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Summary

From July 1976 to April 1978, female workers at the Dong Il Textile Factory in Inchon, South Korea, campaigned for a fair union election free from management interference. Despite using strikes, sit-ins, and dramatic protests, the campaign was crushed by company managers, the KCIA, and male unionists, resulting in the firing and blacklisting of 126 leaders. The short-term goals were lost, but the movement inspired broader labor activism in the 1970s.

Tactics used

Tactics used

Background

In the 1970s, South Korea’s export-oriented economy relied on cheap labor, and women textile workers faced severe exploitation and gender discrimination, earning 56% of male wages. The Dong Il Textile Labor Union was dominated by male workers and controlled by the state-backed Federation of Korean Trade Unions, which suppressed independent union activity. Female workers, inspired by Reverend Hwa Sun Cho, began organizing and in 1972 elected a woman as union chair, prompting management and male workers to resist.

What happened

In July 1976, before a union election, male workers beat female candidates and managers bribed police. [source: nv-database] On election day, pro-management workers nailed dormitory doors shut, and only compliant members voted, electing a male chair. [source: nv-database] About 200 angry women broke out and began a sit-down strike in the union office. [source: nv-database] Managers cut water and electricity, but the strike grew to over 400 women by the second day. [source: nv-database] On the third day, riot police attacked; about 70 women disrobed to form a human wall, singing union songs, but police clubbed and arrested them, hospitalizing 14. [source: nv-database] Despite this, in April 1977, female workers elected Chong Gak Lee as chair. [source: nv-database] On 22 February 1978, during another election, five men from the NTWU’s Organization Action Squad, instigated by the KCIA, attacked women with human excrement, smashed ballot boxes, and nullified the election. [source: nv-database] Over 50 women were injured. [source: nv-database] The union leaders were expelled on 25 February. [source: nv-database] In response, more than 60 workers began a hunger strike at Myungdong Catholic Cathedral, and 60 others staged a sit-in at the factory. [source: nv-database] On 10 March 1978, over 100 female workers rushed a government event, shouting about the excrement attack; 31 were arrested, but the scene was televised nationwide. [source: nv-database] The remaining campaigners traveled to churches for support. [source: nv-database] On 1 April, managers fired 126 leaders and created a nationwide blacklist, preventing them from finding work. [source: nv-database] Most other workers complied out of fear, ending the campaign [source: nv-database].

Key people & organizations

  • Dong Il Textile Labor Union (DTLU)
  • Chong Gak Lee
  • Hwa Sun Cho
  • Myungdong Catholic Church
  • Stephen Su Han Kim
  • National Textile Worker Union (NTWU)
  • Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU)
  • Kim Yong Tae
  • KCIA

Outcome

Verdict: lost.

The campaign achieved none of its six specific demands, as the company fired and blacklisted leaders, and most workers capitulated. However, the movement survived and grew, inspiring larger labor movements in the 1970s and gaining support from students, unions, and religious groups. [source: nv-database]

Lessons

  • Dramatic nonviolent actions like disrobing can momentarily disrupt repression but may not prevent violent crackdowns.
  • Building alliances with religious and student groups can amplify a campaign’s reach and legitimacy.
  • Employers may use blacklisting to crush movements, so campaigns need strategies to protect workers’ livelihoods.

Sources

Disclaimer: Included as a teaching example of campaign craft, not as endorsement.

Sources & verification

  • nv-database — grounding: primary — license: link-only
  • Rewritten: 2026-06-25 via worker_casestudies_v2.py

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