Factory Complex (2015) - full transcript
The drastic economic development in South Korea once surprised the rest of the world. However, behind of it was an oppression the marginalized female laborers had to endure. The film invites us to the lives of the working class women engaged in the textile industry of the 1960s, all the way through the stories of flight attendants, cashiers, and non-regular workers of today. As we encounter the vista of female factory workers in Cambodia that poignantly resembles the labor history of Korea, the form of labor changes its appearance but the essence of the bread-and-butter question remains still.
What good would crying do?
I should get a manual labor job.
What will we do about my poor sister?
She is on the graveyard shift list.
It's nice to be making
money and all, but...
But how do you survive,
if you work all-night?
Factory Complex
If I was able to reach out,
I'd call my beloved
But alas, I have nothing,
I have nothing to my name
Here we go!
To the bright future of
Industrial Complex for Export!
One!
Two!
Three!
70' Female Factory Workers
Cecil Theater, Seoul, South Korea
You held her like this, right?
This is the young Shin Sunae
You pulled her up
You feel sorry for her
You can hold her hand, too
Stop crying
Minors under 18 needed
parents' agreement,
but I wasn't 18 yet
Back then, at textile companies like
Wonpoong or Dong-il
many workers were hired
under their older sisters' name
After a few years of work
they would change to their real name
But Pyeonghwa Market was a place
that hired anyone no matter what
My throat always hurts
because of the dust
There was so much dust. The napkin
would be black whenever I blow out my nose
Too hungry to work!
Too hungry to work!
My phlegm and spit
were always dark with dust
Working 3 years at Pyeonghwa Market
is enough to turn you into a patient
No!
Gyeongsuk!
The YH(wig factory) Incident
One day a seamstress
didn't come to work
Shin Sunae
Hired in 1966 at Pyeonghwa Market
Imprisoned and dismissed in 1977
One day a seamstress
didn't come to work
Shin Sunae
Hired in 1966 at Pyeonghwa Market
Imprisoned and dismissed in 1977
We'd been working together just a day ago
but she suddenly disappeared
I found out a few years later
that she was raped by the tailor
Courageous women these days
would fight back
But most women tend
to avoid the situation
Back then women were even weaker
So some women had no choice
but to disappear without a word
But once I started hating it
It was like hell
The factory was dark
and it leaked of sour smell
Lee Chonggak
Hired in 1966 and dismissed in 1978
by Dong-Il Corporation
And the place was full of dust
Lee Chonggak
Hired in 1966 and dismissed in 1978
by Dong-Il Corporation
Although we had partitions
Although we had partitions
the noise from the machines
were so loud
We used whistles to communicate
I was only 18
when I started working
But I worked 12, 13 hours a day
I don't think
we had sanitary pads back then
So it was very difficult
during my periods
Especially in the summer...
I would smell and
my groins would hurt
I also suffered
from athlete's foot
Some men burst through
the union office
and dared us to vote that day
With leather gloves
they smeared waste on us
There was an old restroom
next to the union office
The men dug up
human waste from there
Hiring Female Production workers
and waited through
the night drinking
Hiring Female Production workers
They were hired by the company
to prevent us from voting
We needed photos for evidence
of us smeared with waste...
So we ran to a nearby
photo studio
and asked the owner
to take pictures
That's why we at least have
some photos as evidences
I believe it was at night
The phone was ringing and
people were running into my studio
Lee Gibok
Owner of Photo Studio
near Dong-Il
The phone was ringing and
people were running into my studio
Lee Gibok
Owner of Photo Studio
near Dong-Il
It was hectic
with so much commotion
It was urgent and
they didn't have time to explain
They said,
"Something terrible is happening."
So they needed me to come
and take some pictures for evidence
One of the workers called
Oh Cheongja
was 5 or 6 years older than me
She was the company's target
When the waste bucket
was almost emptied
they put it over her head
People may do anything to survive
But what they did was horrible
I've never told this to anyone
but I cried alone in the studio
as I developed the photos
What they did was subhuman
Tears just came out
Naked Demonstration
at Dong-il Textile Factory
I've been running
this studio for decades
and I've met all kinds of people
But those girls had
the most innocent faces
I haven't seen a purer face yet
Everyone who lived here worked
at the Guro Complex
Usually, we never got off work
at 7 or 5
We would come home at around 9,
and have instant noodles together
And we'd study until midnight
And then we slept all together
in this cramped room
we were almost folded
with each other
And in the dawn, we woke up
and took shower one by one
It's nothing too serious
But petty theft would happen
Little things such as a
slice of briquette would get stolen
It was all just a part of life
Now that I look back,
it makes me sad
But it's also a part of my memory,
that's how my life was
I don't know if we got tuberculosis
from not eating enough
Kim Yeongmi
Hired in 1983 and dismissed
and imprisoned in 1985
by Hyosung at Guro Industrial Complex
I don't know if we got tuberculosis
from not eating enough
Kim Yeongmi
Hired in 1983 and dismissed
and imprisoned in 1985
by Hyosung at Guro Industrial Complex
Kim Yeongmi
Hired in 1983 and dismissed
and imprisoned in 1985
by Hyosung at Guro Industrial Complex
or if the bad working environment
caused the disease
But many workers came down
with tuberculosis
If you got the disease
you had to quit
Bars were worse
than sewing factories
Pretty workers who got sick
would end up in bars
If I ran into them on the streets
they told me to ignore them
and warned me
not to end up like them
I still remember their eyes
The Bridge of Export
President Park Geun-Hye
was on TV the other day
I still get the chills
even thinking about it
She said she'd give more
opportunities to diligent workers
But is there a worker in Korea
who is not diligent?
The passengers on the first bus
of each morning are all workers
Only workers take the first bus
and subway to go to work
They've worked hard
all their lives
But...
Can they have a better life?
Are they well-off?
My sister said she'd
send me to night school
so I came to
Garibong-dong in 1978
I started working for
a small textile factory in Mapo
as an assistant seamstress
Kang Myeongja
Hired in 1982 and imprisoned
and dismissed in 1985
by Daewoo Apparel,
Guro Industrial Complex
I had to pull all-nighter everyday
Kang Myeongja
Hired in 1982 and imprisoned
and dismissed in 1985
by Daewoo Apparel,
Guro Industrial Complex
But my sister's company
seemed to have
a better working environment
So I transferred
to Daewoo Apparel in 1982
Back then
companies would team up
with elementary schools or middle schools
and pick up
their graduates for work
Before transferring there
I would visit my sister at work
and she'd be in uniform
with a name tag and head scarf
She would be sitting on the lawn
during lunchtime
and that looked so peaceful
Because I'd never
worn a school uniform
her uniform looked so cool
To wear that uniform, I'd ask her
if her company was hiring
People in the countryside especially
older people think Samsung is the best
Whether it be a factory job
or an office job at Samsung
the older people would all congratulate you
for getting a job at Samsung
From outside, it looked like
such a big and peaceful company
But once inside
it wasn't the peaceful scene
I had imagined
but a living hell
It was the same routine
every day
We'd work overtime and even all night
if we were ordered to
After working all night
we'd take stimulants
Have you ever had
stimulants and coffee powder?
Or coffee and energy drinks?
