Welcome to BASE21

Dear brothers and sisters across the world,

I am deeply moved by your action. Your solidarity has burned through the cold cement walls of the prisons all over Korea. It has warmed the winter air and gave fresh strength to all those trade union leaders locked away in them.

I can promise you on behalf of nearly 50 trade union leaders in jail in Korea that we will emerge from these walls stronger than ever, more confident in our spirit and commitment than ever, knowing that you are with us, and that we are together as one in our common struggle.

Your actions have enabled me to glimpse the significance of the much repeated slogan: "workers of the world, unite!" It has prompted me to reflect, that we must begin to act to bring this slogan into life and a living experience for all workers of the world. We must consciously organise it.

Thank you for all your solidarity and the glimpse of promise and possibility your actions has revealed to all of us.

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On January 21, 2002, the day of KCTU president Dan Byung-ho's fifth trial hearing, on the eve of January 22 "international day of action in solidarity with imprisoned Korean workers", over one hundred KCTU members gathered before the court house to hold a protest rally before joining President Dan in the court.

OH Jong-soae, vice-president of the KCTU-KMWF, made a report of the confirmed actions in some 20 countries.

He listed the names of the countries where action was planned. He paused as he called out India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Brazil, South Africa, Kenya, Latvia, and other, non-advanced industrialised countries.

Vice President Oh challenged the gathered KCTU members if they knew of the barbaric treatment of workers in some of these countries by Korean companies - or about the plight of migrant workers in Korea. He asked if they knew that thousands of workers are being killed every year for trade union activities across the world.

"As we hope to be strengthened by the joint action by thousands of workers across the world tomorrow, we must commit ourselves to struggle with those workers in hundreds of Korean companies abroad, to take action in support of unionists imprisoned in other countries, to struggle as one against the common enemy that aims to destroy us by pitting workers against each other."