2021 Korean Confederation of Trade Unions strike
The 2021 Korean Confederation of Trade Unions strike was a general strike organised by the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions in October 2021. Background The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), literally translated as National Democratic Confederation of Trade Unions, also known as Minju-nochong (; acronym for KCTU in Korean language) is a national trade union centre officially established in 1995. Following the 2016–17 South Korean protests (Candlelight Demonstrations), the KCTU has seen accelerated growth in union enrollment, reaching 963,035 members in 2018 and making it the largest industrial union confederation in Korea. Strike On 3 July, around 8000 KCTU workers rallied in downtown Seoul, calling for better pay and better safety measures against workplace accidents. The rally had originally been planned to take place in Yeouido, but police had barricaded the area. The government had refused to issue a permit for the rally, citing COVID restrictions. However, only 3 workers tested positive for COVID-19 in the aftermath of the rally. On 23 July, around 400 KCTU members held a rally in Wonju calling for better working conditions, despite several hundred police attempting to disperse the rally. In mid-August, an arrest warrant was issued for Yang Kyung-soo, the president of