President of Japanese National Confederation of Trade Unions visit Seoul on Liberation Day

Kim Myeong-hwan, chairman of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), shakes hands with Yoshikazu Odagawa, president of the Japanese National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren), on Aug. 15. (Yonhap News)

Zenroren and KCTU discuss ways for S. Korea and Japanese workers to maintain solidarity

During a visit to South Korea on Aug. 15, celebrated as Liberation Day in Korea, president of Japan’s 1.1 million-strong National Confederation of Trade Unions criticized the administration of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and called for solidarity between workers in the two countries. The National Confederation of Trade Unions, better known as Zenroren, is Japan’s second largest national union.

On Thursday morning, Zenroren President Yoshikazu Odagawa paid a visit to the headquarters of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), in downtown Seoul, where he met KCTU Chairman Kim Myeong-hwan to discuss what Korean and Japanese workers ought to do amid the escalating conflict between the two countries.

“In terms of trade, South Korea and Japan maintain close economic relations, South Korea being one of the top importers of Japanese products. Trade friction has inevitable ramifications for production, while dwindling tourism has a direct impact on workers. It’s important to send a strong message to the government to act responsibly,” Odagawa said.

Odagawa went on to speak of the importance of labor unions taking action to keep companies from trying to resolve financial difficulties by laying off workers.

Yoshikazu Odagawa, president of the Japanese National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren), gives opening remarks during a discussion concerning solidarity between South Korean and Japanese workers at the headquarters of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) on Aug. 15. (Yonhap News)

Zenroren is part of Japan’s Committee for All-Out Action, or Sogakari, a group opposed to amending Japan’s peace constitution. The group is planning to hold a demonstration in front of the residence of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Aug. 27, with two or three thousand people expected to come out to voice their criticism of Abe.

In addition, Odagawa remarked that the Abe administration is exploiting the economy for its political interests. “The Abe administration has dragged issues of trade, including dropping South Korea from its white list [of trusted trading partners], into issues that ought to be resolved politically, such as forced labor. This is an attempt to grab attention and drum up support from right-wing groups at home and abroad,” the labor leader said. “That goes against the principle of keeping political and economic matters separate.”

“Relations between the South Korean and Japanese governments are challenging, as is the situation inside Japan. [At such a time,] it’s especially important for labor unions in the two countries to strengthen their mutual trust and solidarity,” Odagawa said, appealing to the KCTU for its cooperation.

“Solidarity between workers in South Korea and Japan is necessary in order to respond to the Abe administration’s economic retaliation and its efforts to revise Japan’s peace constitution. Zenroren is at the heart of Japan’s struggle against Abe, and the conscientious position it has boldly voiced today will further expand the coalition between workers and civil society in our two countries,” said Kim, the KCTU chairman.

By Kwon Ji-dam, staff reporter

Please direct comments or questions to [[e-mail]]