Lee Jae-myung Marks Labor Day; Unions Rally, Exports Top $80B Again, PPP Picks By-Election Candidates

Lee Jae-myung said Thursday, Labor Day, that “growth with labor is growth with a future.” Speaking at a Labor Day ceremony at the Blue House’s Yeongbin-gwan, Lee said respect for labor “is not simply a matter of consideration or charity.”

“Growth without labor is only half a success and is not sustainable,” he said, pledging to build “a win-win ecosystem” where labor and management can “respect each other and hold dialogue.” He added that a society that respects labor and a country that is good for doing business “are not mutually exclusive,” saying, “There are no workers without companies, and no companies without workers.”
  Large-scale rallies were held across central Seoul on Thursday as labor groups marked Labor Day, the first since the day was designated a public holiday for the first time in 63 years. The two major umbrella unions called for guarantees of basic labor rights. Korea Federation of Trade Unions and the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions held separate Labor Day events near Yeouido in Yeongdeungpo-gu and near Gwanghwamun Station in Jongno-gu.

Kim Dong-myung, chair of the Korea Federation of Trade Unions, told a Yeouido rally marking the 136th anniversary of International Workers’ Day that the spread of artificial intelligence is changing jobs and that the climate crisis and industrial shifts are changing how people work. He said the union would pursue a “just transition” in which labor is not excluded and participates in decision-making. Yang Kyung-soo, chair of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, said at its 2026 Labor Day rally that while Labor Day had “reclaimed its name,” he could not attend with an unreservedly happy heart. He urged that basic labor rights be guaranteed through laws and institutions and that workers be empowered to unite through unions to respond to “capital’s offensive.”
  South Korea’s exports stayed above $80 billion in April after topping that level for the first time in March, driven largely by strong growth in semiconductors amid an artificial intelligence boom. The performance came as the Middle East war sent shock waves across industries, with exports seen as a key support for the economy.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced April trade figures Thursday. Exports rose 48.0% from a year earlier to $85.89 billion despite the Middle East war. After never having reached even $70 billion in monthly exports, South Korea exceeded $80 billion in March for the first time and stayed above that mark for a second consecutive month.
  The People Power Party on Wednesday selected candidates in seven constituencies holding June 3 parliamentary by-elections, including Daegu Dalseong. Lee Jin-sook, identified as a former chair of the Korea Communications Commission, will run in Daegu Dalseong, and Lee Yong, identified as a former lawmaker, will run in Gyeonggi’s Hanam Gap. The nomination was put on hold in South Chungcheong’s Gongju-Buyeo-Cheongyang, where Chung Jin-suk, identified as a former presidential chief of staff, applied for the nomination.

The party’s nomination committee met at its Yeongdeungpo-gu headquarters in Seoul and decided on single-candidate nominations for Lee in Daegu Dalseong; Park Jong-jin, Incheon party chair, in Incheon Yeonsu Gap; Shim Wang-seop, chair of the Environmental Landscaping Development Foundation, in Incheon Gyeyang Eul; Ahn Tae-wook, identified as a former Gwangju party chair, in Gwangju Gwangsan Eul; Kim Tae-gyu, identified as a former vice chair of the Korea Communications Commission, in Ulsan Nam Gap; Lee in Gyeonggi Hanam Gap; and Ko Gi-cheol, Jeju party chair, in Jeju Seogwipo. The party said its candidate in Busan Buk Gap, where Han Dong-hoon is running as an independent, will be chosen through a primary between Park Min-sik, identified as a former minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, and Lee Young-poong, identified as a former KBS reporter.