Raising Queer Workers' Rights in South Korea

May 1, 2026 marked the 136th International Workers’ Day. This year was particularly significant in South Korea, as May 1 officially reclaimed the name ‘Labor Day’ after 62 years of being designated as ‘Workers’ Day’ (Geunroja-ui Nal). Solidarity for LGBT Human Rights of Korea(Haengseongin) joined the May Day rally held along Sejong-daero in Gwanghwamun, Seoul, marching through the streets alongside fellow workers.

Ahead of May Day, Haengseongin LGBTQ+ Labor Rights Team worked together with members to draft a statement titled We Stand in Solidarity with Workers Being Pushed Out. The statement reflected on the struggles of workers and LGBTQ+ people who stood together in the public squares calling for the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol and resisting his administration’s anti-labor and anti-human rights policies. It also drew attention to the reality facing workers who continue to be pushed out of their workplaces and forced to fight for their rights, even as the new government has pledged to build a society that respects labor and workplaces free from discrimination and exclusion.

Writing the statement collectively was itself an important part of our May Day activities. Members shared their concerns, identified pressing issues, and discussed them together. Through this process, we sought to connect the challenges facing workers in Korean society today with the struggles and experiences of LGBTQ+ people.

LGBTQ+ people are workers, too, and we encounter discrimination and inequality in our workplaces. For this reason, advocating for LGBTQ+ labor rights is not simply about demanding rights for ourselves. It is also about recognizing one another and standing together with workers who are pushed to the margins by precarious working conditions and discrimination.

Carrying this message into the streets, Haengseongin marched on May Day behind a banner bearing the same words as the title of our statement: ‘We Stand in Solidarity with Workers Being Pushed Out.’ Many participants expressed their support for and solidarity with the message on our banner and in our statement.

Haengseongin will continue to stand alongside workers engaged in struggles across different workplaces and industries, and to amplify the voices of LGBTQ+ workers. We will keep working toward a society where no one is pushed out of the workplace and where the dignity of all workers and all forms of labor is respected.