Koreans protest against corrupt government, worldwide solidarity


This video says about itself:

South Korea: One million rally in Seoul to demand President Park’s resignation

12 November 2016

One million people, according to organisers, took to the streets of Seoul on Saturday, to demand the resignation of President Park Geun-hye and the calling of a early presidential election.

From daily The Morning Star in Britain:

South Korea: Global trade union leaders join protest against Park

Saturday 12th November 2016

INTERNATIONAL trade unions will join protests today against the South Korean government’s crackdown on the labour movement.

A delegation of global union leaders will join today’s mass protests to demand the release of six national union officials who were jailed in 2015 as well as the resignation of scandal-embroiled President Park Geun Hye.

The delegation, which includes IndustriALL general secretary Valter Sanches, Building and Wood Workers International general secretary Ambet Yuson and International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) assistant general secretary Rob Johnston, met on Friday with the imprisoned trade unionists.

The ITF said Korean unions are fighting government plans to accelerate privatisation, further casualise the workforce and introduce a performance pay system that it claims is discriminatory and divisive.

“Trade unions across the world strongly believe that the attack on South Korea’s unions is symptomatic of a deeper crisis of democracy, which is characterised by the collusion between the government, corporations and the rich, in the pursuit of private profit,” said Mr Sanches.

The organisers of today’s march in Seoul expect as many as half a million people to attend — a number which has swelled massively since Ms Park apologised last month for allowing a close friend to influence state matters.

“This scandal that has revealed decades of corruption and cronyism calls into question Park Geun Hye’s right to rule and vindicates the Korean workers’ fight against regressive labour reforms and trade union imprisonments,” said Mr Yuson.

Mr Johnston vowed to “challenge the Korean government’s continuing and failed attempts to crush the union movement here.”

9 thoughts on “Koreans protest against corrupt government, worldwide solidarity

  1. Pingback: Koreans protest against corrupt government, worldwide solidaity — Dear Kitty. Some blog – MBUTA MGONGO WAZI

  2. Monday 14th November 2016

    posted by Morning Star in World

    Protesters mass to condemn manipulation scandal

    PARK GEUN HYE’S presidency could be on the skids after prosecutors confirmed yesterday that they will question her tomorrow or Wednesday over allegations of power manipulation.

    This would be the first time a sitting South Korean president has been questioned by prosecutors.

    Ms Park, who has 15 months of her term to run, is accused of allowing shadowy long-time confidante Choi Soon Sil to manipulate power from behind the scenes.

    Prosecutors arrested Ms Choi on November 3 on charges of fraud and abuse of power and have until next Sunday to charge her.

    Their latest announcement followed a demonstration hundreds of thousands strong in the capital Seoul on Saturday demanding Ms Park’s resignation in South Korea’s largest protest since military dictatorship ended three decades ago.

    Police said that about 260,000 people had turned out for the mass rally against Ms Park. Protest organisers estimated the crowd at a million.

    Waving banners and placards, demonstrators jammed streets stretching half a mile from City Hall to a large square in front of an old palace gate for several hours, applauding speeches calling for Ms Park’s removal.

    Protesters also marched in front of the palace gate and near the Blue House, the mountainside presidential office and residence, carrying candles, blowing horns, banging drums and chanting: “Park Geun Hye, resign!”

    Despite rising public anger, opposition parties have yet to push seriously for her resignation or impeachment over fears of triggering a backlash from conservative voters and negatively affecting next year’s presidential election.

    However, they have threatened to push for her resignation if she doesn’t distance herself from state affairs.

    Last Tuesday Ms Park offered to let the opposition-controlled parliament choose her prime minister, but opposition parties say that her words are meaningless without specific promises about transferring her presidential powers.

    In addition to power manipulation, Ms Choi, the daughter of a late cult leader who emerged as Ms Park’s mentor in the 1970s, is suspected of exploiting presidential ties to bully companies into donating tens of millions of pounds to foundations that she controlled.

    http://morningstaronline.co.uk/a-b6e7-South-Korea-Park-to-be-quizzed-by-prosecutors#.WCnDHcmbIdU

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