And marking the 110th International Women's Day on March 8th,... yesterday here in Korea,... massive rallies demanding equal rights were held in Seoul. <br />Kim Mok-yeon reports.<br /> <br /> International Women's Day is a global celebration that sheds light on the struggle for women's rights.<br />The day was created to commemorate American female laborers who fought for their labor and voting rights in 1908,... and this year, South Korea has officially designated the day as a public occasion.<br /> One of the nation's largest labor organizations, the Korean Federation of Trade Unions held a special event to celebrate the day's 110th anniversary.<br />Hundreds of thousands of members of the union gathered in front of Seoul's Gwanghwamun square at 2 p.m. to attend the national female laborer's conference which seeks to highlight inequalities such as the gender wage gap in Korea.<br /><br /> "The root of the sexual harassment cases is not just because of one individual, but also because of the current social customs.<br />We will work to create a society where women's labor and sexual rights can be respected."<br /><br /> "Participants then headed to the annual "3 o'clock STOP" event, to join some 13 other organizations hoping to improve conditions for female workers in Korea." <br /><br />The event, which is the second of its kind, demands for female workers to STOP and finish work at 3 p.m.<br /> According to the organizers, the wage gap in South Korea was twice the OECD average, at 36.7 percent in 2015, which means that the wage women receive for a day's work is only equivalent to the wage men receive for working until 3 p.m. <br /> The laborers demanded that the government find a solution to the multiplying sexual assault cases, solve the gender-based wage gap, and respect the labor rights of women. <br />The participants, most of them dressed in black, holding pickets that read '3 o'clock stop' and 'me too', shouted for women not to be afraid anymore. <br /><br /> "Let's end harassment in the workplace " <br /><br />There were also male participants who raised their voices for gender equality. <br /><br /> "I came here to show my support towards eradicating violence against women. Especially nowadays when sexual harassment cases are rising, I hope that the government could come up with measures that can solve this problem as soon as possible."<br /><br /> Some of these people have been marching since this morning, and many also joined the street rally heading to the Ministry of Employment and Labor in Jung-gu district. <br /><br /> " I decided to visit because I wanted to celebrate the 110th anniversary of this special day.<br />I hope such movements can create a real democratic society where there is no sexual discrimination."<br /><br /> With ongoing campaigns such as the #Metoo movement, many hope the day could be an opportunity for women to be brave in speaking out.<br /><br />Kim Mok-yeon, Arirang News. <br />
