Korean Federation of Teachers’ Unions
 

History

The origins of the Korean Federation of Teachers’ Unions can be traced back to January 2015, when the Group for the Reorganization of the Educational Labor Movement was formed. At a time when teachers’ unions were steadily losing vitality, the Group proposed a decentralized model suited to an era of local autonomy. Rather than relying primarily on union activity centered on confrontation with the government, it sought to revitalize the teachers’ union movement by creating a variety of unions that were accessible to teachers and responsive to their day-to-day needs. After two years of preparation, the Seoul Teachers’ Union was established as a decentralized union on December 8, 2016. Following another year of review and preparation, the National Secondary Teachers’ Union was established on November 18, 2017. The Seoul Teachers’ Union and the National Secondary Teachers’ Union then jointly founded the Korean Federation of Teachers’ Unions on December 16, 2017.

Solidarity

The Korean Federation of Teachers’ Unions has grown into a national organization with 25 affiliated teachers’ unions. In the process, young teachers connected through various communities came to recognize the need for teachers’ unions, took the lead in establishing new unions, and began joining in large numbers. As a result, union members in their 20s and 30s make up more than 60 percent of the membership, and when members in their 40s are included, that figure rises to over 90 percent. Membership has grown from 257 at the time of its founding to 130,000 as of 2026, making it one of the nation’s leading teachers’ unions.

What Makes Us Unique

The Korean Federation of Teachers’ Unions draws its distinct strength from being a decentralized federation of independent and autonomous teachers’ unions. It pursues a new model of teacher unionism that is rooted in schools, centered on educational practice, and democratically driven by the voices of its members. Through school reform and efforts to strengthen teachers’ rights and professional standing, the Federation is carrying forward a wide range of initiatives aimed at creating schools where teachers, students, and parents can all thrive together.

Growth

As of 2026, the Korean Federation of Teachers’ Unions has grown into one of Korea’s three major teachers’ organizations, alongside the Korean Federation of Teachers’ Associations (KFTA) and the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union (KTU), with more than 130,000 members across 25 affiliated teachers’ unions. It has become the youngest and fastest-growing teachers’ organization in Korea. On July 10, 2019, the Federation signed a collective agreement with the Minister of Education, the first such agreement with a teachers’ union in 17 years. It is currently engaged in collective bargaining with the Minister of Education.