- Overview
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The book depicts in both text and illustrations the important scenes of the progressive political camp, after Jeon Tae-il’s death, to reflect on its course up to this point and to suggest its future direction.
- Book Intro
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From Jeon Tae-il to Roh Hoe-chan, Traces of Progress
Inheriting the spirit of Jeon Tae-il means striving for a world that guaranties a humane life for all workers. After Jeon’s death, democratic labor movements continued, including the one started by clothing workers along the Cheonggye Stream in the 1970s, the social reform labor movements in the 1980s, and the movements for establishing a progressive party as well as industrial unions in the 1990s. However, workers’ rights are still not yet guaranteed: they can be sued by their employer for losses incurred during a strike, and they are forced to accept mandatory furlough when reinstated after unfair dismissal. To improve their working and living conditions, a true party for labor is needed. This book sketches in both text and illustrations the important scenes of the progressive political camp after Jeon Tae-il’s death to reflect on the course of progressive politics in Korea and to suggest its future direction.
A History of the Fight for Human Dignity
Jeon Tae-il worked as a tailor at a sewing factory in the Peace Market beside the Cheonggye Stream and demanded an improvement in the working conditions, a demand that was suppressed by his employer every time. Despairing of the reality where even the minimum rights of workers were not guaranteed, he set himself on fire on the 13th of November 1970, shouting, “Workers are not machines! Workers are also human beings!”
Jeon’s death, a big shock to Korean society, left his work unfinished for his colleagues to take up. After his death, Cheonggye Clothing Union, the first democratic union in Korea, was set up, but the labor movement suffered great difficulties under the dictatorial government of President Park Chung-hee. Thus, the history of the labor movement in Korea was one of a continuing fight against oppression and violence as well as for human dignity and workers’ rights. The book shows how the Korean labor movement has developed, using as examples important scenes in its history, such as the Gwangju Democratization Struggle of May 1980, the Guro Workers’ Strike in 1985, the Incheon Democratization Struggle of May 3 in 1986, and the June Democracy Movement in 1987.How to Become a People-based Progressive Party
The June Democracy Movement and the labor movement led to broad social changes in Korea. Various social strata and classes organized themselves, such as the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, the Korean Confederation of Farmers, the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union, the National Poverty Alliance, the National Council of Student Representatives, and the then-opposition parties, as those who were previously powerless began to gain more power and freedom to act. As the democratic labor movement has grown in strength, Korea’s progressive avant-garde has tried to organize political power, establishing a party like the People’s Party. In the late 1990s, People’s Victory 21 and the Democratic Labor Party were founded. However, in the history of Korea, the progressive movement did not proceed without hitches. The author of this book demands self-examination and self-reflection within the progressive camp, not to remain an “invisible party” but to strive for a better world, remembering the spirit of Jeon Tae-il and Roh Hoe-chan.
- About the Author
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Lee Changwoo
(English) Lee Chang-woo fought for the rights of workers in organizations such as the Korean Council of Trade Unions as well as in the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions. He was a founding member of the Democratic Labor Party. He calls himself “a migratory bird politician,” having been a member of the Progressive New Party, the Unified Progressive Party, and the Justice Party, all within the progressive camp.
He is also a satirical cartoonist, contributing humorous criticism on current topics in <Redian> and the <Ulsan Journal>. He stood as a candidate for the Justice Party in the local assembly election of Jeonggwan-myeon, Gijang-gun in Busan. In a kind of teepee set up during the electoral campaign, he drew caricatures for children and gave a one-man concert, an unusual way of campaigning. This quickly gained him 10.83 percent of the votes and earned him a reputation as a romantic progressive politician.
He has published 『The Era of Roh Moo-hyun in Cartoons』, a book of satirical cartoons, and 『What Can a Progressive Party in Crisis Do?』 - Recommendation
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It has been 50 years since Jeon Tae-il became a human torch when he immolated himself to change the world. Looking back at that time, I wonder if our society has changed much since then. The gap between rich and poor has widened; the many thousands of “sida,” a kind of assistant laborer, have become the temporary employees who abound in today’s economy; and people are still calling on employers to “Abide by the Labor Standards Act!” Now we once again call upon the spirit of Jeon Tae-il, join hands with him, and try to become the Jeon Tae-ils of this generation.
- Selection
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Selected as the Book of the Month in June 2020 by the monthly magazine Book Seeds.
