’The president forced our comrade to die’—South Korea’s unions vs. Yoon Seok Yeol

On May 1, 2023, Yang Hoe-Dong, district leader of the Korean Construction Workers’ Union, fatally set himself on fire in protest of the Yoon Seok Yeol’s racketeering charges against him. Yang was just one of over a dozen of union leaders facing trumped up charges under President Yoon’s war on unions, which he has compared to “gangsters“ and the “mob.“ Since Yang’s death, construction workers have mobilized in the tens of thousands to demand an apology and an end to the Yoon government’s anti-labor crackdown. The Real News reports from Seoul. This story, with the support of the Bertha Foundation, is part of The Real News Network’s ’Workers of the World’ series, telling the stories of workers around the globe building collective power and redefining the future of work on their own terms: Producer, videographer, and video editor: Dongmin Yang Translator: Bori The Real News is an independent, viewer-supported, radical media network. Help us expand our in-depth analysis and coverage from Baltimore to Bangladesh by subscribing and becoming a member today! Donate: Sign up for our newsletter: Like us on Facebook: Follow us on Twitter: