Holding a memorial service for Martyr KIM Kyeongsook
Korean Women Workers Association kept the 29th anniversary of the death of Martyr KIM Kyeongsook (on August 11, 2008). Members of the YH Association and 70s' Democratic Workers' Association joined together.
YH incident (the death of Martyr KIM Kyeongsook) as well as the death of Martyr CHUN Tae-il was the two biggest labor incidents in the 1970s, and it was an opportunity and proved an incentive to lead up the deprivation of the congress membership of the chairperson of the opposition party, as a consequence, the democratic movement by people in Pusan and Masan, and finally, the collapse of the Park's dictatorial regime.
In this year, the government recognized the death of Martyr KIM Kyeongsook as 'a murder by public power' by the government.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission declared that KIM Kyungsook (at the age of 21), a YH unionist had been killed due to the excessive suppression by the police in the process of quelling striking women workers in the office of the New Democratic Party, an opposition party in 1979.
An article about the YH incident at that time was followed:
What is the YH incident?
Suppression and exploitation! Women workers have been the first victims of these words for a long time. In the process of Korean subordinate export-led economic development, women workers have always provided cheap labor, and compensated for Korea's international competitiveness, working for very low wages for long working hours. Under the veil of industrial pillars, women workers have been working in the worsened working conditions in which even their basic rights to work were not protected, and so it was natural that women workers in the 1970s carried out the consistent and organized women workers' movement. One example is YH united women workers who carried out strong struggles, fighting against company's inhumane treatment.
YH trading company was established as a small wig company in 1966, with a small capital of 1 million Won and the number of 10 workers. It grew very fast owing to taking advantage of the boom in the wig exportation and the government's export-oriented policies. Just for 4 years, it grew into the Korea's largest wig company with actual exports of US$100 million and the number of 4,000 workers. At that time, ranked 15th on the exportation list, the company received a presidential award and a Bronze Tower Industrial Medal. The company, named after the initial of the establisher, JANG Yong Ho, made a record net profit of 1,273 million Won in 1970. Of course, it was due to many women workers' sweats and sacrifices.
In September 1970, JANG Yong Ho appointed his brother-in-law, JIN Donghee as the president of the company, and had him focus on the domestic management. On the other hand, he emigrated to the U.S. with his family. Hiding away a great amount of money, he established 'Yong International Company' to import and sell YH commodities in the U.S., and made a fortune through managing a hotel and a department store. However, due to excessive expansion of its operation and unfair practices by JIN Donghee, YH trading company became declined. The company had growing debts and reduced the number of workers, and especially from 1975, it became on the rapid downside.
The production lines for making a wig need 14 stages, and amongst them, workers belonging to 11 departments received their wages on the basis of the contract work system (Under this system, workers receive their wages by hours according to outcomes of their labor during a certain amount of working hours). Workers usually had overtime work for 12 ~14 hours a day, but they did not receive any allowance. Because they worked on the basis of the contract work system, they could not receive any wage (Class "A" workers received at most 30,000 Won, and meals cost 3,000 Won at that time) if there was no work.
"Workers began to complain about their working conditions. Therefore, we took unorganized collective actions on wage increases and overtime work. For example, because it was difficult for individual workers when just one or two workers did not go to work, so we collected collective opinions, and refused overtime work and did not go to work. On the company's side it was considered as normal because the actions occurred from time to time. At that time, just skin deep complaints were made because no trade union was set up."
CHOI Soonyoung (a former congress woman belonging to the Democratic Labor Party) made the comment as the president of YH trade union, established in 1975, which belonged to the Textile Industry Union.
Struggles against shop closure leading to the death of Martyr KIM Kyeongsook
In all the processes of the rapid growth and the decline of the company, women workers accounting for 90% out of the total number of workers were isolated and exploited all the time.
In March 1975, a work stoppage by the drying department, served as a stepping stone for the establishment of the trade union. A dogmatic personnel change by supervisors in charge of unit wages and other matters gave a chance for women workers to carry on their strike. All the 200 united women workers belonging to the drying department went on strike and in the process, Maria RHIE working for the northern partition of J.O.C. introduced and explained the role of a trade union to them. However, they did not have clear guidelines regarding what they had to do, nor did a trade union draw their attention since they confronted many imminent problems, most of all, without having no equal bargaining power.
After the strike by the drying department failed, women workers in despair and desperation felt the necessity of a trade union to stop policemen who insisted their collective action, a crime of shaking the nation and society, would violate the law, from threatening and frightening them. KIM Kyeongsook, PARK Keumsoon, LEE Yok-ja, and CHUN Jeongsook, heads of quarters at that time played main roles in establishing the YH trade union. They were dismissed later because they attempted to set up the trade union, and CHOI Soonyoung, a senior of the hand-making department received an order to go to work in a subcontracting factory in the Gangwon province.
On May 24, 1975, the YH trade union was finally founded after many twists and turns, especially after the 4 workers were victimized. Even at that moment, the company attempted to establish a company-dominated union, and continued disturbing the establishment of the democratic trade union including dismissing CHOI Soonyoung, the president of the union and LEE Jeong-ok, a vice president, transferring MIN Kyeong-Ae, a secretary-general, and buying over many workers. On June 30, 1975, even one month after the establishment of the trade union was notified, the YH trade union received a union certificate, and from the next day, they started to discuss impending problems and activity directions. Union leaders carried out a variety of activities including forming self-government associations in the dormitory, conducting small group activities, educating workers and organizing workshops, trying to maintain consistent discussion with the company. In December 1975, women workers received 50% bonus, which was a first fruit of struggles by the YH union for the first time after the establishment of the company. In addition, all workers were said to be so amused and happy with the first outcome gained through their collective action.
"It was natural that workers demanded on their wage increases and other better working conditions through discussion between the labor and the company. We were so happy with small outcomes because we had suffered a lot. In fact, we demanded to provide basic conditions stipulated by the Labor Standard Act. The company did not listen to our demands on basic matters such as the provision of retirement allowances, overtime pays, and 8 working hours a day. However, we were hilarious like in the heaven even if negotiations at low levels were kept."
The comment by CHOI Soonyoung shows harsh working conditions in the YH trading company. Since the late 1970s, international economy has been restructured and so heavy industries were cultivated. Accordingly, the YH trading company became a sunset industry and its women workers had to fight against the shop closure again. Women workers demanded on the withdrawal of the irresponsible shop closure and carried out struggles for the normalization of the company, but the company and the government were just disinterested and busily transferred their responsibilities. At last, about 200 YH union members set down the office of the New Democratic Party as a final exit for their struggle. They insisted "Normalize the company, or give us a death." However, suppressive subjugation by policemen terminated their 40-hour long struggle in the office of the opposition party within accurate 23 minutes. In the course, many people were dragged like dogs, beaten and hurt, including about 30 congress members and party members belonging to the New Democratic Party, 12 journalists and tens of workers. KIM Kyeongsook, a standing executive committee person turned to a cold body. Later on, the YH incident, an important political issue, gave a spark to end the dictatorial regime, after the following incidents of struggles in Pusan and Masan, and assassination of the president Park.
Firm struggles at all costs by YH union members were an important page of the Korean labor movement showing women workers' independence and struggles. That is because they tried to change their situations actively and to carry out a strong and organized movement, despite harsh suppression on the trade union. However, most of all, is it due to women workers' well-disciplined morality, courage and solidarity that YH union has stood as a standard example in the Korean labor movement?
(Quoted from http://cafe.daum.net/metalmystery/6wW7/169 )