Park Minsuk
worked from 1991 till 1998
Samsung Electronics
Breast Cancer
The production lines where
we worked were very clean
Park Minsuk
worked from 1991 till 1998
Samsung Electronics
Breast Cancer
The problem was the Isopropyl alcohol
we used to clean the lines
It seemed like a very
hazardous chemical
Working on semiconductors was known
to be harmful for pregnant women
Lee Seongok
worked from 1995 till 2002
for Samsung Electronics
Thyroid Cancer
Working on semiconductors was known
to be harmful for pregnant women
Lee Seongok
worked from 1995 till 2002
for Samsung Electronics
Thyroid Cancer
There were rumors of deformed babies
So I quit as soon as I became
pregnant for fear of my baby
I've been working as
a seamstress since 17
and the only time
I could take a break
was during my pregnancy
and for a short period after I gave birth
That break seems to be
the only benefit for women
Except for those periods
all I did was work
One colleague was infertile for 7 years
so we shared the same concerns
Another co-worker was
infertile for 10 years
One worker had uterine cancer
and returned after being treated
But she had trouble adjusting,
so she quit
Another worker's hair
kept on falling out
So she had to get hormone shots
One morning, I swept my hair
and my hand was full of hairs
that had fallen out
Kim Miyeon
worked from 1997 till 2012
for Samsung Electronics
Gestational Choriocarcinoma
I feel like I'm going to cry
whenever I talk about it...
Kim Miyeon
worked from 1997 till 2012
for Samsung Electronics
Gestational Choriocarcinoma
So I...
It's okay,
just tell it as it is.
Miyeon hated having her head shaved,
and so did I
I had it shaved
on a hospital bed
I was recommended a person
at the hospital who shaved heads
As I lay down to shave my head,
I felt very sad as a woman
At first, the medication
wasn't so strong
High-Alert Medication
At first, the medication
wasn't so strong
At first, the medication
wasn't so strong
My hair didn't fall out
But later, the medicine
started to wear off
The doctor recommended
I take a stronger medicine
but explained that my hair
would start to fall out
Hearing that made my heart sink
Some people might think
losing hair is no big deal
I also thought the same way
But once it's about you,
it becomes a serious issue
So when I shaved my head
at the hospital
another patient who had shaved
her head comforted me
We organized a labor union in 1984
I was arrested in June, 1985
and imprisoned for one year
They told me if I wrote a letter of apology
I was free to go, but it felt so unfair
If only they had adhered
to the collective agreement...
Making some concessions
would've stopped our strikes
The government announced
the minimum wage as $100 back then
A word of comfort,
courage and hope for the others
We weren't even paid
the minimum wage
A word of comfort,
courage and hope for the others
I still remember
the younger workers saying
I want to wear Nike shoes, too
They put it on posters
One of our slogans was
"I want to wear Nike shoes, too"
They were just 17,
right out of middle school
I adored them,
but I've lost contact
Guro Joint Strike
Stop the oppression!
Release the laborers!
Is it twenty or thirty years ago?
It is thirty years ago
I think I was too afraid
because I had been beaten so much
in that boiler room underground
I couldn't even cry
My face was so much swollen,
so it aches badly if I cry
I remember, one day
I was so terrified so I just flopped down and
started crying while walking on the street
There was a friend who just couldn't
overcome the fear and got mentally ill
think it was just too much
for us to bear
The security 365 days
When I was in middle school my teacher
asked me to present what my dream was
I said, even it's nothing big
or nothing so meaningful,
Jang Youngsun
Hired in 1982 and
Forced resignation in 1985
by Garibong Electronics,
Guro Industrial Complex
I said, even it's nothing big
or nothing so meaningful,
Jang Youngsun
Hired in 1982 and
Forced resignation in 1985
by Garibong Electronics,
Guro Industrial Complex
Jang Youngsun
Hired in 1982 and
Forced resignation in 1985
by Garibong Electronics,
Guro Industrial Complex
for example,
even if I happen to work in a factory
Jang Youngsun
Hired in 1982 and
Forced resignation in 1985
by Garibong Electronics,
Guro Industrial Complex
and nobody appreciates,
that is what I want to be
And my teacher said,
"you want to be a 'factory girl'?"
That's a 'factory girl'
Who makes these light bulbs and heaters?
Workers do
All men are equal under the sun
So we should
all be treated equally
But the reality made me furious
- Samsung should take a step for negotiations!
- We want negotiations!
Let's change Samsung! Let's change
the world! Let's change our lives!
If we just knew the truth
while working at Samsung...
Samsung is a company
we can't hate
It's like being dumped
by someone I truly loved
I can't get myself
to hate that person
because I still have
some fond feelings left
Young workers are still there
They say the environment has changed
and many works have become automatic
I just hope no more workers are sick
I was very healthy
only two years ago
It drives me crazy to think about
what might happen to all the workers
Leukemia Incident
at Samsung Semiconductor Factory
Gasan Digital Complex
Gasan digital Complex Station
was Garibong Station back then
In 1992, if you got off
Garibong Station
you'd see job openings
on the direction board
I was searching for a job openings
when someone offered me a good job
He took me to Gabool Electronics
It was my first time at a factory
and overnight work was new to me
I couldn't imagine
working overnight
I still remember
my first day of work
Kim Soyeon
Hired in 2002 by Kiryung Electronics
Kim Soyeon
Hired in 2002 by Kiryung Electronics
It was exciting
to start a new job
Kim Soyeon
Hired in 2002 by Kiryung Electronics
after leaving a company
I worked for 8 years
One day, my colleague complained
about something to the manager
She was a dispatched worker,
just like me
And the manager would
just dismiss her for the day
Then you have no choice
but to leave
At dinner,
regular employees, contract employees, and the
dispatched workers all sat at different tables
This herbal liquor
was popular back then
And one of the dispatched worker
really wanted to drink it
So she asked for a bottle,
but they didn't even pretended to listen
But when a regular employee asked for the
same, they ordered one for her right away
We were all eating at the same time
at a same place, it was ridiculous
Kiryung Incident
Many workers were fired
before the labor union was formed in 2005
Normally, a colleague not showing up
means he or she has a day off
But for us, it meant
that the person was fired
The company mercilessly continued
to fire many workers
Only dispatched workers
were dismissed before
but contract workers were laid off
once the union was formed
Everyone stayed,
ate and slept in the sit-in site
for the first three days
and most of them were women
But some of them were very young
and couldn't stay for too long
because women are biologically
different from men
I could stop fighting and
go to another company
But will I be able to work
as a regular worker then?
Nope
Hunger strikes can be tricky
You do it to pressure the company
and solve a problem
But as it continues, your colleagues
are more pressured than the company
On the 94th day of hunger strike
I hadn't slept all night and
I was completely wiped out
The union members
got seriously worried
They didn't want to trade my life
for their demands
So I was carried to the hospital
Yet that wasn't the hardest part
The most frustrating thing was that
although I'd fought with my life
nothing had changed
Pullback!
He's losing his grip!
And legs are shaking!
Hurry up!
Why!
How could you!
People are risking
their lives up there
But no one even tries
to listen to their demands
You've killed lives
instead of saving them!
Why?
The police have turned away
from their original duty!
Such life-risking struggles made
the company and police take us seriously
Then the negotiation reopened
and the company has agreed
to employ them back as regular workers
I felt... at a loss?
