공지사항
-
- '노란봉투'캠페인/국제연대..
- no chr.!
26개의 게시물을 찾았습니다.
The current mass protests in S.K. (against the KORUS FTA and/or the S.K. gov't) seems to be "an argument for pulling US troops out of Korea"..
..as it was suggested(6.14) in AntiWar.com (well, I think that's a f.. good idea!!!):
Ungrateful Allies
Recently, hundreds of thousands of South Koreans filled the streets of Seoul near the U.S. Embassy to protest the South Korean government's decision to resume imports of American beef. The imports had been halted since the much overblown scare of "mad cow" disease of 2003. The accusation that the American beef is so tainted is a protectionist and nationalist canard, because it has long been certified as safe. In reality, many South Koreans joined the protests because they felt the South Korean government of Lee Myung-bak has been too deferential to the United States.
These protests are just the tip of the iceberg. For example, South Korea has not fully opened its auto market to U.S. exports, while its own car sales to the United States have soared.
Perhaps South Koreans have forgotten that between 1950 and 1953, the United States lost 37,000 troops to help them beat back a North Korean invasion. Since then, U.S. forces in South Korea and nuclear weapons have deterred another attack by kooky North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il. Since the Korean War, under the protection of the U.S. shield, South Korea has grown from a poor, backward country into one of the world's economic powerhouses – with a GDP of about 30 times that of its destitute North Korean enemy.ies.
Despite plundering their colonies at gunpoint (for example, the Spanish Eempire looted the gold from Latin America) and creating sheltered markets for their goods overseas (for example, British mercantilism), even the formal empires of old were not cost-effective, according to classical economists. The informal U.S. Empire that defends other countries abroad using alliances, military bases, the permanent stationing of U.S. troops on foreign soil,, and profligate military interventions is even more cost-ineffective. U.S. forces cannot plunder, and rich allies, such as South Korea, excessively restrict their markets to U.S. goods and services.
South Korea is not the only wealthy U.S. ally to reap the rewards of a U.S. security guarantee, while not fully opening its market to the United States. Japan and most of the European NATO allies also do the same. The foolish U.S. policy of continuing to subsidize the defense of these now rich countries – all economic competitors of the United States – allows them to reduce the drag that added defense expenditures would impose on their economies. Meanwhile, the U.S. economy has to bear the costs of defending the world.
Also, the U.S. has informal alliances with nations such as Taiwan and Israel and hands out significant direct and indirect defense subsidies to them.
Now that the worldwide Soviet threat has long passed, no excuse exists to provide welfare for rich allies merely to foster their security dependency on the U.S. Empire. All U.S. allies need to should all spend more on their own security; but they have no incentive to do so if the United States is willing to subsidize a shield against their mostly poorer enemies.
The United States should take the radical step of abrogating these outdated formal and informal alliances and security guarantees and gradually withdraw all of its forces from South Korea, Japan, and Europe. The phased withdrawal will give such nations time to build up their own defenses. If this route is taken, the United States, South Korea, and the other allies will be more secure, and the economic playing field will be made more level.
http://www.antiwar.com/eland/?articleid=12990
Related articles:
☞ A potent, troubling nationalism (IHT)
☞ Candlelight Vigil Tests S. Korea-US Alliance (Korea..)
☞ 2002 Tank Incident and Aftermath (..Times)
Yeah, Why Not??!!
Today's Korea Herald published following (in my opinion somehow objective/??) article about KCTU's planned "General Strike":
Members' lukewarm response weakens KCTU walkout call
The nation's largest labor umbrella union yesterday vowed to go ahead with a massive walkout on July 2 with the momentum for the strike weakened by an increasingly negative response from its members.
The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions declared July as the "month of struggle," saying that an estimated 40,000 members from workplaces across the country will gather in Seoul to hold rallies on July 3-5.
"We decided that all workplaces belonging to our umbrella union will shut down their operations for the whole day on July 2 to urge the government to renegotiate the beef deal between Korea and the United States," KCTU head Lee Suk-haeng told reporters.
