S. KOREA. 11.29/Last Week's Struggle Report

LAST WEEK’S STRUGGLE REPORT (Seoul, 11.29)

First of all: during the last week, for example on Wednesday in Seongsu-dong, immigration was hunting migrant workers – and that before the next hunting season already started. F… you! But nothing will be forgiven, nothing will be forgotten!
Last week started on Monday, Nov. 22, with the usual “Every Monday Solidarity Concert”, organized by Park Joon and friends/comrades. This day Prathid’s

nearly one hour performance was the highlight of the event. Pictures, about the event, shot by Docuin/다큐인 동지, you can see like here:

More you can see on ETU-MB’s and on the previous page.

On Tuesday afternoon four members of MSSC (Myeong-dong Sit-in Struggle Collective) made a solidarity visit in ETU’s sit-in struggle tent on Yeoui-do, joining the struggle against the terrible conditions for irregular workers in S. Korea. Last week there were just six tents (activists who are fighting against national “security” law (now since 28 days in hunger strike), university professors who are opposing “part time” contracts for professors, because they have the same bad conditions like irregular workers and the sit-in struggle tent of disabled activist. Now, three new struggle collectives are joining. For example the already mentioned ETU tent and activists who are struggling against the selling of the Korean health system to foreign institutions. Pictures about that day you can see here
. On Wednesday in the late morning two press conferences were held on Yeoui-do near the National Assembly – one to condemn the ongoing US massacres in Iraq and to demand to bring the S. Korean troops home.

Short after that several representatives of different trade unions, affiliated with KCTU, under them also ETU-MB and MSSC, announced that they’re ready to go on strike, if the parliament will pass the new labor laws (more you can read here).

Meanwhile on the same area several other rallies, for example workers from Geumgang trade union, were held.

Park Joon is performing

In the early afternoon a rally was held here too, to affirm to go on strike on Friday, by the same reason from the second press conference, earlier before. Around 600 workers joined the rally.

More pictures you can see on page 3 on ETU-MB's English home page (PDS/Photo, later maybe you have to look on previous pages).

After that we made a propaganda action in the subway to make advertisement for the comming strike.

On Thursday MCCS had their weekly struggle night rally - a really great event.

It was already reported here

On Friday, Nov. 26, KCTU now really called for strike. According to the press, all over the country 153.000 workers went for six hours not to work, instead of that they took the streets for massive rallies and demonstration all across the country. Here in Seoul about 15.000 workers, of course MSSC members joined them, gathered in the afternoon on Yeoui-do, near the National Assembly, even it was very cold and snowing. But because of that the atmosphere could not become so powerful like usually. But they affirmed their strong will, not to give up the struggle until the government solves the terrible situation for the nearly 8 million irregular workers in S. Korea.

Here you can see more images of the rally (perhaps in some days you've to look for previous pages)

SATURDAY…

…morning in our office

On that day a rally for to achieve the transformation from irregular workers to contracted workers was planned for the afternoon on Yeoui-do. But just around 500 workers and students joined the event, even on that day the weather was really great.

More pictures you can see here

Directly after that, on the same place an anti-war rally, to condemn the Iraq war and the participation of S. Korean troops on the war crimes were held. Just around 300 mainly students joined.

For Sunday, sit-in struggle day number

MSSC organized a rally to strengthen the struggle of migrant workers all across S. Korea. But because the repression by immigration and police, especially in the last weeks, was so extreme, only few migrant workers dared to join the event. So, just 200 people, beside 800 riot cops in the nearby, gathered in the early afternoon in downtown’s Jongmyo Park in Seoul. The majority on the rally were Korean students and KCTU activists.

After the rally a demonstration marched in the direction of MSSC’s struggle place in Myeong-dong. Even on the demo the atmosphere was getting more sad, but also more angry about the current situation. Arrived in Myeong-dong a long final rally were held were we remembered the tough struggle in the last year, but also our comrades who became victims of the attacks of our enemies. Beside the masses of comrades in the different regions who got arrested and deported, some of our best struggle comrades, like Bidduth, K.B., Haq, Gupta and Samar got arrested or even kidnapped and later after strong struggle in the detention centers, even by hunger strike, were deported. So, with the near end of the rally the atmosphere was getting more and more sad. But we also promised never to give up our struggle until we achieve our demands.

More impressions of our demonstration you can see here and on the previous pages.

RELEASE ALL MIGRANT WORKERS FROM DETENTION CENTERS!
FREEDOM FOR ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS IN S. KOREA… AND EVERYWHERE!
LET’S FIGHT TOGETHER FOR A WORLD WITHOUT EXPLOITATION AND OPPRESSION!
ANOTHER WORLD IS POSSIBLE, ONLY IF YOU WANT AND FIGHT FOR IT!