Kiryung Electronics Makes "Runaway Move"
Leaving Union Members at a Loss
I can't express in words
how I felt
Kiryung Electronics Makes "Runaway Move"
Leaving Union Members at a Loss
Kiryung Electronics Makes "Runaway Move"
Leaving Union Members at a Loss
At first I was so despondent
Kiryung Electronics Makes "Runaway Move"
Leaving Union Members at a Loss
And then I became furious
Because it was just outrageous
Kiryung Electronics Fled overnight First News of the Year Makes the Union
Disconcerted And then I became furious Because it was just outrageous
Kiryung Electronics Makes "Runaway Move"
Leaving Union Members at a Loss
And then I became furious
Because it was just outrageous
Kiryung Electronics Makes "Runaway Move"
Leaving Union Members at a Loss
Kiryung Electronics Makes "Runaway Move"
Leaving Union Members at a Loss
Although the company
hadn't kept its promise
I thought the company would
at least inform us before moving
I never imagined
they'd run away like that
50th Anniversary of Guro Factory Complex and Unveiling ceremony
of 'the Statue of the woman of Export' September 16, 2014
A Factory Girl 50 years Ago
A Temporary Employee 50 Years Later
They ran away stealing all the money
they made by taking a huge margin
Life in the Bottom under Park Jung-Hui
Not any better under Park Geun-Hye
Life in the Bottom under Park Jung-Hui
Not any better under Park Geun-Hye
and all the damage,
we laborers took it upon ourselves
Life in the Bottom under Park Jung-Hui
Not any better under Park Geun-Hye
Low-pay, long hour labor
That is the miserable reality we took upon
The Base of New Industries
I needed to make a living
so I searched all the hiring notices
I took a bus and got off
when all other passengers did
I thought it was the last stop
But it wasn't
Daewoo Corporation was there
Its factory had about
12,000 workers at that time
There's a song about seamstresses
on sewing machines
Seamstresses on sewing machines looked even
cooler than a knight on a horse to me back then
Their work was acknowledged
Kim Jinsuk
worked from 1981 till 1986
for Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction
Kim Jinsuk
worked from 1981 till 1986
for Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction
I really wanted to go to college
Kim Jinsuk
worked from 1981 till 1986
for Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction
Kim Jinsuk
worked from 1981 till 1986
for Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction
But that didn't work out
Kim Jinsuk
worked from 1981 till 1986
for Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction
The society I lived in
made that impossible
News reports about a bus attendant
going to Seoul Nat'l University
sounded like a rumor to me
After all, what would be
the chance for such a person
to go to a college out of
the thousands of hundreds?
Then I also got a job as
a bus attendant at Hwajin Bus
After each shift, we had to clean
the bus all the way up to its ceiling
We would return
to our rooms at 2 AM
And we'd have to get back to work
for the first bus at 4:15 AM
It was really hard
I could manage any job I used to again But I could
never stand working as a bus attendant again
I work on hundreds of clothes
for a whole month
but I couldn't afford to buy one for myself
I'd work late night shifts
as a bus attendant with swollen legs
but still wouldn't be able to
pay the rent on time
Later I learned welding
and obtained a license
And I finally got a decent job
I became a welder
I thought my life would
finally start to bloom
I was 26 back then
I was completely terrified
Because my head was covered with
a dark cloth on the way there
That place makes you wet your pants
They don't need to say a word
or even raise a hand
All the rooms were red
The walls were all red
On one wall
there was a writing
Let's get out of here alive
I wondered who had wrote
that message of survival
In such a situation
that one sentence
became my strongest weapon
in this world full of struggles
When one dies, the corpse is
normally laid on a wooden plank
There were mortuary planks
at that place
It meant we were going to die
We were stripped naked
and given military uniforms
I overheard the torturers saying
they liked it better with us naked except
for when the pieces of flesh falls apart
Nevertheless I came out alive
When I was leaving the place
one torturer said
he admired my strong determination
He said "I hope you win"
The enemy said so
One Slip of a Tongue
Top secret to the Enemy
I wanted to ask him
Why he had to take
such extreme measures
While I was on the crane, many people
read my book, "Salt Flower Tree"
They couldn't believe what
had happened to me and asked
how could I have endured
such a life
But it's not like I was
given a choice to avoid all that
I didn't choose to go to jail
It wasn't my choice...
to undergo
anti-communist investigations
Coming down from the crane
I was asked what I wanted the most
I replied I wanted to take a bath
and then live with a choice
But I've come to accept this
as my life
Everybody has different lives
And this is how
my life turned out
I don't resent
living such a life
I don't regret my life
The difference between life and death
Is only a centimeter from the vital spot
And there are times when
even 10 seconds make such a difference
Hanjin Industries Incident
When I think that person
could have lived if I had died
the weight of my life becomes
heavier than the earth
Canadia Industrial Park
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Where is your hometown?
Srey Touc
Hired in 2013 by A Trading Corp.
Srey Touc
Hired in 2013 by A Trading Corp.
I'm from Ken Svay
Srey Touc
Hired in 2013 by A Trading Corp.
How long does it take from
Ken Svay to Phnom Penh?
About 2 hours
To get here?
Or for a round trip?
It takes 4 hours for a round trip
How do you usually spend your salary?
Chanty
Hired in 2012 by A Trading Corp.
How do you usually spend your salary?
Chanty
Hired in 2012 by A Trading Corp.
Chanty
Hired in 2012 by A Trading Corp.
I send it to my parents
How much do you send your parents?
Most of what I make
How much do you pay for the rent?
How much do you pay for the rent?
USD 3 0 a month
What is your job at the factory?
I work on the sewing machine
do you know
the prices of the clothes you make?
The prices?
I don't know
Srey Mon
Hired in 2013 by A Trading Corp.
What is your job at the factory?
Srey Mon
Hired in 2013 by A Trading Corp.
I work on quality controls,
examining the products
I work on quality controls,
examining the products
How much do you get paid?
I earn USD 110 a month
One day, I felt really sick
So I asked the manager for a day off
But he refused
They swear and
scold us to speed up
I want to save up
so I can go to school
Thank you
Bloodshed in Cambodia
In January 2014, a demonstration took place
asking for a rise of salary to USD 160 a month.
Airborne troops were dispatched as
a repressive measure.
5 were killed by gunshot
and 40 were injured.
Rumors of intervention from
Korean corporations and
the embassy were covered
in domestic and international medias.
How much did you make
before the demonstration?
Non-regulars made USD 85,
and the regular workers made USD 95
do you know to which countries the clothes
made in the factory are exported?
And if how much they cost?
The clothes are
around USD 40 to USD 50
And they are exported to
China, Japan, and Korea
Many workers are suffering
There are many workers who hurt on the job
can't get industrial accident insurance
A petition by the Vietnamese workers
Immigrant Workers' May Day
Seoul, South Korea
Immigrant Workers' May Day
Seoul, South Korea
No more discrimination
against foreign workers
Immigrant Workers' May Day
Seoul, South Korea
Pay back the wages siphoned off
by the owner
Guarantee the same bonuses
as Korean workers
Korean workers receive
annual wage increases
Give the same benefits to
foreign workers
Guarantee annual leaves
We work in an unhealthy environment
full of harsh chemicals
However, we receive
no danger pay allowances
The company does not care
about the working environment
Equal treatment for all!
Should we march forward now?
After E-Land acquired it
the name was changed to Homever
Many customers told me
E-Land was a Christian company
and so I would be able to work
Lee Gyeongok
Hired in 2000 by Carrefour,
dismissed in 2007
and so I would be able to work
Lee Gyeongok
Hired in 2000 by Carrefour,
dismissed in 2007
in a better environment
Lee Gyeongok
Hired in 2000 by Carrefour,
dismissed in 2007
Many Christian
customers blessed me
and encouraged me like that
But E-Land turned out
to be the opposite
They changed the rest area
into a prayer room
And we prayed
to achieve sales goals
Our stores may be
fancy and clean
but workers have
no place to rest
Even the tiniest space was
used to increase sales
Employees were never
taken into consideration
With no decent facilities
we sat on cardboard boxes
and ate our lunch here
We were quite pitiful
I remember sitting here
and eating with dust
all around us
Kim Jinsuk
Hired in 2011 by A Mart
I've met all kinds of customers
Kim Jinsuk
Hired in 2011 by A Mart
Most customers give us
their credit cards for a payment
Some customers just throw them
instead of handing them over
I feel very humiliated
as I pick up the thrown card
Some costumers treat us
in a degrading way
Some of themselves may be
non-regular workers
or their children may be working
as temporary employees somewhere
The most shocking incident
I have experienced here
was hearing a mother
scolding her children
saying that
if they didn't behave
they'd end up working here later
Kim Yeonhee
Hired in 2010 by A Mart
At the online
shopping mall I work
Kim Yeonhee
Hired in 2010 by A Mart
customers can shop
with just a click
Thank you for shopping with us
A customer makes an order
on the website
The ordered products
are classified into 6 categories
Then we pick up the products
using a PDA called Teampad
We also check
the expiration dates
for dairy products or vegetables
We shop for our customers
and also make deliveries
For example,
if there are ten orders
it must be completed
in just a few minutes
If it takes longer,
we're marked with colored lines
First it's blue
then green, amber, and red
We call it BGAR
It's like a performance review score
That is how the head office
checks our speed
It looks simple
but it's complicated
and difficult in reality
Passengers aboard, let us show you
the emergency procedures
My first long-distance
flight was to L.A.
