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On May 1, 125th International Workers’ Day, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU)...

...and the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU) organized the largest ever gathering for the holiday - with around 150,000 people attending - and expressed their opposition to government plans to restructure the labor market.

At 3 pm, about 50,000 members of the KCTU gathered for the main struggle rally at Seoul City Hall Plaza. They urged the government to stop its unilateral restructuring of the labor market that only asks workers to sacrifice without any sacrifices from the business world and called for the minimum wage, which is currently 5,580 won (US$5.17), to be increased to 10,000 won (US$9.26)...

One and a half hours later thousands of KCTU members carried out a march(related Korean reports, incl. lots of pics, you'll get on LabourStart/please check out today's[5.03] links!!) from City Hall Plaza to Euljiro and Jongno in central Seoul... 

Along the way, they clashed with riot cops when they moved toward the Insa and Anguk neighborhoods...

The police immediately blocked Insadong-gil, a narrow street(Seoul's unique pedestrian zone/tourist area) connecting Jong-no with Angguk-dong, by setting up vehicle barricades held in readiness and fired capsaicin-based tear gas at the demonstrators. The police mobilized 190 companies, around 15,000 people strong. A struggle broke out when some of the union members tied ropes to the barricades in an attempt to clear them out of the way...

Later on, fierce clashes between the constantly attacking riot cops - now using water cannons to fire capsaicin-based tear gas - and the predominantly peacefully activists took place until the early morning hours(5.02)...