The first class of national medals, the Mugunghwajang, was awarded to the late devotee Jeon Tae-il, who shouted for compliance with the Labor Standards Act.
President Moon invited former lawmakers Jeon Soon-ok, Jeon Tae-sam, and Jeon Tae-ri, who are the deceased's younger brothers, to be awarded the National Medal of Mugunghwa to the Blue House.
This is the first time that the Mugunghwajang, which is ranked first among the national medals, has been ordered by labor personnel.
The Blue House explained, "In the 50th anniversary of Jeon Tae-il's death, it was prepared to reflect on the contributions of the deceased to the development of the national society through labor rights improvement activities and to express the government's will to realize a society that respects labor."
President Moon expressed his deep gratitude to his family, including the late Ms. So-sun Lee, the mother of Tae-il Jeon, who has been committed to protecting workers' rights and interests over the past 50 years to overcome the sadness of losing his family at the Chu ceremony.
In addition, he said he hopes that the award of this medal will be an encouragement for his friends' lives to the friends of Taeil Jeon who recommended the government award.
Born in 1948, Taeil Jeon fought for the rights of workers while working as a tailor at a sewing factory in Pyeonghwa Market in Seoul in the 1960s.
In June 1969, the Pyeonghwa Market's first labor movement organization,'The Fools' Association, was founded, and the struggle did not stop even after being fired from the factory.
On November 13, 1970 at the age of 22, ex-deacons took over the Labor Standards Act to inform the society of the poor working conditions of workers.
The words'obey the Labor Standards Act' and'we are not machines', which were shouted at the time of their self-transformation, shocked society at the time and were evaluated as having a great influence on the development of the Korean labor movement.
(Photo = Yonhap News)