Typology and Dynamics of Korean Labor Education

This research aims to typologize various practices of labor education and capture their dynamics in South Korea. Existing discourses on labor education in South Korea have framed it as fields or paradigms. However, these approaches have inherent limitations in explaining the realities of labor education. This study employs a new analytical framework, “organizational educational practices,” to investigate the educational activities of Korean trade unions. My research uses qualitative research methods, drawing on data from interviews with 31 labor movement leaders and educational activists, participant observations of labor education, and relevant documents. The analysis identifies four types of trade union educational practices: 1) non-formal education provision model, 2) social movement learning promotion model, 3) learning support system model, and 4) grassroots education organizing model. These labor education practices did not emerge from a single pedagogical theory but rather evolved through a dialectical process, which has intersected and competed within the democratic union movement since the 1980s. Analyzing the types and dynamics of these practices can help guide future trade union educational activities. Also, it provides insights into the educational efforts of broader social movements in civil society.