and it was too much to bear
Kim Yeongsuk (Nom de Guerre)
worked from 1988 till 2007 for A Airlines
Kim Yeongsuk (Nom de Guerre)
worked from 1988 till 2007 for A Airlines
I was pretty athletic and fit
I was pretty athletic and fit
but it was just too hard for me
So after my first flight
I decided I would quit
I just couldn't
continue this work
I didn't know flight attendants
worked so hard
On my first long-distance flight
I couldn't sit down for 12 hours
12 hours in flight
consumes 4 times
the energy of 12 hours on ground
I would always
tell junior colleagues
they were actors on stage
The aisles were their stage
and the passengers were their audience
So they should do their best
as professionals
Please fasten your seatbelts
whenever the seatbelt sign appears
Insert the belt through the buckle
and tighten Lift the cover to loosen
during emergencies, oxygen masks will
automatically fall from above
Pull the mask toward your face
and adjust the strings
for a comfortable fit
For the first round of the job interviews
about 8 of us entered the room
Everyone was so pretty that
I felt like I was in a beauty pageant
Each one of us had to closely approach
the interviewer and smile naturally
Kim Mingyeong
worked from 2011 till 2013 for B Airlines
Each one of us had to closely approach
the interviewer and smile naturally
Kim Mingyeong
worked from 2011 till 2013 for B Airlines
The interviewers told us
to smile naturally
not like monsters
as we'd practiced
I felt offended
during that interview
It was like they were selecting images
instead of looking at our characters
Kwon Sujeong
Hired in 1995 by C Airlines
We had to follow regulations
for manicure color, nail length
Kwon Sujeong
Hired in 1995 by C Airlines
earrings, rings,
skirt length and clothes
We undergo emotional labor
plus beauty labor, as we call it
We have to control
our appearances
We sit facing our passengers
during take-offs and landings
Once, a flight attendant sat across
a Japanese passenger
Flight attendants have to wear skirts
because the company insists on it
The Japanese passenger motioned
for her to spread her legs apart
It's hard to continue smiling
to such a passenger
Nevertheless, we have to smile
in front of such passengers
for a fear they might write complaints
and effect our work evaluations
Receiving a complaint
or penalty points
is what we dread the most
We are pressured
to avoid penalty points
and receive bonus points
So we have no choice
but to exploit our emotions
If you cause any damage to your team
it becomes very difficult to work
Once you receive a penalty point
you're blamed for everything and
even hindering the chief's promotion
You have to try with all your might
to avoid penalty points
One passenger committed suicide
by hanging himself in the lavatory
We kept knocking on the lavatory
and later pried the door open
And as the body fell to the floor one
flight attendant was knocked down under it
Along with physical labor we have to
consume our emotions as we work
I didn't think it was right for her
to continue such emotional labor
So I requested to give her a vacation
but it was refused
Our next flight was by the same plane
where the suicide had happened
She couldn't go to the lavatory
during the entire flight
The most difficult thing for me
was kneeling
We are trained and ordered to kneel
when talking to passengers
I feel humiliated
whenever I kneel
I don't think kneeling is necessary
to make a serviced customer feel good
There are many other ways to make
comfortable and pleasant eye contact
I couldn't bear a system that
treated me like a medieval slave
The company thinks it has ownership
over every part of its workers
and has the right
to consume them
I feel like it's time
to lose the pretentiousness
And live out my life,
which is only once
Thank you for visiting
our gas station
Aiming for 100% satisfaction,
putting the customers first
we will return your trust
with good quality and quantity
I recently received a strange call
asking if I'd ever masturbated
Kim Yeonga
Hired in 2011 by 120 Dasan Call Center
I recently received a strange call
asking if I'd ever masturbated
At first I didn't know
what he was talking about
But the caller kept asking
so in the end I hung up
Such calls leave me in panic
for at least 3 0 minutes
It's terrible to receive such calls
You're embarrassed to say anything
I get very upset and wonder
why I have to work like this
One of my pregnant colleagues
cried as she received calls
I told her to stop and rest
But she just continued
answering phones while crying
I felt sorry for her
and told her to take a rest
I tried to persuade her
to stop receiving her calls
But it's what we do
It's our work
We try our best not
to show our emotions
120 Dasan Call Center
120 Dasan Call Center
We have various duties
at Dasan Call Center
Calls come in for city hall
water supply offices, and what not
I don't know what kind of call
I'll be receiving
A red light blinks on my phone
and it rings a melody
Yang Seongyeong
Hired in 2011 by 120 Dasan Call Center
A red light blinks on my phone
and it rings a melody
Yang Seongyeong
Hired in 2011 by 120 Dasan Call Center
Then, I'm petrified because
I don't know what kind of call it is
I received each call
trembling like a leaf
For a whole year
I dreaded the morning because
I didn't want to come to work
Technically, we're allowed
to take breaks freely
but we're monitored in real time
for the calls we receive
They check if we're on the phone
or if we're out on a break
Under such surveillance,
it's not easy to take a break
The number of calls and resting time
are all reflected in evaluation
Monthly evaluation scores
influence our wages
So nobody can take
a comfortable break
More calls results in a higher wage
So nobody can take a real rest
Colleagues become competitors
I have to receive more calls
We're ranked by call records and
compared with competing companies
This place is indeed
a call factory
We used to have
factory girls in the past
In the age of the Internet
people are now guided in cyberspace
with call center girls
Many call counselors will
be offended by what I've said
There's the term "Working poor"
I have to work to survive
So I work really hard
I invest my whole life at work
But I'm still poor
I can't pay for my child's
extra-curricular activities
My parents spent
all their lives working
I'm 45 years old
So now I would like to give them
monthly allowances
but I can't
But my parents also know
I'm financially struggling
They understand my situation
but I always feel bad
That is so painful
We work hard in our twenties
and throughout thirties and forties
We work hard to take care
of our family and parents
but in reality that's not enough
When I get older and sick
if I can't take care of myself,
I might have to choose to die
That's how I feel
Anxiety for an uncertain future
Life at the edge of a cliff
Please don't ignore us
but listen to our cause
The capable city of Seoul
just continues to find excuses
Call counselors are being torn
from their jobs
we want direct employment!
We can no longer tolerate
such inhumane actions
we want direct employment!
We want direct employment!
With no lay-offs
we demand the direct employment of
all counselors at Dasan Call Center
We will not watch the city of Seoul
playing with our jobs
We will fight until every counselor
is directly employed
We've suffered and endured
until now without quitting
We look forward to the day when
we'll all work for the city of Seoul
Extreme stress dealing with insults
verbal abuse, and excessive demands!
The service laborers are not a machine
Shim Heesun Hired in 2010 by S geriatric hospital, Physical
therapist Established a labor union in April, 2015
Dedicated to my mother
who has worked in the sewing factory
and all the women
who fought to defend their labor rights
In this tumultuous life,
what is it that you hope for?
If you have wealth,
will it be enough?
