By Bae Ye-ju<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Published: August 19, 2026, 22:09<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Have you ever heard such a powerful roar? Where does the strength come from when people, as if by prior agreement, raise one hand with a placard and the other as a fist, reaching up with all their might? On August 16, following the “1st National Joint Action Rally of Migrant Workers” held in front of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries on July 5 to demand the withdrawal of unfair contracts, cancellation of wage cuts, and an end to discriminatory treatment, the voices of migrant workers awakening the Korean labor movement echoed far and wide across Seoul at the “2nd National Joint Action Rally of Migrant Workers.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Guarantee freedom of workplace mobility\u2014guarantee, guarantee! Struggle!”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n “Withdraw bad contracts\u2014withdraw, withdraw! Struggle!”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n “Guarantee re-employment\u2014guarantee, guarantee! Struggle!”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n “Right to form unions\u2014win it, win it! Struggle!”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Three Buses of Struggle<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In the early morning of August 16, three buses bound for Seoul were fully packed in front of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries. Under the Korean Metal Workers’ Union (KMWU) budget allocation, three 28-seater buses were operated. Unfortunately, continuous bus applications from migrant and resident workers, as well as activists up until the day before the rally, were repeatedly turned down. Had applications been open without restrictions, far more migrant workers would have participated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Participants in the 2nd National Joint Action Rally of Migrant Workers held a rally at Bosingak Square and marched toward the Blue House. For HD Hyundai Heavy Industries’ migrant workers, it had been only two months since they launched their very first struggle in a foreign land. Just the fact that they were boarding a bus to attend a rally in Seoul for the first time\u2014and heading to the Blue House where the President, the head of the Korean government, resides\u2014made these workers feel both thrilled and solemnly resolved. Comrades from the Foreign Language Education Branch of the Korean Public Service and Democratic Workers’ Union (KPDWU), who stand in solidarity with the HD Hyundai Heavy Industries migrant workers’ struggle in Ulsan, also boarded the buses together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Union officers from the Hyundai Heavy Industries Subcontracted Workers’ Branch, representatives from the Ulsan Migrant Center, and one member from the workplace delegate team each served as leaders on board the three buses. Announcements were delivered in Korean, Vietnamese, and Sinhala. The Sri Lankan delegation also took responsibility for guiding the ranks, leading activities such as introductions and reflections, sharing the rally’s goals, learning chants and songs, and watching videos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Participants held the microphone and confidently shared their stories in Sinhala, Vietnamese, and English:<\/p>\n\n\n\n “My name is OO.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n “We are not treated fairly at our workplace; our rights were stolen through bad contracts. We need to fight for justice; let\u2019s fight for victory!”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n “I am glad we are together for workers’ rights.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n “When I heard about the rally in Seoul, I felt it was natural for me to go.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n “We will fight until the company withdraws the bad contracts and stops unfair discrimination.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n “Later, the time we spent fighting together will become a beautiful memory.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n “Fight until victory!”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n A comrade from the Sri Lankan workplace delegate team on Bus 2 said: “Our contract renewals might not be guaranteed. What matters is that we are deciding for ourselves, acting without regret, discussing together, and fighting. It\u2019s a challenge. We are fighting to win our rightful demands. We will fight to the end until everyone wins. Struggle!”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n They also learned chants to shout at the rally and practiced songs. They learned “Free Job Change,” a song advocating for freedom of workplace mobility, as well as “March for the Beloved,” played during labor ceremonies. On Bus 3, Comrade Kim Chae-sam, General Secretary of the Hyundai Heavy Industries Subcontracted Workers’ Branch, kindly taught the song line by line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Red Flags<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Arriving at the rally site, representatives from various organizations\u2014including the KMWU Asahi Glass Branch, Sejong Hotel Branch, Seongseo Industrial Complex Regional Branch, Migrants’ Trade Union (MTU), and People Have Arrived<\/em> (Migrant Discrimination Abolition Network)\u2014were filling the space. Members from Gkuljam handed out fruit, while the Student Socialist Alliance and Forward Towards Socialism distributed drinks. Participants held yellow rally placards that read “No Discrimination \u2013 Win the Right to Unionize”<\/em> and “Withdraw Bad Contracts \u2013 Free Job Change.