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KCTU Launches Two-Day Strike Over Twice-Vetoed Pro-Labor Amendments

The protest aims to force the government to adopt legislation shielding unions from damage claims in pursuit of broader protections for nonstandard workers.

Members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, one of the nation's largest umbrella labor groups, stage a rally near the National Assembly in Seoul on July 16, 2025, to launch a two-day strike to demand the government adopt a pro-labor act. (Yonhap)
Members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), one of South Korea's largest umbrella labor groups, hold a press conference in central Seoul on July 2, 2025. (Yonhap)

Overview

  • Rallies began Wednesday at a 3 p.m. demonstration in Yeouido, western Seoul, with parallel events in 12 regions as the two-day strike got under way.
  • Strikers are calling for amendments to Articles 2 and 3 of the Labor Union Act to limit employer claims for damages during legal strikes.
  • The bill had twice passed the National Assembly but was vetoed by former President Yoon Suk Yeol over objections from business lobbies and the People Power Party.
  • The federation also pressed for comprehensive labor reforms to secure rights for platform and special-contract workers against rising precarity.
  • A second major march is scheduled for Saturday in central Seoul to maintain pressure on President Lee’s administration.