To overcome pains in the era, and overcome the tragedy of the history

 



On past September 21, 2009, the KWWA and Martyr Kim Kyeongsook Commemoration Society in cooperation prepared for the 30th special memorial events for commemorating the Martyr Kim Kyeongsook.  The events included a symposium, screening a film in commemoration, simple refreshment to share food of the 1970s, and memorial service, in the order named.

 

Kang In-soon, a professor in the Sociology department of the Kyeongnam University had a key presentation entitled women workers of the 1970s and the Korean democratic labor movement.  She made a presentation about the necessity for re-assessing the labor movement in the 1970s led by women workers working in the light industry, insisting today irregular employment is very widely spread, and women workers are the majority of irregular workers in Korea. To take this into consideration, women workers should be the main pillar of the democratic labor movement.

 

After the presentation, women workers who had or have experienced the labor movement in the workplace shared their experiences with others by era.  In particular, Kim Eun-sook, 88CC labor union president made a speech on behalf of women workers in the 2000s. Because she was under hunger strike (8 days so far), she drew a lot of attention.  Although the labor committee recognized that golf caddies of the 88CC were workers, dismissed workers have not been reinstated yet, and further because the management is reluctant to have sincere talks with workers, workers from the 88CC would have become dismissed for one year.

 

In the second section, a documentary film entitled YH, Martyr Kim Kyeongsook, and us was screened jointly produced by the KWWA, Martyr Kim Kyeongsook Commemoration Society, and Korea Democracy Foundation. The film was started with the scene in which Kim Kyeongsook, a YH woman worker 30 years ago overlapped with the story of KTX crew workers branch union president 30 years after the YH incident. YH unionists depicted Martyr Kim Kyeongsook and YH union activities so vividly that it was deeply moved. The film will be a great source to know the YH union movement and Martyr Kim Kyeongsook.

 

Lastly, the memorial events were started with greeting by Choi Soon-young, a member of supreme council of the Democratic Labor Party, and an incentive speech by Ham Seh-ung, chairperson of Korea Democracy Foundation. During her speech, Choi Soon-young shed tears since a thousand thoughts crowded on her mind when she recalled past difficult memories and looked at the 88 CC trade union president who is still on the hunger strike 30 years even after the YH incident. Especially, a younger brother of the deceased Martyr Kim Kyeongsook took a part in the memorial events and shared his impressions with YH union members together.  In the memorial ceremony, Kang Ki-gap, a chairperson of the Democratic Labor Party, Kwon Young-gil, a national assembly member belonging to the Democratic Labor Party, Yoon Nan-sil vice chairperson of the Newjinbo, a political party, Lee Kang-sil, chairperson of Women Corea, Nam-Yoon Insoon, Korean Women Associations United and other activists joined.

 

We at the KWWA would like to express our many thanks to those who participated in the memorial events for Martyr Kim Kyeongsook.

 

 

Posted by KWWA
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