Job security demands shadow S. Korean president's return to Blue House

Labor activists perform "samboilbae," a traditional protest ritual of three steps and one full bow, at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, Dec. 29, 2025. AJP Han Jun-gu
SEOUL, December 29 (AJP) - As South Korean President Lee Jae Myung officially commenced duties at Cheong Wa Dae, the celebratory atmosphere was met with immediate domestic pressure as non-regular presidential staff launched a labor protest through the heart of the capital.

On Monday morning, members of the Seoul Regional Public Services Branch — a chapter under the powerful Korean Confederation of Trade Unions — convened at Gwanghwamun Square to demand permanent job security guarantees from the incoming administration.

Following a press conference, union members began a traditional form of protest involving full-body bows every few steps — traveling from Gwanghwamun Square toward the presidential office.

The demonstration highlights a growing rift between the administration’s symbolic return to the historic "Blue House" and the precarious status of the personnel who maintain it.

The protesters represent a segment of "non-regular" workers — contractors and temporary staff — who handle essential services within the presidential complex.

The march serves as an early litmus test for the Lee Jae Myung administration’s labor policy. During the presidential campaign, Lee emphasized social equity, yet the union claims the current lack of an official employment roadmap contradicts those promises.
 Labor activists perform "samboilbae," a traditional protest ritual of three steps and one full bow, at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, Dec. 29, 2025. AJP Han Jun-gu Labor activists perform "samboilbae," a traditional protest ritual of three steps and one full bow, at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, Dec. 29, 2025. AJP Han Jun-gu Labor activists perform "samboilbae," a traditional protest ritual of three steps and one full bow, at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, Dec. 29, 2025. AJP Han Jun-gu
Han Jun-gu 사진기자 jungu141298@ajupress.com