The labor unions and mass organizations of the people of South Korea deserve the support of everyone who wants to struggle against war and dictatorship. They are fighting at this time — Dec. 4, 2024 — to rid the Seoul regime of its autocratic, anti-worker, pro-war President Yoon Seok-Yeol. 

On Dec. 3 Yoon declared martial law and sent elite troops to seize the National Assembly. His coup attempt failed, and the Congress voted to lift the coup. Yoon’s own cabinet members had dissented in fear of defeat, and Yoon was forced to retreat within hours of his martial law declaration.

The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, youth and student organizations and popular organizations of all kinds are calling for Yoon to resign. All opposition parties demand his impeachment.

Workers World calls on all popular movements in the United States to support the actions of the popular Korean organizations to depose Yoon Seok-Yeol.

Yoon is on the far right of South Korean politics. He has called for a 120-hour work week in South Korea — seven days, over 17 hours a day! He is an anti-communist of the Cold War type who is a vicious enemy of North Korea. He was elected in 2022 with a tiny plurality, less than 1%, and he has lost enormous favor since his party was trounced in the Parliamentary elections this year. 

U.S. imperialism has used Yoon to push the Korean people into a warlike alliance with the U.S. and Japan — both imperialist powers that have occupied Korea — along with other Pacific Rim U.S. allies. This has made Koreans potential cannon fodder for war against North Korea and China. 

Anyone who supports the working class and who is against war has the duty to support the Korean people’s mobilization against the tyrant Yoon.

U.S. troops out!

People in the United States who support workers’ rights and unions and who combat war have an additional duty. They must reject the lies and distortions in the U.S. ruling-class media claiming that Washington has supported and supports democracy in Korea. This is perhaps the biggest lie.

For the last nearly 80 years U.S. imperialism has occupied the Korean peninsula. That period includes the 1950-53 war when the U.S. military was responsible for 3 million deaths. It includes the 1980 Gwangju Uprising (Koreans call it simply “May 18”) which the U.S.-backed military dictator Chun Doo-hwan buried in blood.

U.S. imperialism has supported military rule in South Korea in order to keep that country a vassal in its attempt to maintain hegemony on the world arena. 

Thus the additional duty of progressive U.S. organizations is to demand that all U.S. troops leave South Korea — and do it now!