South Korea – Working Class History

August 19, 2024June 10, 2026 Working Class History Podcast

E91-92: South Korea 1987

Double podcast episode about the South Korean movements of 1987 which overthrew the US-backed military dictatorship and won big improvements for workers. In these episodes we speak with Kim Jin-sook and Hong Seung Ha about their experiences of the June Democratic Struggle, and the Great Workers’ Struggle which immediately followed it.

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June 29, 2021June 10, 2026 Working Class History Podcast

E53-56: The Gwangju uprising

Podcast miniseries about the May 18 uprising in Gwangju, South Korea, in 1980 against the US-backed military dictatorship of Chun Doo Hwan. We speak with Kim Yong Ho, David Dolinger and Jeon Yong Ho, who took part in the events, as well as researcher and lead translator of the excellent book, Gwangju Diary, Kap Su Seol.

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March 24, 2021April 12, 2026 Working Class History Podcast

E51: Jeon Tae-il and Lee So-sun

Podcast episode about two extremely influential South Korean worker organisers, Jeon Tae-il and Lee So-sun, and the autonomous self-organisation of women textile and garment workers in the country from the 1960s to the 1980s.

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13 September 1943: Belle Vue Harel strike - On This Day in Working Class History

On this day, 13 September 1943, workers on the Belle Vue Harel sugar estate in Mauritius went on strike demanding a pay increase. After sugar strikes in 1937, the British colonial government set up a conciliation mechanism for industrial disputes. At conciliation, two representatives of the workers agreed to a proposal from the sugar planters to end the dispute, but they did this without consulting the workers they purported to represent. The strikers, who were unhappy with the proposed agreement, therefore kept up the strike.On September 27 over 30 police were sent to the camp, where they confronted around 250 workers, women and children who were armed with sticks and stones. When police attempted to arrest a worker whom they accused of beating a police officer earlier that day, the crowd threw missiles at the police, who then opened fire into the crowd killing four and wounding 16. Those killed were named Kistnasamy Mooneesamy, Moonsamy Moonien, Marday Panapen, and Soondrum Pavatdan, also known as Anjalay Coopen. Coopen, a 32-year-old woman who was pregnant at the time but whose foetus was also killed, subsequently became a powerful symbol to the Mauritian working class movement, and remains so to this day, and there are now various monuments and buildings on the island commemorating her (one of which is pictured).More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/7747/belle-vue-harel-strikeOur work is only possible because of support from you, our listeners on patreon. If you appreciate our work, please join us and access exclusive content and benefits at patreon.com/workingclasshistory.See all of our anniversaries each day, alongside sources and maps on the On This Day section of our Stories app: stories.workingclasshistory.com/date/todayBrowse all Stories by Date here on the Date index: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/dateCheck out our Map of historical Stories: https://map.workingclasshistory.comCheck out books, posters, clothing and more in our online store, here: https://shop.workingclasshistory.comIf you enjoy this podcast, make sure to check out our flagship longform podcast, Working Class History