General Federation of Trade Unions of Korea

{{Infobox organization

| name = General Federation of Trade Unions of Korea

| image = GFTUK_logo.png

| image_size = 220px

| founded = {{Start date|1945|11|30|df=y}}

| predecessor =

| successor =

| dissolved =

| merged =

| members = 1.6 million (2003)

| publication = Rodongja Sinmun

| location_country = North Korea

| affiliation = DFRK, WFTU

| leader_title2 = Ideology

| leader_name2 = Kimilsungism–Kimjongilism

| key_people = Pak In-chol (chairman)

| headquarters =

| website =

| footnotes =

| module = {{Infobox Korean name

|context=north

|hangul=조선직업총동맹

|hanja= 朝鮮職業總同盟

|rr= Joseon Jigeop Chongdongmaeng

|mr= Chosŏn Chigŏp Ch'ongdongmaeng

|child=yes

}}

The General Federation of Trade Unions of Korea (GFTUK; {{korean|context=north|조선직업총동맹|朝鮮職業總同盟}}) is the sole legal trade union federation in North Korea. GFTUK was formed on November 30, 1945 as the General Federation of Trade Unions of North Korea.{{sfn|Yonhap|2002|p=389}} In January 1951, it was reorganized and adopted its current name.{{Cite web|url=http://korea-dpr.com/politicorganization.html|title=Democratic People's Republic of Korea_Juche Korea|website=korea-dpr.com|access-date=2016-12-04|archive-date=2016-12-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161208171656/http://www.korea-dpr.com/politicorganization.html|url-status=dead}} The chairman of the central committee of GFTUK is Pak In-chol.{{Cite web |title=11th Enlarged Plenary Meeting of 7th Central Committee of GFTUK Held |agency=KCNA |via=KCNA Watch |date=5 March 2021 |access-date=8 March 2021 |url= https://kcnawatch.org/newstream/1614896357-358126914/11th-enlarged-plenary-meeting-of-7th-central-committee-of-gftuk-held }}

Organization

{{As of|2003}}, GFTUK has 1.6 million members, down from more than 2.4 million in the 1970s.{{Cite encyclopedia |title=Korea |encyclopedia=The Great Soviet Encyclopedia |edition=3rd |date=1970–1979| publisher=The Gale Group, Inc |access-date=31 January 2021 |url= https://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/korea |via=TheFreeDictionary.com }} During the Cold War, its membership was about half of the membership of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK). The ratio was comparatively low for a socialist country, evidencing the relatively unimportant role of unions in North Korea, which was one of the most industrialized socialist countries.{{cite book|last=Santonen|first=Arvo|title=Kansainvälinen|volume=3: Työväenliike Aasiassa, Afrikassa ja Latinalaisessa Amerikassa|year=1989|publisher=Weilin+Göös|location=Espoo|language=fi|isbn=951-35-4211-4|page=39}} Nevertheless, GFTUK was considered one of the most important mass organizations in the country.{{cite book|last1=Scalapino|first1=Robert A.|author2=Chun-yŏp Kim|title=North Korea Today: Strategic and Domestic Issues|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TsVxAAAAMAAJ|year=1983|publisher=Institute of East Asian Studies, University of California, Berkeley, Center for Korean Studies|isbn=978-0-912966-55-7|page=84}} All workers of 30 years of age are required to be members of GFTUK if they are not members of WPK, the Union of Agricultural Workers of Korea, or the Socialist Women's Union of Korea.{{sfn|Yonhap|2002|p=389}}

