South Korea's largest labor union announces indefinite strike demanding president’s resignation

South Korea's largest umbrella labor group, the Confederation of Korean Trade Unions (KCTU), has declared an indefinite nationwide strike, which will continue until President Yoon Suk Yeol steps down.

In is statement, KCTU said it began "indefinite general strike" on December 4 to demand the resignation of the entire presidential administration in the wake of the decision to impose martial law in the country, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.

On Thursday, workers of South Korea’s biggest railway company KORAIL will also go on an indefinite strike, demanding payment increases. The event was planned before the martial law was announced and large-scale rallies gripped the country’s capital.

The country’s parliament voted on Tuesday to cancel the martial law, imposed by the president earlier in the day for the first time in 45 years. In all, the martial law remained in force for just about six hours.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday declared "emergency martial law." The president said he had imposed martial law because the opposition, which holds a majority in parliament, paralyzes the work of the executive branch of power by attempting to impeach its executives, including key figures in the government. According to the president, he introduced the measure to combat "pro-North Korean elements" and protect constitutional order. He also cited the opposition’s refusal to accept the cabinet’s budget proposal.

A number of governmental agencies summoned their personnel for emergency meetings. Democratic Party Chairman Lee Jae-myung, the country’s leading opposition politician, called the president’s decision unconstitutional. The party summoned its lawmakers to the parliament, currently cordoned off by the police. Later, Parliament Speaker Woo Won-shik overturned the president’s decision to impose martial law, declaring it invalid and illegal.

News.Az