Under the blue skies and
shining moonlight, I thought deeply
And realized that everything was
but a dream within a dream
wealth is no different than a dream
upon a hill in spring
Even if you live a long life,
it will fade in the blink of an eye
If you drown yourself
recklessly in debauchery
And lose everything,
will it be enough?
I should get a manual labor job.
What will we do about my poor sister?
She is on the graveyard shift list.
It's nice to be making
money and all, but...
But how do you survive,
if you work all-night?
Factory Complex
If I was able to reach out,
I'd call my beloved
But alas, I have nothing,
I have nothing to my name
Here we go!
To the bright future of
Industrial Complex for Export!
One!
Two!
Three!
70' Female Factory Workers
Cecil Theater, Seoul, South Korea
You held her like this, right?
This is the young Shin Sunae
You pulled her up
You feel sorry for her
You can hold her hand, too
Stop crying
Minors under 18 needed
parents' agreement,
but I wasn't 18 yet
Back then, at textile companies like
Wonpoong or Dong-il
many workers were hired
under their older sisters' name
After a few years of work
they would change to their real name
But Pyeonghwa Market was a place
that hired anyone no matter what
My throat always hurts
because of the dust
There was so much dust. The napkin
would be black whenever I blow out my nose
Too hungry to work!
Too hungry to work!
My phlegm and spit
were always dark with dust
Working 3 years at Pyeonghwa Market
is enough to turn you into a patient
No!
Gyeongsuk!
The YH(wig factory) Incident
One day a seamstress
didn't come to work
Shin Sunae
Hired in 1966 at Pyeonghwa Market
Imprisoned and dismissed in 1977
One day a seamstress
didn't come to work
Shin Sunae
Hired in 1966 at Pyeonghwa Market
Imprisoned and dismissed in 1977
We'd been working together just a day ago
but she suddenly disappeared
I found out a few years later
that she was raped by the tailor
Courageous women these days
would fight back
But most women tend
to avoid the situation
Back then women were even weaker
So some women had no choice
but to disappear without a word
But once I started hating it
It was like hell
The factory was dark
and it leaked of sour smell
Lee Chonggak
Hired in 1966 and dismissed in 1978
by Dong-Il Corporation
And the place was full of dust
Lee Chonggak
Hired in 1966 and dismissed in 1978
by Dong-Il Corporation
Although we had partitions
Although we had partitions
the noise from the machines
were so loud
We used whistles to communicate
I was only 18
when I started working
But I worked 12, 13 hours a day
I don't think
we had sanitary pads back then
So it was very difficult
during my periods
Especially in the summer...
I would smell and
my groins would hurt
I also suffered
from athlete's foot
Some men burst through
the union office
and dared us to vote that day
With leather gloves
they smeared waste on us
There was an old restroom
next to the union office
The men dug up
human waste from there
Hiring Female Production workers
and waited through
the night drinking
Hiring Female Production workers
They were hired by the company
to prevent us from voting
We needed photos for evidence
of us smeared with waste...
So we ran to a nearby
photo studio
and asked the owner
to take pictures
That's why we at least have
some photos as evidences
I believe it was at night
The phone was ringing and
people were running into my studio
Lee Gibok
Owner of Photo Studio
near Dong-Il
The phone was ringing and
people were running into my studio
Lee Gibok
Owner of Photo Studio
near Dong-Il
It was hectic
with so much commotion
It was urgent and
they didn't have time to explain
They said,
"Something terrible is happening."
So they needed me to come
and take some pictures for evidence
One of the workers called
Oh Cheongja
was 5 or 6 years older than me
She was the company's target
When the waste bucket
was almost emptied
they put it over her head
People may do anything to survive
But what they did was horrible
I've never told this to anyone
but I cried alone in the studio
as I developed the photos
What they did was subhuman
Tears just came out
Naked Demonstration
at Dong-il Textile Factory
I've been running
this studio for decades
and I've met all kinds of people
But those girls had
the most innocent faces
I haven't seen a purer face yet
Everyone who lived here worked
at the Guro Complex
Usually, we never got off work
at 7 or 5
We would come home at around 9,
and have instant noodles together
And we'd study until midnight
And then we slept all together
in this cramped room
we were almost folded
with each other
And in the dawn, we woke up
and took shower one by one
It's nothing too serious
But petty theft would happen
Little things such as a
slice of briquette would get stolen
It was all just a part of life
Now that I look back,
it makes me sad
But it's also a part of my memory,
that's how my life was
I don't know if we got tuberculosis
from not eating enough
Kim Yeongmi
Hired in 1983 and dismissed
and imprisoned in 1985
by Hyosung at Guro Industrial Complex
I don't know if we got tuberculosis
from not eating enough
Kim Yeongmi
Hired in 1983 and dismissed
and imprisoned in 1985
by Hyosung at Guro Industrial Complex
Kim Yeongmi
Hired in 1983 and dismissed
and imprisoned in 1985
by Hyosung at Guro Industrial Complex
or if the bad working environment
caused the disease
But many workers came down
with tuberculosis
If you got the disease
you had to quit
Bars were worse
than sewing factories
Pretty workers who got sick
would end up in bars
If I ran into them on the streets
they told me to ignore them
and warned me
not to end up like them
I still remember their eyes
The Bridge of Export
President Park Geun-Hye
was on TV the other day
I still get the chills
even thinking about it
She said she'd give more
opportunities to diligent workers
But is there a worker in Korea
who is not diligent?
The passengers on the first bus
of each morning are all workers
Only workers take the first bus
and subway to go to work
They've worked hard
all their lives
But...
Can they have a better life?
Are they well-off?
My sister said she'd
send me to night school
so I came to
Garibong-dong in 1978
I started working for
a small textile factory in Mapo
as an assistant seamstress
Kang Myeongja
Hired in 1982 and imprisoned
and dismissed in 1985
by Daewoo Apparel,
Guro Industrial Complex
I had to pull all-nighter everyday
Kang Myeongja
Hired in 1982 and imprisoned
and dismissed in 1985
by Daewoo Apparel,
Guro Industrial Complex
But my sister's company
seemed to have
a better working environment
So I transferred
to Daewoo Apparel in 1982
Back then
companies would team up
with elementary schools or middle schools
and pick up
their graduates for work
Before transferring there
I would visit my sister at work
and she'd be in uniform
with a name tag and head scarf
She would be sitting on the lawn
during lunchtime
and that looked so peaceful
Because I'd never
worn a school uniform
her uniform looked so cool
To wear that uniform, I'd ask her
if her company was hiring
People in the countryside especially
older people think Samsung is the best
Whether it be a factory job
or an office job at Samsung
the older people would all congratulate you
for getting a job at Samsung
From outside, it looked like
such a big and peaceful company
But once inside
it wasn't the peaceful scene
I had imagined
but a living hell
It was the same routine
every day
We'd work overtime and even all night
if we were ordered to
After working all night
we'd take stimulants
Have you ever had
stimulants and coffee powder?
Or coffee and energy drinks?
Park Minsuk
worked from 1991 till 1998
Samsung Electronics
Breast Cancer
The production lines where
we worked were very clean
Park Minsuk
worked from 1991 till 1998
Samsung Electronics
Breast Cancer
The problem was the Isopropyl alcohol
we used to clean the lines
It seemed like a very
hazardous chemical
Working on semiconductors was known
to be harmful for pregnant women
Lee Seongok
worked from 1995 till 2002
for Samsung Electronics
Thyroid Cancer
Working on semiconductors was known
to be harmful for pregnant women
Lee Seongok
worked from 1995 till 2002
for Samsung Electronics
Thyroid Cancer
There were rumors of deformed babies
So I quit as soon as I became
pregnant for fear of my baby
I've been working as
a seamstress since 17
and the only time
I could take a break
was during my pregnancy
and for a short period after I gave birth
That break seems to be
the only benefit for women
Except for those periods
all I did was work
One colleague was infertile for 7 years
so we shared the same concerns
Another co-worker was
infertile for 10 years
One worker had uterine cancer
and returned after being treated
But she had trouble adjusting,
so she quit
Another worker's hair
kept on falling out
So she had to get hormone shots
One morning, I swept my hair
and my hand was full of hairs
that had fallen out
Kim Miyeon
worked from 1997 till 2012
for Samsung Electronics
Gestational Choriocarcinoma
I feel like I'm going to cry
whenever I talk about it...
