung is the only suitable candidate to become a new future leader of Korea who can address the pain of the socially disadvantaged," and added, "Lee's pledges to address welfare blind spots, achieve balanced national development, revive the local economy, and expand local autonomy will provide practical solutions for the recovery of Gwangju's economy."

The Gwangju branch of the National Association of Parents of the Disabled also declared, "When Lee was mayor of Seongnam, he listened directly to the parents of people with disabilities and turned their voices into policy, and as governor of Gyeonggi Province, he expanded daytime care for people with developmental disabilities and strengthened public responsibility. For the future of our children, we support Lee Jaemyung as president."

Meanwhile, Kim Kyungseop, president of the Honam Landscape Association, and about 100 members, as well as Moon Soonhee, president of the Gwangju Regional Children's Center Association, and its staff, also declared their support for Lee Jaemyung on this day. Since the start of the official election campaign, a total of 24 organizations have participated in declarations of support for the Democratic Party's Gwangju Election Committee.