Korean democratic trade unionism entered the international spotlight for its militancy and massive upsurge in the 1990s, while labor movements in advanced countries had been on the ebb. When the lifelong work of “heavy modernity” was replaced by the labor flexibility of “light modernity,” workers' solidarity gave way to individual workers' solitude. This explains why the trade union movement is more powerful in developing countries such as Korea, Brazil, and South Africa, where Fordism prevails. It is a paradox indeed that Fordism, with its massive production system, was a fertile soil for labor as well as capital.