Kim Miyeon
worked from 1997 till 2012
for Samsung Electronics
Gestational Choriocarcinoma
So I...
It's okay,
just tell it as it is.
Miyeon hated having her head shaved,
and so did I
I had it shaved
on a hospital bed
I was recommended a person
at the hospital who shaved heads
As I lay down to shave my head,
I felt very sad as a woman
At first, the medication
wasn't so strong
High-Alert Medication
At first, the medication
wasn't so strong
At first, the medication
wasn't so strong
My hair didn't fall out
But later, the medicine
started to wear off
The doctor recommended
I take a stronger medicine
but explained that my hair
would start to fall out
Hearing that made my heart sink
Some people might think
losing hair is no big deal
I also thought the same way
But once it's about you,
it becomes a serious issue
So when I shaved my head
at the hospital
another patient who had shaved
her head comforted me
We organized a labor union in 1984
I was arrested in June, 1985
and imprisoned for one year
They told me if I wrote a letter of apology
I was free to go, but it felt so unfair
If only they had adhered
to the collective agreement...
Making some concessions
would've stopped our strikes
The government announced
the minimum wage as $100 back then
A word of comfort,
courage and hope for the others
We weren't even paid
the minimum wage
A word of comfort,
courage and hope for the others
I still remember
the younger workers saying
I want to wear Nike shoes, too
They put it on posters
One of our slogans was
"I want to wear Nike shoes, too"
They were just 17,
right out of middle school
I adored them,
but I've lost contact
Guro Joint Strike
Stop the oppression!
Release the laborers!
Is it twenty or thirty years ago?
It is thirty years ago
I think I was too afraid
because I had been beaten so much
in that boiler room underground
I couldn't even cry
My face was so much swollen,
so it aches badly if I cry
I remember, one day
I was so terrified so I just flopped down and
started crying while walking on the street
There was a friend who just couldn't
overcome the fear and got mentally ill
think it was just too much
for us to bear
The security 365 days
When I was in middle school my teacher
asked me to present what my dream was
I said, even it's nothing big
or nothing so meaningful,
Jang Youngsun
Hired in 1982 and
Forced resignation in 1985
by Garibong Electronics,
Guro Industrial Complex
I said, even it's nothing big
or nothing so meaningful,
Jang Youngsun
Hired in 1982 and
Forced resignation in 1985
by Garibong Electronics,
Guro Industrial Complex
Jang Youngsun
Hired in 1982 and
Forced resignation in 1985
by Garibong Electronics,
Guro Industrial Complex
for example,
even if I happen to work in a factory
Jang Youngsun
Hired in 1982 and
Forced resignation in 1985
by Garibong Electronics,
Guro Industrial Complex
and nobody appreciates,
that is what I want to be
And my teacher said,
"you want to be a 'factory girl'?"
That's a 'factory girl'
Who makes these light bulbs and heaters?
Workers do
All men are equal under the sun
So we should
all be treated equally
But the reality made me furious
- Samsung should take a step for negotiations!
- We want negotiations!
Let's change Samsung! Let's change
the world! Let's change our lives!
If we just knew the truth
while working at Samsung...
Samsung is a company
we can't hate
It's like being dumped
by someone I truly loved
I can't get myself
to hate that person
because I still have
some fond feelings left
Young workers are still there
They say the environment has changed
and many works have become automatic
I just hope no more workers are sick
I was very healthy
only two years ago
It drives me crazy to think about
what might happen to all the workers
Leukemia Incident
at Samsung Semiconductor Factory
Gasan Digital Complex
Gasan digital Complex Station
was Garibong Station back then
In 1992, if you got off
Garibong Station
you'd see job openings
on the direction board
I was searching for a job openings
when someone offered me a good job
He took me to Gabool Electronics
It was my first time at a factory
and overnight work was new to me
I couldn't imagine
working overnight
I still remember
my first day of work
Kim Soyeon
Hired in 2002 by Kiryung Electronics
Kim Soyeon
Hired in 2002 by Kiryung Electronics
It was exciting
to start a new job
Kim Soyeon
Hired in 2002 by Kiryung Electronics
after leaving a company
I worked for 8 years
One day, my colleague complained
about something to the manager
She was a dispatched worker,
just like me
And the manager would
just dismiss her for the day
Then you have no choice
but to leave
At dinner,
regular employees, contract employees, and the
dispatched workers all sat at different tables
This herbal liquor
was popular back then
And one of the dispatched worker
really wanted to drink it
So she asked for a bottle,
but they didn't even pretended to listen
But when a regular employee asked for the
same, they ordered one for her right away
We were all eating at the same time
at a same place, it was ridiculous
Kiryung Incident
Many workers were fired
before the labor union was formed in 2005
Normally, a colleague not showing up
means he or she has a day off
But for us, it meant
that the person was fired
The company mercilessly continued
to fire many workers
Only dispatched workers
were dismissed before
but contract workers were laid off
once the union was formed
Everyone stayed,
ate and slept in the sit-in site
for the first three days
and most of them were women
But some of them were very young
and couldn't stay for too long
because women are biologically
different from men
I could stop fighting and
go to another company
But will I be able to work
as a regular worker then?
Nope
Hunger strikes can be tricky
You do it to pressure the company
and solve a problem
But as it continues, your colleagues
are more pressured than the company
On the 94th day of hunger strike
I hadn't slept all night and
I was completely wiped out
The union members
got seriously worried
They didn't want to trade my life
for their demands
So I was carried to the hospital
Yet that wasn't the hardest part
The most frustrating thing was that
although I'd fought with my life
nothing had changed
Pullback!
He's losing his grip!
And legs are shaking!
Hurry up!
Why!
How could you!
People are risking
their lives up there
But no one even tries
to listen to their demands
You've killed lives
instead of saving them!
Why?
The police have turned away
from their original duty!
Such life-risking struggles made
the company and police take us seriously
Then the negotiation reopened
and the company has agreed
to employ them back as regular workers
I felt... at a loss?
