"An Unforgettable November Hero" by Ashley Chung
In the United States, many people celebrate Thanksgiving to appreciate their loved ones. However, in Korea, people take the time to commemorate Taeil-Jeon, who sacrificed his life to fight for labor rights.
During childhood, Taeil-Jeon was unable to get a formal education because he was born to a poor family. When he grew older, he ventured to the capital of Korea to become a seamstress. He was known by his coworkers to hold a warm heart after getting fired from bravely defending the rights of his coworkers.
While working as a seamstress, Jeon became exposed to problems that violated workers’ rights. He found that young employees were paid less than older ones and that laborers often had to deal with poor working conditions. After seeing countless employees suffer from pain, Jeon decided to study the current labor movement in Korea. In 1968, he discovered the existence of the Labor Standards Act, which explicitly lists conditions that need to be met in order to protect the human rights of workers. As he searched deeper, he became furious that even minimum working conditions prescribed by the law were not being upheld. In order to change this, Jeon sent petitions to the president of South Korea and participated in protests on the street several times, often ending in violence.
On November 13, 1970, Jeon asked a friend to help him burn to death. It was the last thing he believed he could do to make his statement about labor rights. He was taken to the hospital where he passed away. Before his death, Jeon most famously shouted slogans such as, “Workers are not machines,” “Let us rest on Sunday,” and “Guarantee the Three Basic Labor Rights.”
Since Jeon’s sacrifice, many workers have dedicated themselves to studying the Labor Standards Act. The Korean government has passed laws to protect workers' rights. This Thanksgiving, people should thank not only their families but also activists, like Taeil-Jeon, who sacrificed themselves for the betterment of the future. Taeil-Jeon’s sacrifice must not be forgotten. May he rest in peace.
Thumbnail Image courtesy of Naver Image