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n On the right side of the crowd, the Migrants’ Trade Union (MTU) seated themselves in red vests, while on the left, migrant union members from the Hyundai Heavy Industries Subcontracted Workers’ Branch took their places. Comrade Chaminda from Sri Lanka and Comrade Yoon Da-hye from Vietnam energetically led the rally, serving as emcees and interpreters. The rally carried a serious, heavy weight reflecting the agony of migrant workers facing terrible discrimination and exploitation by the Korean government and capital, alongside the sacred dignity of workers; yet at the same time, it overflowed with the joy and passion of struggle as workers vented their long-held anger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When red flags were handed out, the Ulsan delegation naturally waved them. The red flag seemed to have become a symbol for HD Hyundai Heavy Industries’ migrant workers in Ulsan. Without tiring, they waved them vigorously to the rhythm of the performers and shouted slogans. Bangladeshi members from the MTU also waved flags together. The red flags seemed to sweep away the scattering rain and overcast sky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n HD Hyundai Heavy Industries: Never Paying Promised Wages and Forcing Trafficking-like Penalty Commitments<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Comrade Charitha, Sri Lankan representative for HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, and Comrade Ali from Bangladesh, representing the KMWU Ilgang Branch, delivered speeches from the floor. Charitha spoke first in a sharp, firm voice:<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Directly hired E-7-3 migrant workers were promised wages at 80% of Gross National Income (GNI), but we have never received such pay, and now they are even trying to cut our base salary. Migrant workers from Uzbekistan are facing human trafficking conditions with forced penalty agreements. Many migrant workers in subcontracted companies perform hard and dangerous shipyard labor only to receive minimum wage, failing to receive even the wages promised in their employment contracts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Why does the company treat migrant workers like this? Do they think we will just dissolve into the sea like welding slag and sink with the ships? It seems the value the company places on a human life is a mere base salary of 1.7 million won, wage cuts, and not a single penny in bonuses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because three years of talks with the company yielded no results, we stand here today to seek justice. We demand all the rights we deserve. We are not slaves. HD Hyundai is not a separate country with its own laws, and everyone must be treated fairly. We will continue to make our struggle known worldwide until this issue is resolved. We make it clear to the company that we will not stop this fight until we secure our rights as workers. One, two, three, Struggle!”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Ilgang Branch Shows That Migrant Workers Have the Right to Join Labor Unions Too<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Next, Comrade Ali from the KMWU Ilgang Branch spoke about the reality of targeted dismissals of migrant workers simply because they joined a democratic union. The Ilgang Branch previously had a collective bargaining agreement where re-employment and visa extensions for migrant workers were determined through performance evaluations. Ilgang management has exploited this clause to target and fire migrant workers who joined the democratic union. While Ilgang\u2014a multi-union workplace\u2014did not fire migrant workers through evaluations at its Pyeongtaek plant controlled by the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU), it selectively dismissed migrant workers through evaluations at its Gimje plant, where the KCTU Metal Workers’ Union operates. In response, the union is holding a sit-in in the office building lobby, demanding job security for migrant workers. This crisis has exposed the structural flaws of collective agreements that tie contract renewals and visas to evaluation results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Comrade Ali stated:<\/p>\n\n\n\n “We asked why our contracts were not renewed and what criteria were used for evaluation. We requested the evaluation results to be made public, but management refuses, citing ‘security.’ Why are evaluation results that determine workers’ livelihoods considered secret?<\/p>\n\n\n\n I believe this is not just a matter of re-employment; it is union-busting and discrimination against migrant workers. We are not asking for special treatment. Though our nationalities, skin colors, and languages may differ, we are workers doing the same job. Our Korean might be clumsy, so learning the job takes a bit longer, but that doesn’t mean we are lazy or bad at our work. My colleagues and I didn’t come to Korea just to earn money. We dream of bringing our families to Korea and building a stable life together. Yet a single contract refusal from the company shakes not only our workplace but our families’ lives and futures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Migrant workers are workers too. Migrant workers have the right to join unions. Stop discriminating against us just because we joined a union. Stop using visas and contract renewals to suppress unions. Transparently disclose evaluation criteria and results. We are not asking for anything extraordinary. We demand the right to work without discrimination, the right to live with our families, and the right to join a union. To protect our workplaces, our rights, and our families’ lives, my colleagues and I will no longer remain silent. Workers of the world, unite and fight!”