But the KCTU leadership's plan for a general strike has drawn less support from its members than in the previous years, indicating a growing number of unionized workers, worried with the deteriorating economy, are reluctant to join in politically-motivated walkouts.
In the vote held last week, 70.3 percent of the 271,322 workers who cast their ballots voted for the walkout. But the number of voters accounted for slightly more than 50 percent of the KCTU members eligible for the voting.
Critics say the vote results, which were tallied on Monday, meant that just about 30 percent of the KCTU workers approved the plan for a nationwide strike.
Further embarrassing the KCTU leaders was the rejection by workers of Hyundai Motor Co. to join the walkout.
It was the first time the labor union of the country's largest car manufacturer failed to gain support from a majority of its members for a strike in its 21-year history.
But executive members of the Hyundai Motors union are pushing for the strike, insisting that a majority of the workers that participated in the vote were in favor of it.
But the move is facing objection from its members.
"I wonder if it's necessary for the labor union of our company to violate the law and join the KCTU's politically-motivated strike at such a difficult time when our lives are being threatened by factors like record-high oil prices," a Hyundai Motor employee wrote on its union's website.
The KCTU requested its branches to submit a specific action plan of the strike to its headquarters by next Wednesday.
Before proceeding with a general strike, the group will take part in a giant-scale rally to gain public support. It projects up to 100,000 unionized workers to join the candlelight vigil, which is set to be launched this Friday...
Related:
☞ 'Political Strike' May Undermine Labor Group (K. Times)
Anyway...
THE STRUGGLE GOES ON!!
李정부 박살내자!
자본주의 박살내자!
The Struggle Goes On!
During the last weekend - once again - tens of thousands of people took the streets in downtown Seoul to protest (*).. And the protests are "Not just (about the) beef: Other policies take center stage during demonstrations", as Korea Herald wrote today (**).
Meanwhile thousands of truck drivers are in strike since the end of last week. And from today about 25,000 construction workers (organized in the KFCITU) are also on strike (***).
Today the S.K. semi-official news agency Yonhap had to "detect" that the "strike is starting to hurt S. Korean industry, trade.." (Surprise, surprise! But that's usually the ultimative goal of any struggle/strike against the exploiting class and/or their state/gov't!!!)
Last Friday Asia Times(HK) published following nice article about the current movement against the s.k. gov't:
Party time at South Korea's protest 2.0
This is strange. Even as anti-government demonstrations in South Korea go, this is an odd, odd scene. Even a foreigner thinks so. "I have never seen anything like this before," said Jeff Lazar, an American activist observing the ongoing protests here over the import of beef from the United States. "It's like a festival. They are even using a laser projector to write their protest words in the air...
..It's effective because it's fun. It's also a sure attention-grabber," he adds.
South Korea's infamously combative street protests have taken an unexpected, and sometimes amusing, turn. It has become much more peaceful, but, mind you, that's a relative term compared with previous practices. For example, during the 40-day-long candlelight demonstration that started on May 2 - when 15,000 students unexpectedly took to the streets - and up to this Tuesday which commemorated the June 10 Democracy Movement in 1987 that had bid farewell to the decades of military rule, only one person has lost his life.
And the deceased was not killed because of a bloody clash with the riot police, but because he set himself on fire.
Like any good festival, some people have come out wearing interesting costumes. Lee Dong-keun, a 19-year-old freshman at Korea University, and a classmate wear identical full-body tiger outfits. "I got a lot of pictures taken by media people," said Lee with pride.
And the streets themselves are much cleaner because of people like Cho Eun-mi, who volunteers to pick up trash, including empty soda cans, water bottles and pieces of torn slogan-bearing placards. "I know some people frown on the protesters. They think streets get dirty after protests. So I thought if I made the street less dirty by picking up trash, then those people might also get less upset," Cho said.
The most commonly seen slogans are variations on "No to US beef!" But people seem equally, if not more, upset about President Lee Myung-bak. "The President Lee said he would serve people. I think he's not doing it. So, I am protesting," said tiger-suited Lee.
Mahbub Alam from Bangladesh said of the street protests: "I get the feeling that the issue is not just about the beef. The American beef is rather a symbol for people to snub President Lee, who they feel is snubbing them."
