Red headbands flood Sejong-daero
Men try to rush the stage holding protest signs during the keynote
Signs and disposable cups litter the area after the event
200 traffic police deployed…road controls until about 7 p.m.
Men try to rush the stage holding protest signs during the keynote
Signs and disposable cups litter the area after the event
200 traffic police deployed…road controls until about 7 p.m.
“Carry on the martyrs' spirit! Primary contractor bargaining! Win basic labor rights! Forward to a workers' era!” On Labor Day at about 3 p.m., Sejong-daero around Gwanghwamun Square in Jongno-gu, Seoul, was filled with people wearing red headbands reading “Unity! Struggle!” Thousands who attended the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions’ (KCTU) 2026 International Workers' Day Rally repeatedly raised their right fists and shouted demands for direct bargaining with prime contractors and the three fundamental labor rights.
At the rally, the KCTU staged a large demonstration to press for recognition of gig and platform workers as employees, clearer standards for employer responsibility, and related labor reforms. In its resolution the federation celebrated “reclaiming the name ‘Labor Day’ for the first time in 63 years.” It set concrete objectives that included a successful general strike in July, securing bargaining rights with prime contractors, applying the Labor Standards Act to workplaces with fewer than five employees, recognizing the employment status of special and platform workers, and calling for an immediate ceasefire and lasting peace. Organizers had registered 15,000 participants but estimated about 10,000 attended on site.
Crowds packed Gwanghwamun Square well before the program began. Lee Jin-han, 59, chair of the JT Savings Bank branch of the National Office and Financial Services Union, who is nearing retirement, called it “Labor Day reclaimed after 63 years.” He said the holiday had long been known as “Workers' Day,” a name that suggested workers should simply keep working without agency. He added that many unions still struggle to win legal recognition as workers — citing recent turmoil involving the Cargo Solidarity movement — and said groups such as call-center and insurance agents’ unions attended to press for the right to negotiate directly with prime contractors. 
KCTU chair Yang Kyung-soo, delivering the keynote, called it “the first Labor Day that includes public servants and teachers,” while warning that gig workers, platform workers and freelancers still do not fully enjoy labor rights. He pledged to hold the government accountable so that the sacrifice of cargo workers who died “under the protection of state power” would not be forgotten. 
When Yang took the stage, two men carrying signs that read “Whose Labor Day is this?” tried to rush forward, briefly creating a disturbance. Afterwards, Sim Ji-hoon, 39, a member of the Public Transport Workers’ Union, told reporters that even if the KCTU had reached an agreement with the government, issues such as restoring the honor of labor martyrs and recognition for special employment workers remained unresolved. He emphasized that his remarks reflected his personal view, not an official union position. Public servants’ voices were also prominent. Kim Young-woon, vice chair of the Public Servants' Union, said, “This is the first Labor Day I’ve had off since becoming a public servant,” and noted that colleagues continue to work quietly to protect public safety — from wildfire response to festival safety — even during the holiday. He urged support, warning that although the public sector job may look comfortable from the outside, many rights are restricted because of the position, and he called for the right of all public servants to engage in collective bargaining.
Attendance looked smaller than the roughly 20,000 who gathered at the same location last year, but congestion and traffic disruptions remained significant. Sixteen-year-old high school student Park Joo-eun from Sanggye-dong in Nowon-gu said she came to observe the crowd. “School was off, so I came to hang out at Gwanghwamun,” she said. “The subway was already packed with people heading to the rally.”
Many residents complained about litter and cigarette smoke. As the rally concluded, organizers repeatedly asked participants not to litter, noting that trash bags had been placed around the site. Nonetheless, near the Koreana Hotel along Sejong-daero, signs and disposable drink cups were scattered on the ground, and people were seen smoking and discarding cigarette butts in nearby alleys. 
Meanwhile, police operated reversible traffic lanes and other measures to prepare for congestion during the rally and subsequent march. A police official at the scene said, “The Labor Day rally ended around 4:30 p.m., but because the march continued, we plan to keep road restrictions in place until around 7 p.m.” About 200 traffic officers were deployed across Sejong-daero, Jongno and Yeouidaero. - Iran rolls out a 'three-stage' plan despite the Strait of Hormuz blockade…Trump: 'No talks unless Iran gives up nuclear ambitions' [Global Morning Briefing]
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