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. 

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.