Besides the lack of violence, what is surprising - even to South Koreans - is that there is no organizer for the already weeks-long demonstration. People took to the streets and formed ad hoc protest groups, usually around 6pm or 7pm each day. This has been bewildering to South Korean civil society, labor unions and opposition politicians - the usual players in such public protests. Tuesday's rally was the first officially organized protest and had the biggest turnout - police estimate 105,000 demonstrators, while the organizers said the number was closer to 500,000.
Still, one might think it was some kind of mass picnic, until you spot the riot police standing stiff, waiting for a crackdown order. Some people are holding impromptu concerts complete with guitars and violins, singing and dancing. In some cases, entire families have arrived to literally "camp out" in the middle of traffic. Of course they brought tents with them.
Other "protesters" have brought hot coffee to serve anyone who needs it. And high school students have given out roses to riot police, a move that definitely brings down the tension level. Some are distributing water bottles to the aggressive "frontliners" who usually shout more and work up a justified thirst. There are even volunteer medics walking around, shouting "Does anybody need help?"
Young couples use the protest for a romantic outing. They march with hands held tight, and the other hand holding a candle. Local TV footage has shown a man celebrating his girlfriend's birthday with a protest-candle cake. Other "demonstrators" have brought an outdoor movie projector and are showing the US documentary Sicko.
With the party atmosphere in full swing, the street vendors are enjoying a heyday of extra money and unusual business hours. It's 2am, and here they are selling kimbab (Korean sushi) or bondaegi (roasted silkworm larvae) right in the middle of roads that have been declared "no-traffic zones" by protesters who're occupying them.
This is South Korea's street protests 2.0. Or, perhaps, South Korea's "postmodern" demonstrations. With some Koreans mistrustful of mainstream media reports on the demonstration, they've taken matters into their own hands by broadcasting and reporting themselves. Using high-speed wireless Internet, some "embedded" citizens are using their own laptops and camcorders to broadcast real-time events. There are "citizen reporters" conducting interviews and taking pictures and posting them on their personal blogs and Internet forums. In fact, these news hounds have been so effective that some established newspapers have begun quoting them.
With no leaders leading, the protest might be considered "ineffective". People are protesting individually, shouting different slogans, marching in different directions; different people with different agendas. Some shout "2MB", the lowest speed unit of computer processing and also the initials of President Lee, sarcastically pointing out how slow Lee is in understanding the people's will.
Lee, who won the presidency in December with a record 5-million vote margin over runner-up Chung Dong-young, saw his popularity plunge below 20% by the time he marked his 100th day in office last week - another record in South Korea's recent decades. In fact, Lee has recently become so controversial a figure that the Korean edition of Wikipedia, the online participatory encyclopedia, decided to freeze any further revision on "Lee Myung-bak" for the next four months, fearing malicious attempts to distort the "facts" on him that have yet to be settled.
In this unusual protest, there are some unusual chants as well. "Turn away from your evil sin and turn to God," shouts a 40ish woman waving a Bible. "Take President Lee to God. I pray that God takes Lee out of the planet quickly," a man shouts back. Not far away, Roh Eun-jung, 28, a web designer chants: "Non-violence! Keep non-violence!"
Meanwhile, those who have earned an appetite after hours of street protesting yell, "We want food!" This mantra received echoes and giggles from sympathetic comrades throughout the crowd.
For the police, this unorganized rabble - ranging from a uniformed high-school student to a 57-year-old housewife, who said she came out "to change the world" - is easier to manage than a well-organized and militant group of protesters led by a strident leader. This self-appointed mob, however, does tend to stick around longer. And why not? It's 4am now in Seoul's main Gwanghwamun area and there are still quite a number of candle-holders milling about.
A police officer, asked when all this was likely to end, said: "I have no idea because this is an organization where there is no organizer." The conversation was then interrupted by a man holding out a cup of silkworm larvae to the officer. "Please, eat and keep up the good work!" the man says. A lady next him agreed: "We love you, police officer!" Surely, even love is possible in this wondrous war zone.
