The Korean labour movement has had enough! After years of being promised a 'socialist' republic on the one hand and being delivered capitalist economic policy on the other, it has become clear that proper protections for workers cannot be obtained through electoral means.

It seems that rumours of a general strike had been circulating since before the 1956 election, and the shakeups in the leadership of the Workers Party of Korea and the Social Workers Party may have been an attempt by party officials to delay the strike until after the election. While it is not yet clear what shady dealings may or may not have happened behind the scenes, the calls for a general strike have now made it out into the open.

Led by the Korean labour movement, workers throughout Korea have begun to walk off the job. The WPK has declared support for the general strike, but it has become clear that the new leadership of the party no longer has the pulse of the labour movement, as the WPK declaration came a few days after the general strike began. The Korean government must take quick action if they don't want their economy to become paralyzed.