4 April, 2025Accompanied by a cheering crowd including trade unionists, the Korean constitutional court has upheld the decision of the national assembly to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol.
Accompanied by a cheering crowd including trade unionists, the Korean constitutional court has upheld the decision of the national assembly to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol.
The eight-panel constitutional court unanimously ruled that Yoon had violated the Korean constitution and failed to comply with the procedural requirement of proclaiming martial law. The judges said the acts of Yoon had damaged democracy and people’s political rights.
On the night of 4 December 2024, Yoon proclaimed martial law, banning all political activity, accusing opposition leaders from Democratic Party of paralyzing the National Assembly. He ordered the military to expel parliamentarians from the National Assembly building, when a voting to end the martial law was going on.
On 14 December, the National Assembly successfully passed a motion to impeach Yoon with the support of more than two-third parliamentarians. After today’s constitutional court decision, which is not appealable, a new presidential election will be held within 60 days.
In the past four months, IndustriALL Global affiliates Korean Metal Workers’ Union (KMWU) and Federation of Korean Metalworkers' Trade Unions (FKMTU) have been mobilizing members to participate in demonstrations to demand immediate removal of Yoon from the presidential office. KMWU has organized four national strikes for the democratic struggle.
In the demonstrations, the unions urged the constitutional court to impeach the President and his rebel group immediately, calling for realizing a world of democracy, equality and peace. Yoon has launched a series of attacks against trade unions since he assumed office in 2022.
In 2023, the Korea's National Intelligence Service raided the office of Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), alleging two unionists from KWMU and another KCTU affiliate of violating the National Security Act. The police violently attacked FKMTU secretary-general Kim Jun-yeong during a sit-in protest at the POSCO steel mill, imprisoning him from June to November 2023.
In the same year, the Korean police investigated 950 officials from the Korean Construction Workers’ Union, leading to self-immolation of Yang Hoe-Dong. Yoon also issued an administrative order to force protesting truckers demanding the minimum freight rate to return to work, failing to do so the unionists could be jailed or penalized.
KMWU president JANG Chang-year says:
“Ultimately, the last bulwark of defense against dictatorship and the rise of the far right is the labour movement. Only when the working class around the world stands united can we defend ourselves. Trump is launching an attack against the working class in the United States and across the globe. Workers around the world can win only by building a united front and a united struggle.
We now send our spirit of struggle from South Korea to the workers of Türkiye. We offer our international solidarity to the struggle of Turkish trade unions standing up against Erdoğan’s dictatorship.”
The FKMTU president, Kim Jun Young, says:
"For 123 days, since the beginning of martial law, it has been a time filled with anxiety and hardship for the citizens of Korea. But just like eight years ago, it was also a moment that reaffirmed the democratic resilience of Korea. It was also a time when we confirmed that forces denying the republic system of Korea have taken root throughout various parts of society.
"Although civil war was averted, new challenges have emerged for workers. FKMTU is now faced with the task of thoroughly clearing away the ruthless, lawless and irrational labour repression and labour policies of the Yoon administration. We are also tasked with pushing through laws and policies that reflect the urgent demands of workers. During the years under the Yoon administration, we have been too preoccupied with defense to achieve these goals — now, we must gather our strength again and push forward."
IndustriALL general secretary Atle Høie says:
“IndustriALL commends the verdict of the constitutional court that defends democracy and rule of law in Korea. We congratulate KMWU and FKMTU for the successful campaign to remove the anti-union president from office, the active involvement of our affiliates shows the key role of independent trade unions in defending democracy and rule of law.”