Domestically, GFTUK was a member of the popular front Democratic Front for the Reunification of Korea{{cite book|last=Lansford|first=Tom|title=Political Handbook of the World 2015|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yNGfBwAAQBAJ&pg=PT3330|year=2015|publisher=CQ Press|location=Singapore|isbn=978-1-4833-7155-9|page=3330}} until its dissolution in 2024.{{Cite news |date=25 March 2024 |title=Longstanding N. Korean unification-oriented front dissolves itself, saying there's 'no need' for it |url=https://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_northkorea/1133760 |access-date=28 March 2024 |work=The Hankyoreh}} Internationally, the Federation is affiliated to the World Federation of Trade Unions,{{Cite web |title=International Organizations |publisher=East-West Center, The National Committee on North Korea |work=North Korea in the World |date=22 May 2016 |access-date=24 February 2019 |url= https://www.northkoreaintheworld.org/multilateral/international-organizations }} which it joined on May 2, 1947.{{cite book|title=Implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: Second Periodic Reports Submitted by States Parties Under Articles 16 and 17 of the Covenant: Addendum: Democratic People's Republic of Korea|url=http://docstore.ohchr.org/SelfServices/FilesHandler.ashx?enc=4slQ6QSmlBEDzFEovLCuW5XqnJ6fDSrYLnAUOf0aANHyttWIONK2l9EUAKKotzJgZWEqFJbk0BJ2I7Dr52lO3heJ5BnHOfTf%2FtXJiwpkBdXZJTbZdhfLGaMKd1fJbLnE|format=DOC|date=15 May 2002|publisher=United Nations Economic and Social Council|id=E/1990/6/Add.35|access-date=3 February 2021|page=13}} The unions of GFTUK are affiliated to the various branch organizations of WFTU. The head of the international department of GFTUK is Im Jong-gi ({{Korean|hangul=임종기|labels=no}}).{{Citation needed|date=January 2017}}

The website of the Korean Friendship Association states that "(The GFTUK) conducts ideological education to ensure its members fully understand the Juche idea and gets them to take part in socialist construction and the management of the socialist economy with the attitude befitting masters. It has its organizations in different branches of industry." However, the North Korea Handbook states that the GFTUK is not designed to serve its members but the WPK.{{sfn|Yonhap|2002|p=389}} GFTUK is directly controlled by the Central Committee of the WPK.{{cite web|title=Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2015: Korea, Democratic People's Republic of|publisher=Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor; U.S. Department of State|url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/drl/rls/hrrpt/humanrightsreport/index.htm?year=2015&dlid=252771|access-date=8 January 2017}}

Rodongja Sinmun is the organ of the Central Committee of GFTUK.{{sfn|Yonhap|2002|p=425}} Officially, the guiding ideology of the organization is Kimilsungism–Kimjongilism.{{Cite web |title=General Federation of Trade Unions of Korea |url=http://www.naenara.com.kp/main/index/en/politics?arg_val=leader3 |access-date=2023-01-09 |website=Naenara}}

Former chairmen

Ryom Sun-gil ({{Korean|hangul=렴순길|labels=no}}) (2000s)
Ju Yong-gil ({{Korean|hangul=주용길|labels=no}}) (2010s){{Cite web | title = Civil servants mark this year's first sports day | agency = KCNA | work=The Pyongyang Times | date = 2017-01-10 | access-date = 2017-05-16 | url = http://www.naenara.com.kp/en/order/pytimes/?page=Sports&no=23489 }}
Ju Yong-guk (2010s){{Cite web |title=6th Session of the 13th SPA Held |work=North Korea Leadership Watch |date=14 April 2018 |access-date=29 January 2019 |url= http://www.nkleadershipwatch.org/2018/04/14/6th-session-of-the-13th-spa-held/ }}

List of unions affiliated to GFTUK

The following trade unions, representing nine different industries,{{Cite web |title=Workers' Organizations |work=North Korea Leadership Watch |date=16 January 2018 |access-date=25 February 2019 |url= http://www.nkleadershipwatch.org/workers-organizations/ }} comprise GFTUK:{{cite book|title=The Europa World Year|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gP_-8rXzQs8C&pg=PA2486|edition=45th|volume=II: Kazakhstan - Zimbabwe|year=2004|publisher=Europa Publications|location=London|isbn=978-1-85743-255-8|page=2486}}

References

=Works cited=

{{cite book|author=Yonhap|title=North Korea Handbook|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JIlh9nNeadMC&pg=PA389|year=2002|publisher=M.E. Sharpe|location=Seoul|isbn=978-0-7656-3523-5}}