Korea, Republic Of

The International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) concluded a week-long visit to South Korea and witnessed first-hand the ongoing criminalisation of labour union rights in the country. Here is the ITF president Paddy Crumlin's account of this trip.

More than 80 participants representing trade unions, farming communities, indigenous peoples, health networks, women’s organisations, academia and civil society organizations met on 27-28 July in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to take stock of the new generation of mega regional FTAs emerging in the region.

On June 18, PSI affiliates (KPTU, FKPIU, KHMU) and other public and financial unions held a national rally protesting the government's unilateral imposition of a performance-related salary and dismissal system on the public institutions.

Workers and human rights activists from Korea demonstrated on 15 June 2016 in front of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, while awaiting the report from the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association after his visit to Korea on 20-26 April this year.

The website of the Ministry of Commerce & Industry has no mention of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) on which officials from 16 countries, including India, met for a round of secret trade talks in Brunei from 15-19 February. This mega Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is expected to be concluded by the end of 2016.

The 31st session of the UN Human Rights Council started on 29 February 2016. For a period of four weeks, the representatives of its 47 member States, elected by the UN General Assembly, will deliberate on the human rights violations in a number of countries and make their recommendations.