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Udaya Rai, President of the Migrants’ Trade Union (MTU), pointed out that although nearly 40 years have passed since migrant workers were first introduced to Korea, they remain in a state of total rights deprivation. He announced that “a National Migrant Workers’ Rally will be held on September 13 in front of the Seoul Labor Office to demand freedom of workplace mobility, protection of rights, and the implementation of a proper Labor Permit System.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n This year alone, at least seven migrant workers have lost their lives to extreme heat according to news reports\u2014all cases of corporate negligence. We have had to send workers away while hearing barbaric claims that “migrant workers don’t mind the heat.” Regardless of the industry or scale of capital, the pattern of pursuing self-interest while dividing and squeezing workers remains identical. On September 13, when migrant workers gather nationwide, let resident and migrant workers join hands to build a fire of solidarity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kim Hee-jung, head of the Seongseo Industrial Complex Regional Branch and activist for People Have Arrived<\/em>, emphasized that “the struggles of our comrades in Ulsan and Gimje have become a frontline against capital’s drive to push workers into infinite competition. It is a vital fight that we must win.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Ilgang Branch’s fight opens a path toward unity, as a union composed mostly of resident workers steps up to defend migrant workers’ employment. Meanwhile, the struggle against HD Hyundai Heavy Industries to “withdraw bad contracts” demonstrates that migrant workers are fully capable of organizing powerful collective actions. Migrant workers’ labor rights\u2014especially issues tied to employment and visas\u2014are not bargaining chips for democratic unions to compromise away. Bringing migrant workers in, arbitrarily scoring and exploiting them, cutting their pay, and discarding them is treating them like “slaves.” As Comrade Ali said, the “right to work and the right to live with family” are fundamental human rights. Democratic unions must fight against capital like HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and Ilgang, which shake not only workplaces but the lives and futures of workers’ families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Onward to the Blue House!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Though the distance from Bosingak Square to the Blue House fountain is not long, the migrant workers marched in tight formation. Holding banners, red flags, and raised fists, they shouted slogans with determination. It was a fierce display of full-body struggle, showing resolve that matched or exceeded the intensity of recent anti-government demonstrations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Right after arriving in a unfamiliar land, workers face wage theft by capital, blatant exploitation and discrimination under the excuse of being foreign labor, and dismissive attitudes from Korean managers. For these migrant workers, the slogan “We want to live like human beings” hits closest to home, transforming accumulated anger into collective struggle. Activists who experienced past labor movements recalled memories of the 1987 Great Labor Struggle when witnessing the massive popular movement sparked by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries’ migrant workers this year. The energy that migrant workers bring to the Korean labor movement serves both as a mirror reflecting a deeply unequal Korean society and as a roadmap urging the labor movement to renovate itself in the name of “unity.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Behind the Hyundai Heavy Industries Subcontracted Workers’ Branch, members of the MTU, organizing units, conscious activists participating voluntarily, and fellow workers from various fields marched together through Jongno, Gwanghwamun, and in front of the Blue House to demand migrant workers’ rights. They proudly expressed their determination to win fundamental human and labor rights\u2014withdrawing bad contracts, ending discrimination, securing freedom of workplace mobility, and gaining the freedom to unionize.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mounting the sound truck during the march, Kim Hyun-joo, Director of the Ulsan Migrant Center, emphasized that “HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, a self-proclaimed world-class shipyard, forces minimum-wage pay on migrant workers doing hard and dangerous work,”<\/em> calling wage cuts, differential bonus payouts, and evaluation-based firings “unconscionable discrimination that strips workers of their rights.”<\/em> The crowd powerfully echoed the emcee’s chants: “HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, withdraw bad contracts!”<\/em> and “HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, stop discrimination and guarantee re-employment!”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Taking the mic, the emcees criticized the government: “The Korean government and corporations view migrant workers as slaves. Is it right to bring migrant workers here for dangerous, difficult work, strip them of their rights, and make them work like slaves?”<\/em> As they passed Gwanghwamun, the ranks expanded briefly in the square’s wind, before tightening their lines and raising their voices higher as they entered the street leading to the Blue House: “Free Job Change!”