Tag: Korea
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Korean Unions Call for a Just Energy Transition
In a series of landmark statements following the May 2017 election of the pro-reform President Moon Jae-in, Korean energy, transport and public service workers have called for “a just energy transition” allowing the sector to “function as a public asset under public control.” Unions support the new government’s decision to close the country’s aging coal-fired … Keep reading »
South Korea’s Historic Candle Light Protests Bring Down President Park
On December 9, Parliament voted in favor of a presidential impeachment by 234 votes to 56, with 7 invalid votes and 2 abstentions. Over 30,000 protesters were present to celebrate the impeachment. The votes in favor of impeachment exceeded what was expected, though it was slightly lower than the 81 per cent support for impeachment … Keep reading »
The Need to Work for Peace on the Korean Peninsula
This long post examines the causes of and offers a response to the dangerous escalation of tensions on the Korean peninsula. While the details of U.S.-North Korean relations are complex, the story is relatively simple. In brief, the U.S. government continues to reject possibilities for normalizing relations with North Korea and promoting peace on the … Keep reading »
South Korea’s 300 Day Aerial Sit-in Strike Highlights Plight of Precarious Workers
in Korea and the Philippines November 1 marked the passage of day 300 of the aerial sit-in strike being waged by Kim Jin-suk. The former employee of Hanjin and current Direction Committee member for the Busan chapter of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) and other union members face sub-zero temperatures and enforcement fines of … Keep reading »
The Hope Bus Campaign: South Korean Workers Resist Layoffs
The Hope Bus Campaign is establishing itself as an icon of resistance to employment anxieties that are threatening worker and working-class livelihoods. The Hope Bus Campaign was launched with the goal of supporting embattled union members and Kim Jin-suk, a member of the Busan chapter of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU). Kim is … Keep reading »
What’s Happening On The Korean Peninsula?
What’s happening on the Korean peninsula? If you read the press or listen to the talking heads, your best guess would be that an insane North Korean regime is willing to risk war to manage its own internal political tensions. This conclusion would be hard to avoid because the media rarely provide any historical context … Keep reading »