On this day, 17 August 1987, workers in South Korea occupied factories and the shipyard of the Hyundai corporation in the city of Ulsan. Meanwhile, upwards of 30,000 workers took to the streets and battled riot police in the city, in one of the biggest confrontations to date between workers and the US-backed dictatorship. The strikes spread, and the “Great Workers’ Struggle,” as the movement would become known, would at its height involve around 1.2 million workers – one third of the regular workforce – with 3,749 strikes taking place by the end of the year.
The strike wave followed the restoration of democracy, which came seven years after the 1980 armed uprising in Gwangju. This is the subject of our latest podcast series, which is currently available for early listening for our patreon supporters here: https://workingclasshistory.com/2021/06/29/e53-the-gwangju-uprising-1980/
Our episode 51 is about the wave of self-organisation of women workers in the country which preceded both events. So do give them a listen! https://www.facebook.com/workingclasshistory/photos/a.296224173896073/1786597241525418/?type=3