| The role of Hyundai workers in the development of the Korean labor movement since 1987 has been remarkable. This thesis uses a case study of workers at Hyundai companies in Ulsan City to explore the relationship between rapid industrialization, urbanization, and the labor movement in South Korea. Drawing on bibliographic and field research, it examines characteristics of industrial urbanization in Ulsan and their impact on the condition of Hyundai workers. In particular, it focuses on the interplay among urbanization, Hyundai's production system, and workers' struggles to understand how and why the labor movement has been involved with community concerns and national issues in addition to conflicts at workplaces. The conclusions suggest that the workers' struggles are bringing significant changes to Ulsan City, and urban studies should not miss the role of proletariat as a collective actor. Finally, the paper discusses appropriate roles of trade unions for the development of the labor movement in the face of internal conflicts and subtler countermeasures from the state and capital. It emphasizes the importance of workers' experience, direct struggles, and community resources for achieving democracy and autonomy in workers' lives as well as in their organizations. |