<\/em>, “Stop Crackdown!”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Behind the main banner at the front of the march, officers of the Hyundai Heavy Industries Subcontracted Workers’ Branch held high a banner condemning human trafficking in Uzbekistan. By forcing migrant workers to sign penalty commitments addressed to HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and the City of Ulsan, the Uzbek government completely blocked the workers’ freedom of workplace mobility with a monthly fine of $2,000. It is, quite literally, human trafficking and forced labor. Yet the Ulsan Metropolitan Government\u2014which spent 1 billion won in tax money to establish a shipbuilding training institute and received these trafficking commitments\u2014as well as the Ministry of Employment and Labor, which promoted the initiative alongside them, and Hyundai Heavy Industries, keep repeating that they “had no idea.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Uzbek worker who died on July 18 was also a victim of this human trafficking commitment. A young Uzbek worker in his 20s, who was injured multiple times performing dangerous and strenuous tasks on site, remained shackled by the $2,000 monthly fine that prohibited workplace transfers under any circumstances. He ultimately died on the dangerous job site while working without proper safety signage. Even in the face of his fatal industrial accident, capital shamelessly evades responsibility. To expose this exact issue, comrades from the Hyundai Heavy Industries Subcontracted Workers’ Branch held the banner condemning Uzbek human trafficking high above their heads all the way to the Blue House.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Wall of Discrimination and Exploitation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n As the final speaker in front of the Blue House fountain, Oh Se-il, Branch Chief of the Hyundai Heavy Industries Subcontracted Workers’ Branch, appealed to workers nationwide for solidarity, emphasizing the importance of the Hyundai Heavy Industries struggle:<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Directly hired E-7-3 migrant workers at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries came to realize through much reflection that their fight is a righteous one, and they have stepped up to take collective action. Let us fight alongside these directly hired E-7-3 migrant workers who have embarked on a proud struggle! Uzbek workers are being deprived of their freedom of workplace mobility through forced penalty agreements. The Subcontracted Workers’ Branch of the Hyundai Heavy Industries Local is fighting to demand the withdrawal of bad contracts, guarantee freedom of workplace mobility, and abolish penalty agreements. Furthermore, we will organize more migrant workers to aggressively expand a unified struggle uniting both resident and migrant workers. We ask for the solidarity and struggle of all workers across the country. Struggle!”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n After Branch Chief Oh Se-il finished his speech, participants energetically threw water balloons at placards reading “Bad Contract” set up toward the Blue House. Throwing small, mouse-sized water balloons might not completely heal hearts bruised by exploitation and discrimination, but the workers threw them heartily and joyfully at the “Bad Contract” sign. The placards crumbled under water balloons thrown by dozens of workers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let us break down the wall of discrimination and exploitation against migrant workers through the unity of countless workers transcending nationality, employment type, and occupation! Let us all unite and stand in solidarity so that the brave struggle launched by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries’ migrant workers becomes a lever that carves out a new path ahead!<\/p>\n\n\n\n [1] The ‘2nd National Joint Action Rally for the Victory of KMWU Migrant Workers’ Struggle’ was organized by the Korean Metal Workers’ Union (KMWU), the Migrants’ Trade Union (MTU), the Solidarity for Migrant Workers’ Equality, and the Migrant Discrimination Abolition Network ‘People Have Arrived.’ Participating from the KMWU were union staffers alongside migrant workers who recently joined the KMWU Hyundai Heavy Industries Subcontracted Workers’ Branch through the struggle against HD Hyundai Heavy Industries’ bad contracts, as well as members from the Ilgang Branch, Geotonggo Branch, and Asahi Glass Branch.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" On August 16, following the “1st National Joint Action Rally of Migrant Workers” held in front of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries on July 5 to demand the withdrawal of unfair contracts, cancellation of wage cuts, and an end to discriminatory treatment, the voices of migrant workers awakening the Korean labor movement echoed far and wide across Seoul at the “2nd National Joint Action Rally of Migrant Workers.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":810,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"crp_sub_category":"","crp_read_time":"","crp_featured":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3,83,51],"tags":[23,7],"coauthors":[124],"class_list":["post-803","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-east-asia","category-south-korea","category-working-class-politics","tag-labor","tag-south-korea"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/crpnews.com\/asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/skhyundai2.jpg\")
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