[Report] "Revise Yoon Seok-yeol's Anti-Labor Policies Immediately" Minju Nochong, First Large-Scale General Strike of the Lee Jae-myung Government

[Financial News] The Jeon-guk Minju No-dong Jo-hap Chong-ryeon-maeng (Minju Nochong) held a rally in downtown Seoul demanding the revision of the 'Yellow Envelope Act' and the abolition of Yoon Seok-yeol's anti-labor policies. This is the first large-scale general strike by Minju Nochong since the inauguration of the Lee Jae-myung government. The rally caused road closures around Yeouido National Assembly Station, causing inconvenience to citizens.
Minju Nochong held the '7·16 Minju Nochong General Strike Rally' at around 3 PM on the 16th in the vicinity of Yeouido National Assembly Station. An unofficial police estimate put the number at 4,500, while organizers estimated 10,000 attendees. In addition to Seoul, general strike rallies were held nationwide in 12 locations including Chungbuk and Jeonbuk.
Due to the rain, participants with umbrellas and raincoats chanted slogans such as "Revise Yoon Seok-yeol's Anti-Labor Policies Immediately" and "Let's Clear Out the Forces of Rebellion and Achieve Social Reform." Participants holding placards reading 'Complete Amendment of Labor Union Act Articles 2 and 3' and 'Securing Basic Labor Rights' sang 'March for the Beloved' and 'Strike Song' in the rain.
Yang Kyung-su, chairman of Minju Nochong, who took the podium, said, "As we face the amendment of Labor Union Act Articles 2 and 3, which has crossed the threshold of the National Assembly twice, capital and employers are once again trying their best to block and damage this law," and "We must end anti-labor policies and move towards a world where workers' rights are guaranteed." He continued, "We will not stop the struggle for the labor union act to quickly preserve and recover the three years damaged by former President Yoon Seok-yeol."
Participants on stage declared a general strike, demanding the immediate amendment of Labor Union Act Articles 2 and 3 (Yellow Envelope Act) and the complete abolition of Yoon Seok-yeol's anti-labor policies. They emphasized the need to guarantee the basic labor rights of special employment and platform workers and to implement substantial labor reforms to resolve inequality and polarization.
With a crowd reaching up to approximately 900 meters, some roads were controlled, causing congestion. The one-way lanes from Exit 5 of National Assembly Station on Seoul Subway Line 9 to The Sharp Island and the Yeouigyo-bound lanes of the underpass in front of the National Assembly were controlled. The bus stop in front of Exit 5 of National Assembly Station was closed. According to the Seoul Traffic Information System (TOPIS), at around 3 PM, the section from the north end of the underpass in front of the National Assembly to National Assembly Station was congested at a speed of 14.0 km/h. At the same time, the overall speed in Seoul was 20.1 km/h, and the overall speed in the downtown area was 14.6 km/h.
Large speakers were installed, and some citizens expressed dissatisfaction due to noise. The vicinity of the National Assembly echoed with the sound of songs and slogans from participants. One citizen frowned and hurriedly walked away.
No physical clashes occurred between rally participants and the police. Dialogue police wearing fluorescent vests guided people in front of Exit 5 of National Assembly Station before the start of the general strike rally, saying, "You can go this way," and "Please cooperate for safety."
Minju Nochong plans to hold the '7·19 Minju Nochong General Strike and All-Out Struggle March' on the 19th at Sejong-daero in front of Sungnyemun, Jung-gu, Seoul. Previously, Minju Nochong described this general strike as "a decision to guarantee the basic labor rights of all workers and to resolve social inequality," and argued, "The Lee Jae-myung government must clear out the anti-labor legacy left by the Yoon Seok-yeol regime and engage in labor-government negotiations."
jyseo@fnnews.com Seo Ji-yoon Reporter