Prior to the strike, the organization held a rally at Seoul Plaza with a hundred thousand of unionists attending.

Speakers at the rally denounced the regime for resorting to such brutal fascist crackdown as storming into the headquarters of the Confederation of Trade Unions, etc. far from negotiating with the railroad trade union.

The Confederation of Trade Unions declared that it would break off all relations with the "government" from that day and launch its first round of general strike for checking the privatization.

Meanwhile, civic and labor organizations including the Bar Association for Democratic Society and the Teachers Union held meetings in various parts of Seoul in strong protest against the authorities' privatization of railway service.