SEOUL, Korea, Republic Of - Thousands of anti-government protesters marched in cities across South Korea denouncing the labour policies of the increasingly unpopular President Park Geun-hye.

The rallies on Friday were orchestrated by the country's largest umbrella labour union. They come about a week after police clashed violently in the capital Seoul with demonstrators denouncing the government's handling of a ferry disaster that killed more than 300 people a year ago.

A spokesman from the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions said that a rally attended by about 10,000 people in Seoul was held without significant conflict with police.

Sporadic clashes were reported in other cities. Labor organizations are critical of labour policies they say will reduce job security and a revised pension system for government employees.