But things aren't so lovely all the time. As the protests have stretched into weeks, the familiar protest tools such as steel pipes and rocks have also surfaced, spelling an omen for possible violence and bloodshed.
For example, Friday will mark the sixth anniversary of the death of two Korean middle school girls who were run over by a US armored vehicle - a very emotional issue for many South Koreans. What is also worrisome is that the month of June in South Korea is traditionally a season for annual labor protests.
Already some labor groups have designated June 16 as a walk-out day. Then comes June 25, the Korean War Memorial Day. It's likely that the rightist groups will take to the streets at that time to protest against the leftist groups, who they believe are fooled by Pyongyang and sympathetic towards North Korea.
There will be many more pickets, chants, roses, candles, silkworm larvae and DVDs - it won't be a quiet month.
Some people call the recent lack of violence in protests as "democratic progress". They also see it as a social experiment in South Korea's deepening democratic experience. Hardline "old school" protesters, however, view it as "a picnic that doesn't change the nation". They argue that a street demonstration should be more forceful, with a clear set of actions designed to get concessions from the government. They believe that after the decades of military rule ended, a noisy protest is still the best way to make one's voice heard.
Amid this raucous imbroglio, it was a foreigner who saw the silver lining. "I think it will eventually help the country's democratic progress. People will find a point of convergence where they can begin a constructive dialogue," said Mahbub Alam from Bangladesh. "They just need some time to sort things out."
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Korea/JF13Dg01.html
** Not just beef: Other policies take center stage during demonstrations
A series of unpopular government projects have started to take center stage in what initially began as demonstrations against U.S. beef imports, with signs of schisms showing up among protesters over increasingly diversified issues.
Aside from pervasive fears of mad cow disease, a coalition of about 1,700 civic groups, called "the people's council for countermeasures against mad cow disease," have taken contentious government plans as primary topics for their candlelight vigils, in which tens of thousands of people have joined each day following the April 18 import deal.
The coalition said it would continue to hold candlelight vigils throughout the week, protesting the plan to construct a cross-country canal today and privatization of the medical insurance on Thursday.
Yesterday, thousands of protesters gathered in front of the Korea Broadcasting System in Yeouido in southwestern Seoul, in opposition to the privatization of state-owned television stations.
With the attention deviating to these issues and away from that of securing public health from the risks of the brain-wasting illness, signs of divisions have emerged among protesters.
"The coalition must maintain its united front against U.S. beef imports. It is ill-advised for us to be divided with many haphazardly presenting their assertions here and there," said an anonymous member of the coalition on its website.
However, Park Won-suk, senior member of the coalition, told The Korea Herald that the diversification of issues transpired naturally during the protests, and that the beef issue served as a last straw that unleashed pent-up public frustration against government policies.
"From the beginning of the Lee administration, people have had grievances and criticism about an array of its policies, including public English education," Park said. "To top it off, the public anger regarding the government's undemocratic attitude in carrying out its state affairs has prompted a series of protests."
As the coalition has started to up its opposition to the policies, it is now considering changing its name.
"We are looking for a different name that could best represent us as the coalition consists of more than 1,700 groups," said Park.
Depending on the government's response Friday to their demand to scrap or renegotiate the import deal, it plans to stage another massive rally on Saturday, the coalition said. If the response goes against their demand, they are threatening to stage a full-scale movement to oust the administration...
*** ☞ More work stoppages will rattle economy (JoongAng Ilbo)
李정부 박살내자!
자본주의 박살내자!
The South Korean Migrants' Trade Union(MTU) organized a Conference in Kathmandu(D.F.R.Nepal) at June 12-14, 2008. The Conference concluded with a Press Conference organised yesterday at GEFONT(General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions) HQ in Kathmandu.
"We, former ETUMB (Equality Trade Union Migrant Branch) and MTU Ex-officers and current MTU officers, have gathered in Kathmandu Nepal from June 12-14, to demonstrate that targeted crackdown cannot stop us from fighting for the rights of migrant workers in South Korea and around the world" the press statement reads.
