The Building and Wood Workers’ International (BWI) hails the landmark decision of South Korea’s Constitutional Court to remove President Yoon Suk Yeol from office for his unconstitutional declaration of martial law. This is a historic victory for the South Korean people, led by workers and trade unions who stood fearlessly in defence of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.

Yoon’s brazen attempt to silence dissent and subvert democratic institutions was met with the resolute defiance of citizens and soldiers alike. The courage of those who refused unjust orders, and the solidarity shown in the streets, remind us that democracy lives through the people, and it is the organised working class that often serves as its most steadfast guardian.

This triumph is also a testament to the power of international working class solidarity. Throughout Yoon’s repressive rule, the global trade union movement stood firmly with the South Korean workers, denouncing the criminalisation of labour rights and the imprisonment of trade unionists. Today, that solidarity has borne fruit in the form of justice and accountability.

As South Korea prepares to chart a new course, BWI urges the protection and advancement of trade union rights, democracy, and social justice. We stand in unwavering solidarity with our South Korean affiliates in the ongoing struggle to build a society where power serves the working people, not suppresses them.

Read the statement of BWI's affiliate, the Korean Federation of Construction Industry Trade Unions (KFCITU).