SEOUL, April 06 (AJP) - A majority of South Korean workers believe the rallies calling for the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk Yeol contributed positively to the country’s democratic development, a recent survey showed Sunday.
According to a survey of one thousand working people aged 19 and more, conducted by civic group Gapjil119, 68.7 percent of respondents agreed that the rallies had a positive impact on the development of democracy in South Korean society. Female respondents (74.1 percent) were more likely than male respondents (62.7 percent) to view the rallies favorably.
Many workers also expressed a sense of political empowerment through participation in rallies. A total of 80.1 percent agreed that rallies are “an effective way to express one’s views as a citizen,” while 79.8 percent said rallies “have the power to correct what is wrong with the country.” Meanwhile, 12.5 percent said they had personally taken part in the pro-impeachment demonstrations.
While the outlook for political democratization in South Korea appeared generally positive, expectations for greater workplace democracy were more muted.
About 63.3 percent agreed that “South Korean politics will become more democratic following the impeachment rallies,” but only 47.3 percent said that “democracy in the workplace will expand as a result.”
When asked what is needed to improve democracy at work, 35.6 percent cited the “introduction of fair decision-making processes,” followed by “eliminating unfair labor practices” (26.8 percent), “increasing transparency and access to corporate information” (19.0 percent), “guaranteeing labor union activity” (8.5 percent), and “expanding employee representation in decision-making” (8.4 percent).
Gapjil 119's attorney Lee Sun-min said, “While many citizens chant for democracy in public squares, unilateral decisions and irrational practices by employers still persist in the workplace. Institutional reforms and action to realize workplace democracy must come alongside political democratization.”
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
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