Kiryung Electronics Makes "Runaway Move"
Leaving Union Members at a Loss
I can't express in words
how I felt
Kiryung Electronics Makes "Runaway Move"
Leaving Union Members at a Loss
Kiryung Electronics Makes "Runaway Move"
Leaving Union Members at a Loss
At first I was so despondent
Kiryung Electronics Makes "Runaway Move"
Leaving Union Members at a Loss
And then I became furious
Because it was just outrageous
Kiryung Electronics Fled overnight First News of the Year Makes the Union
Disconcerted And then I became furious Because it was just outrageous
Kiryung Electronics Makes "Runaway Move"
Leaving Union Members at a Loss
And then I became furious
Because it was just outrageous
Kiryung Electronics Makes "Runaway Move"
Leaving Union Members at a Loss
Kiryung Electronics Makes "Runaway Move"
Leaving Union Members at a Loss
Although the company
hadn't kept its promise
I thought the company would
at least inform us before moving
I never imagined
they'd run away like that
50th Anniversary of Guro Factory Complex and Unveiling ceremony
of 'the Statue of the woman of Export' September 16, 2014
A Factory Girl 50 years Ago
A Temporary Employee 50 Years Later
They ran away stealing all the money
they made by taking a huge margin
Life in the Bottom under Park Jung-Hui
Not any better under Park Geun-Hye
Life in the Bottom under Park Jung-Hui
Not any better under Park Geun-Hye
and all the damage,
we laborers took it upon ourselves
Life in the Bottom under Park Jung-Hui
Not any better under Park Geun-Hye
Low-pay, long hour labor
That is the miserable reality we took upon
The Base of New Industries
I needed to make a living
so I searched all the hiring notices
I took a bus and got off
when all other passengers did
I thought it was the last stop
But it wasn't
Daewoo Corporation was there
Its factory had about
12,000 workers at that time
There's a song about seamstresses
on sewing machines
Seamstresses on sewing machines looked even
cooler than a knight on a horse to me back then
Their work was acknowledged
Kim Jinsuk
worked from 1981 till 1986
for Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction
Kim Jinsuk
worked from 1981 till 1986
for Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction
I really wanted to go to college
Kim Jinsuk
worked from 1981 till 1986
for Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction
Kim Jinsuk
worked from 1981 till 1986
for Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction
But that didn't work out
Kim Jinsuk
worked from 1981 till 1986
for Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction
The society I lived in
made that impossible
News reports about a bus attendant
going to Seoul Nat'l University
sounded like a rumor to me
After all, what would be
the chance for such a person
to go to a college out of
the thousands of hundreds?
Then I also got a job as
a bus attendant at Hwajin Bus
After each shift, we had to clean
the bus all the way up to its ceiling
We would return
to our rooms at 2 AM
And we'd have to get back to work
for the first bus at 4:15 AM
It was really hard
I could manage any job I used to again But I could
never stand working as a bus attendant again
I work on hundreds of clothes
for a whole month
but I couldn't afford to buy one for myself
I'd work late night shifts
as a bus attendant with swollen legs
but still wouldn't be able to
pay the rent on time
Later I learned welding
and obtained a license
And I finally got a decent job
I became a welder
I thought my life would
finally start to bloom
I was 26 back then
I was completely terrified
Because my head was covered with
a dark cloth on the way there
That place makes you wet your pants
They don't need to say a word
or even raise a hand
All the rooms were red
The walls were all red
On one wall
there was a writing
Let's get out of here alive
I wondered who had wrote
that message of survival
In such a situation
that one sentence
became my strongest weapon
in this world full of struggles
When one dies, the corpse is
normally laid on a wooden plank
There were mortuary planks
at that place
It meant we were going to die
We were stripped naked
and given military uniforms
I overheard the torturers saying
they liked it better with us naked except
for when the pieces of flesh falls apart
Nevertheless I came out alive
When I was leaving the place
one torturer said
he admired my strong determination
He said "I hope you win"
The enemy said so
One Slip of a Tongue
Top secret to the Enemy
I wanted to ask him
Why he had to take
such extreme measures
While I was on the crane, many people
read my book, "Salt Flower Tree"
They couldn't believe what
had happened to me and asked
how could I have endured
such a life
But it's not like I was
given a choice to avoid all that
I didn't choose to go to jail
It wasn't my choice...
to undergo
anti-communist investigations
Coming down from the crane
I was asked what I wanted the most
I replied I wanted to take a bath
and then live with a choice
But I've come to accept this
as my life
Everybody has different lives
And this is how
my life turned out
I don't resent
living such a life
I don't regret my life
The difference between life and death
Is only a centimeter from the vital spot
And there are times when
even 10 seconds make such a difference
Hanjin Industries Incident
When I think that person
could have lived if I had died
the weight of my life becomes
heavier than the earth
Canadia Industrial Park
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Where is your hometown?
Srey Touc
Hired in 2013 by A Trading Corp.
Srey Touc
Hired in 2013 by A Trading Corp.
I'm from Ken Svay
Srey Touc
Hired in 2013 by A Trading Corp.
How long does it take from
Ken Svay to Phnom Penh?
About 2 hours
To get here?
Or for a round trip?
It takes 4 hours for a round trip
How do you usually spend your salary?
Chanty
Hired in 2012 by A Trading Corp.
How do you usually spend your salary?
Chanty
Hired in 2012 by A Trading Corp.
Chanty
Hired in 2012 by A Trading Corp.
I send it to my parents
How much do you send your parents?
Most of what I make
How much do you pay for the rent?
How much do you pay for the rent?
USD 3 0 a month
What is your job at the factory?
I work on the sewing machine
do you know
the prices of the clothes you make?
The prices?
I don't know
Srey Mon
Hired in 2013 by A Trading Corp.
What is your job at the factory?
Srey Mon
Hired in 2013 by A Trading Corp.
I work on quality controls,
examining the products
I work on quality controls,
examining the products
How much do you get paid?
I earn USD 110 a month
One day, I felt really sick
So I asked the manager for a day off
But he refused
They swear and
scold us to speed up
I want to save up
so I can go to school
Thank you
Bloodshed in Cambodia
In January 2014, a demonstration took place
asking for a rise of salary to USD 160 a month.
Airborne troops were dispatched as
a repressive measure.
5 were killed by gunshot
and 40 were injured.
Rumors of intervention from
Korean corporations and
the embassy were covered
in domestic and international medias.
How much did you make
before the demonstration?
Non-regulars made USD 85,
and the regular workers made USD 95
do you know to which countries the clothes
made in the factory are exported?
And if how much they cost?
The clothes are
around USD 40 to USD 50
And they are exported to
China, Japan, and Korea
Many workers are suffering
There are many workers who hurt on the job
can't get industrial accident insurance
A petition by the Vietnamese workers
Immigrant Workers' May Day
Seoul, South Korea
Immigrant Workers' May Day
Seoul, South Korea
No more discrimination
against foreign workers
Immigrant Workers' May Day
Seoul, South Korea
Pay back the wages siphoned off
by the owner
Guarantee the same bonuses
as Korean workers
Korean workers receive
annual wage increases
Give the same benefits to
foreign workers
Guarantee annual leaves
We work in an unhealthy environment
full of harsh chemicals
However, we receive
no danger pay allowances
The company does not care
about the working environment
Equal treatment for all!
Should we march forward now?
After E-Land acquired it
the name was changed to Homever
Many customers told me
E-Land was a Christian company
and so I would be able to work
Lee Gyeongok
Hired in 2000 by Carrefour,
dismissed in 2007
and so I would be able to work
Lee Gyeongok
Hired in 2000 by Carrefour,
dismissed in 2007
in a better environment
Lee Gyeongok
Hired in 2000 by Carrefour,
dismissed in 2007
Many Christian
customers blessed me
and encouraged me like that
But E-Land turned out
to be the opposite
They changed the rest area
into a prayer room
And we prayed
to achieve sales goals
Our stores may be
fancy and clean
but workers have
no place to rest
Even the tiniest space was
used to increase sales
Employees were never
taken into consideration
With no decent facilities
we sat on cardboard boxes
and ate our lunch here
We were quite pitiful
I remember sitting here
and eating with dust
all around us
Kim Jinsuk
Hired in 2011 by A Mart
I've met all kinds of customers
Kim Jinsuk
Hired in 2011 by A Mart
Most customers give us
their credit cards for a payment
Some customers just throw them
instead of handing them over
I feel very humiliated
as I pick up the thrown card
Some costumers treat us
in a degrading way
Some of themselves may be
non-regular workers
or their children may be working
as temporary employees somewhere
The most shocking incident
I have experienced here
was hearing a mother
scolding her children
saying that
if they didn't behave
they'd end up working here later
Kim Yeonhee
Hired in 2010 by A Mart
At the online
shopping mall I work
Kim Yeonhee
Hired in 2010 by A Mart
customers can shop
with just a click
Thank you for shopping with us
A customer makes an order
on the website
The ordered products
are classified into 6 categories
Then we pick up the products
using a PDA called Teampad
We also check
the expiration dates
for dairy products or vegetables
We shop for our customers
and also make deliveries
For example,
if there are ten orders
it must be completed
in just a few minutes
If it takes longer,
we're marked with colored lines
First it's blue
then green, amber, and red
We call it BGAR
It's like a performance review score
That is how the head office
checks our speed
It looks simple
but it's complicated
and difficult in reality
Passengers aboard, let us show you
the emergency procedures
My first long-distance
flight was to L.A.
