braving violent police repression, more than a half a million workers in South Korea

recently went on strike in a major show of force.

The unfolding political and social struggles in South Korea will have a far-reaching impact

not only for the people on the peninsula, but have a major impact on regional politics in the Asia-Pacific

region.

We need a new system.

We need a new society.

We need to demand that which may have sounded impossible even a few weeks ago, but is not

only realizable, but an imperative necessity.

Thank you. but is not only realizable, but an imperative necessity. Welcome to this week's episode of The Real Story on the Socialist Program.

We go beyond the superficial to understand the social and political struggles dominating the world today. I'm your host,

Brian Becker. The Korean Peninsula was divided at the 38th parallel in 1945. The northern half of Korea was under the control of Soviet occupation forces, and the southern half was under the

control of U.S. occupation forces.

76 years later, the Korean Peninsula is still divided. The war that was fought between North and

South Korea between 1950 and 1953 has not technically ended. An armist agreement signed on July 27, 1953, ended military hostilities,

but no peace treaty has been signed even today. The people in South Korea lived under a

de facto dictatorship between 1945 and the end of 1987.

It was the movement of young people in South Korea, students and workers in the 1970s and

1980s that created the basis for the introduction of democratic elections.

Even today, South Korean democracy is limited and faces many challenges. Now there is a rising tide of labor activism demanding not only

economic and social justice for workers, but an expansion of democracy. We are joined by Zhu Yun Park.

They are a writer and member of No Datol for Korean Community Development.

...