[Photo] 30th worker dies after mass layoff from Ssangyong Motor

The Ssangyong Motor chapter of the Korea Metal Workers’ Union (KMWU) has set up a memorial site for Kim Ju-jung since July 3. Kim took his own life on June 27 after a fierce struggle to be reinstated at Ssangyong Motor following an unjust mass layoff in 2009. Toward the end of his life, Kim was caught up in a massive credit and debt crisis. The memorial has been set up in front of Deoksugung Palace’s Daehanmun Gate in Seoul. Labor rights activists and civic demonstrators have commented that government inaction has indirectly contributed to the deaths of 30 workers since the mass layoff. Three photos are displayed at his memorial, showing Kim at various stages in his life. The center photo was taken eight days before his death, when he was testifying about police violence in suppressing labor demonstrations. The dark, distressed look on his face stands in stark contrast to the vibrancy displayed in his younger days. (Kang Jae-hoon, staff photographer)