Welcome to BASE21

by Jennifer Sauer
kindlady76@hotmail.com

23,000 workers from KCTU (Korean Federation of Trade Unions) the progressive umbrella union in South Korea leading the democratic labor movement, celebrated their yearly national workers conference and rally. Coming from humble Japan, I was quite taken back by the all out strength and joy from activists. Between serious talks and discussions were radical pop tunes sung by youth, enthusiastic drumming in the streets, and militant dance troupes. Not understanding any Korean, I could taste their struggles, ideas, and passion.

On November 7th, I ventured to Seoul with AWC Japan (Asian Wide Campaign, an anti-imperialist group) and NUGW (National Union of General Workers) activists for Japanese solidarity with Korean workers. As an American, I was intrigued to go to a place that held such bad history for America, a country that received no more than a paragraph for the Korean War in my history textbook (and from quite a tainted American perspective). History and the current globalization trend made its mark in Korea. And my country, as many Koreans could tell you, still has much to be blamed for, even now, 50 years after the Korean War.

We arrived late at night, staying with a Korean union leader. She humbly stated she was no good at organizing as she translated between my friend and I into Japanese, Korean and English. As we were sharing good stories, the phone rang. It was a KCTU member calling for grave news. 208 KCTU members (350 total) had just been arrested as 1,800 riot police stormed their peaceful sit-in. They were protesting a pending globalist legislation in the government just a few days before the big rally. For the members of KCTU, this is the biggest threat to labor rights, the "Special Economic Zones" (SEZ's). The government and big business are looking at 3 locations in South Korea to make these areas free zones for large corporations. As in Shanghai, the corporations are free of many environmental and worker laws that the rest of South Korea must abide by. If they want to pay the worker less, it's fine, as long as it is within the proposed SEZ's no union can touch them. Not to mention the fact that super corporations will receive tax breaks, improved housing, education, and medical. This is why they were violently arrested, which is nothing new in Korea. While South Korea's dictatorship left in the early 1990's (something so recent it is hard for me to imagine), many anti-activist and anti-union laws are still in the books. There are still North Korean sympathizers in jail for over 20 years, the Korean military and police force are still fierce--and just like in the olden days, are still backed by American troops, 37,000 to be precise.

Next day, all the KCTU members were released, some sent to the hospital. Yoo Deoksang, leader of the KCTU, was also released. He met with us later that night. It was hard to believe he was the leader of about 700,000 union members, a man who has been to jail too many times and is the leader of a union the government has reason to fear--hard to believe because he would never tell you these things himself, praisingly, someone else always would. During the big rally in the streets of Seoul he echoed the voice of the workers that if the SEZ's were passed, they would go on a general strike. The next day, The Korea Herald read that the government has backed off, at least for now.

The KCTU began in the nineties to "raise the quality of life of all people and to build national reunification and democratic society founded on the respect for inherent dignity and equality of people" (from KCTU's Declaration). The yearly November 10th rally commemorates a historic day for workers in Korea, one that intensified the labor movement to incredible defiance of a US backed dictatorship. On November 13, 1970, Chon Tae-il immolated himself, screaming "Obey the labor standard act!" and "Don't mistreat young girls (in the factories)!" This act sparked a fervor in the labor movement and in 1995, the KCTU marked this day as a day for workers filled with revolutionary pop and old style protest music, dance, drumming, powerful speeches, and marches in the streets. This year's rally held powerful appeals from student organizers, factory, hospital, and migrant workers, peace and disability rights activists. As the people spoke, the crowd cheered and chanted along with the speakers making the long rally more like a celebration than a tedious meeting. At one point, one of the speakers stopped and the masses of people parted. Between the sea of colorful banners, No War in Iraq signs and anti-SEZ placards, a troupe of drummers danced through, becoming louder and faster as they got to the front of the people. People laughed and clapped along. Eventually a huge red KCTU flag enveloped the crowd and was slowly being carried along by hundreds of hands to the front stage. People ran underneath it, jumping up and down to create a sea of red. I was impressed with how weaved Korean creative culture was with people power activism. And if this doesn't attract pop youth, then the progressive heavy metal dances and pop songs definitely did. As a group of youth was pop-songing away, I could see the crowd, arms around each other, singing along to what might of been something like "Down with imperialism, workers' rights now!" to the tune of Mariah Carrey. (I am only sorry that my camera messed up, so I couldn't get these photos!)

Before the rally, I talked with Kyoung Eun, KCTU deputy editor. She explained some of the major KCTU issues. One is the 5 Days a Week Work Bill also pending in government. This means a reduction of work hours to 40 hours a week, no salary on weekends, less pay, and a reduction of holidays. Contractualization is also a huge issue in South Korea. 57% of the workers are only contracted workers receiving no benefits and little pay. Workers also face a recent trend of massive lay-offs, with few union organizing rights to make any legal headway. Aside from worker's issues, Koreans are very concerned with the American military presence in South Korea. Some reportedly 2,000 crimes are committed a year by American military, including unreported abuse in the Korean and US backed "Camptown sex industry" for American soldiers. Due to a 1967 treaty giving US military special privileges, little has been done to reprimand the offenders. Most recent has been the death of two Korean girls. They were walking home on a small road, when an American tank ran over them, twice. While this was not purposeful, this should have never happened. This tank should not be on civilian roads, precautions should have been made, and therefore the American military is responsible for this mess. Recent court decision says no, and nothing has been done, not even an American military apology to the relatives.

KCTU and many other Koreans are very hopeful for a reunification with North Korea. Despite Bush's rhetoric, most average Koreans want one unified country. I was asked by one Korean activist if Americans were aware that my country has deliberately blocked attempts of reunification, that is, if we buy Bush's speech writer's line "North Korea is part of the axis of evil." I said yes, as what positive news does the US or even Japan get from its media. The most recent attempt to block peaceful negotiations is the US's decision to suspend fuel shipments to North Korea, even going so far as to threaten South Korea to halt cooperative measures between the two countries. While I really have no idea if North Korea is a peaceful country or not, it certainly has done little to other countries when it comes to war. Peace activists make a good point in saying that threatening North Korea, like in the 1994 mobilization of 100,000 US troops to attack Yeongbyon nuclear facilities will only harm the 70 million Koreans who just want their country back in one piece again.

As Korean workers, youth, women, and men struggle towards creating a democratic Korea, free of war, economic, US, and Korean military control, we can not think of their struggle as theirs alone. As all nations are facing the reality of falling wages, job loss, and freedom. But, it is the people who will, who must make it through these times, who will challenge and see beyond. Who will ask--What is violence? Bullets, nightsticks, and fists are not the only forms of violence. It is also violence when people ignore the fact that infants are starving in one corner of our city. A nation with no expression of dissent is a nation in ruins. Those "educated" people who read Hamlet and shed tears over Mozart's music perhaps have lost the capability to weep over the desperate suffering of their neighbors?..." � Cho Se-hui from Korea's Place in the Sun