and it was too much to bear
Kim Yeongsuk (Nom de Guerre)
worked from 1988 till 2007 for A Airlines
Kim Yeongsuk (Nom de Guerre)
worked from 1988 till 2007 for A Airlines
I was pretty athletic and fit
I was pretty athletic and fit
but it was just too hard for me
So after my first flight
I decided I would quit
I just couldn't
continue this work
I didn't know flight attendants
worked so hard
On my first long-distance flight
I couldn't sit down for 12 hours
12 hours in flight
consumes 4 times
the energy of 12 hours on ground
I would always
tell junior colleagues
they were actors on stage
The aisles were their stage
and the passengers were their audience
So they should do their best
as professionals
Please fasten your seatbelts
whenever the seatbelt sign appears
Insert the belt through the buckle
and tighten Lift the cover to loosen
during emergencies, oxygen masks will
automatically fall from above
Pull the mask toward your face
and adjust the strings
for a comfortable fit
For the first round of the job interviews
about 8 of us entered the room
Everyone was so pretty that
I felt like I was in a beauty pageant
Each one of us had to closely approach
the interviewer and smile naturally
Kim Mingyeong
worked from 2011 till 2013 for B Airlines
Each one of us had to closely approach
the interviewer and smile naturally
Kim Mingyeong
worked from 2011 till 2013 for B Airlines
The interviewers told us
to smile naturally
not like monsters
as we'd practiced
I felt offended
during that interview
It was like they were selecting images
instead of looking at our characters
Kwon Sujeong
Hired in 1995 by C Airlines
We had to follow regulations
for manicure color, nail length
Kwon Sujeong
Hired in 1995 by C Airlines
earrings, rings,
skirt length and clothes
We undergo emotional labor
plus beauty labor, as we call it
We have to control
our appearances
We sit facing our passengers
during take-offs and landings
Once, a flight attendant sat across
a Japanese passenger
Flight attendants have to wear skirts
because the company insists on it
The Japanese passenger motioned
for her to spread her legs apart
It's hard to continue smiling
to such a passenger
Nevertheless, we have to smile
in front of such passengers
for a fear they might write complaints
and effect our work evaluations
Receiving a complaint
or penalty points
is what we dread the most
We are pressured
to avoid penalty points
and receive bonus points
So we have no choice
but to exploit our emotions
If you cause any damage to your team
it becomes very difficult to work
Once you receive a penalty point
you're blamed for everything and
even hindering the chief's promotion
You have to try with all your might
to avoid penalty points
One passenger committed suicide
by hanging himself in the lavatory
We kept knocking on the lavatory
and later pried the door open
And as the body fell to the floor one
flight attendant was knocked down under it
Along with physical labor we have to
consume our emotions as we work
I didn't think it was right for her
to continue such emotional labor
So I requested to give her a vacation
but it was refused
Our next flight was by the same plane
where the suicide had happened
She couldn't go to the lavatory
during the entire flight
The most difficult thing for me
was kneeling
We are trained and ordered to kneel
when talking to passengers
I feel humiliated
whenever I kneel
I don't think kneeling is necessary
to make a serviced customer feel good
There are many other ways to make
comfortable and pleasant eye contact
I couldn't bear a system that
treated me like a medieval slave
The company thinks it has ownership
over every part of its workers
and has the right
to consume them
I feel like it's time
to lose the pretentiousness
And live out my life,
which is only once
Thank you for visiting
our gas station
Aiming for 100% satisfaction,
putting the customers first
we will return your trust
with good quality and quantity
I recently received a strange call
asking if I'd ever masturbated
Kim Yeonga
Hired in 2011 by 120 Dasan Call Center
I recently received a strange call
asking if I'd ever masturbated
At first I didn't know
what he was talking about
But the caller kept asking
so in the end I hung up
Such calls leave me in panic
for at least 3 0 minutes
It's terrible to receive such calls
You're embarrassed to say anything
I get very upset and wonder
why I have to work like this
One of my pregnant colleagues
cried as she received calls
I told her to stop and rest
But she just continued
answering phones while crying
I felt sorry for her
and told her to take a rest
I tried to persuade her
to stop receiving her calls
But it's what we do
It's our work
We try our best not
to show our emotions
120 Dasan Call Center
120 Dasan Call Center
We have various duties
at Dasan Call Center
Calls come in for city hall
water supply offices, and what not
I don't know what kind of call
I'll be receiving
A red light blinks on my phone
and it rings a melody
Yang Seongyeong
Hired in 2011 by 120 Dasan Call Center
A red light blinks on my phone
and it rings a melody
Yang Seongyeong
Hired in 2011 by 120 Dasan Call Center
Then, I'm petrified because
I don't know what kind of call it is
I received each call
trembling like a leaf
For a whole year
I dreaded the morning because
I didn't want to come to work
Technically, we're allowed
to take breaks freely
but we're monitored in real time
for the calls we receive
They check if we're on the phone
or if we're out on a break
Under such surveillance,
it's not easy to take a break
The number of calls and resting time
are all reflected in evaluation
Monthly evaluation scores
influence our wages
So nobody can take
a comfortable break
More calls results in a higher wage
So nobody can take a real rest
Colleagues become competitors
I have to receive more calls
We're ranked by call records and
compared with competing companies
This place is indeed
a call factory
We used to have
factory girls in the past
In the age of the Internet
people are now guided in cyberspace
with call center girls
Many call counselors will
be offended by what I've said
There's the term "Working poor"
I have to work to survive
So I work really hard
I invest my whole life at work
But I'm still poor
I can't pay for my child's
extra-curricular activities
My parents spent
all their lives working
I'm 45 years old
So now I would like to give them
monthly allowances
but I can't
But my parents also know
I'm financially struggling
They understand my situation
but I always feel bad
That is so painful
We work hard in our twenties
and throughout thirties and forties
We work hard to take care
of our family and parents
but in reality that's not enough
When I get older and sick
if I can't take care of myself,
I might have to choose to die
That's how I feel
Anxiety for an uncertain future
Life at the edge of a cliff
Please don't ignore us
but listen to our cause
The capable city of Seoul
just continues to find excuses
Call counselors are being torn
from their jobs
we want direct employment!
We can no longer tolerate
such inhumane actions
we want direct employment!
We want direct employment!
With no lay-offs
we demand the direct employment of
all counselors at Dasan Call Center
We will not watch the city of Seoul
playing with our jobs
We will fight until every counselor
is directly employed
We've suffered and endured
until now without quitting
We look forward to the day when
we'll all work for the city of Seoul
Extreme stress dealing with insults
verbal abuse, and excessive demands!
The service laborers are not a machine
Shim Heesun Hired in 2010 by S geriatric hospital, Physical
therapist Established a labor union in April, 2015
Dedicated to my mother
who has worked in the sewing factory
and all the women
who fought to defend their labor rights
In this tumultuous life,
what is it that you hope for?
If you have wealth,
will it be enough?
Under the blue skies and
shining moonlight, I thought deeply
And realized that everything was
but a dream within a dream
wealth is no different than a dream
upon a hill in spring
Even if you live a long life,
it will fade in the blink of an eye
If you drown yourself
recklessly in debauchery
And lose everything,
will it be enough?