The Conference identifying as the "International Conference", which aims to Networking between the workers of countries of origin and Migrant Workers in South Korea. The participants discussed different aspects to protect the migrant workers rights in Nepal, Bangladesh and other labour sending countries. The conference draws following recommendations:
• agree to establish the International Migrant Workers Solidarity Network (IMWSN) for the purpose of regular systematic communication and joint action between Nepal, Bangladesh and South Korea with the prospect of expanding to include other countries in the future, feel urgency of pre-departure education and training for workers before s/he migrates to South Korea through the Employment Permit System, to organise international events such as International Migrants Day – December 18, to protect the migrant workers right, agree to form an organization for returned ETUMB and MTU members to strength the communication and mobilisation in Bangladesh and other countries
• agree to support and strengthen the GEFONT Migrants' committee and encourage to organise return migrants widely in Nepal,
reaffirm the symbolic meaning of MTU as a union formed by and for migrant workers regardless of visa status, and committed ourselves to work necessary to win MTU's legal recognition, and
• agree to protest in front of the South Korean embassy in different countries to make known our demands directly to the South Korean government
The migrant workers movement in South Korea was created through the efforts of the Equality Trade Union Migrants Branch, the Myeongdong Cathedral Sit-in Protest and the Seoul-Gyeonggi-Incheon Migrants Trade Union. For the purpose numbers of migrant workers forced to return their home since 2002 to till today. The South Korean government is using targeted crackdown against movement leaders.
Samar Thapa, Kajiman, Torna Limbu all were president of MTU and along with Raju Gurung and others deported to Nepal. Masum and numbers of Bangladeshi leaders had also been deported in similar way to their countries.
Source: GEFONT
Here you can read the final official..
Conference Statement
The migrant workers movement in South Korea was created through the efforts of the Equality Trade Union Migrants Branch, the Myeongdong Cathedral Sit-in Protest and the Seoul-Gyeonggi-Incheon Migrants Trade Union. While working to build this movement many migrant worker activists were forced to return to their home countries from 2002 to till now due to the South Korean government's targeted crackdown against movement leaders.
We, former ETUMB and MTU Ex-officers and current MTU officers, have gathered in Kathmandu Nepal from June 12-14, to demonstrate that targeted crackdown cannot stop us from fighting for the rights of migrant workers in South Korea and around the world. We have done this organizing an International Conference on Networking between the workers of countries of Origin and Migrant Workers in South Korea. Over the past two and a half days we have discussed different aspects to protect the migrant workers rights in Nepal, Bangladesh and other origin countries with following recommendations.
These outcomes show clearly that far from being stopped by the South Korean government's repression, we are able to turn our experience working together in the past into an opportunity to strengthen the migrant workers movement in South Korea and create meaningful relationships between movements in countries of origin and countries of destination.
To this end we have resolved to raise awareness of MTU's struggle for the right to freedom of association of undocumented migrant workers in our home countries and internationally and lift up a collective voice to recognize MTU's legal status by the South Korean government. Through our International Conference we have renewed our comradeship and trust and committed ourselves to work together with new international capacity. This commitment is not only limited to this Network but also to enhance the movement for workers rights in our own countries and throughout the world.
The participants of the International Conference on Networking
between Countries of Origin and Migrant Workers in South Korea
Kathmandu, 14th June, 2008
6.14(土) 투쟁일정:
투쟁사업장 문제해결을 위한 민주노총 집중투쟁 마지막날!
11시 비정규철폐전국노동자대회 사전대회 (뉴코아강남점)
15시 비정규철폐전국노동자대회 (대학로)
19시 촛불집회 (시청앞)
Related article:
☞ Bread & Butter Issues Unsettle Society (K. Times)
李정부 박살내자!
자본주의 박살내자!
SOLIDARITY MESSAGE by StreetNet International:
We send the warmest message of congratulations and solidarity to the Korean Street Vendors' Confederation (KOSC) on its 21st Anniversary Rally and Congress on the 13th June, 2008.
Street vendors in South Korea have been sending a clear message to the government that the right to earn a living is a right that should be recognised. There must be a halt to the harassment and intimidation that accompanies the economic injustices that comes from seeing informal economy workers as a short-term problem that can be "cleaned' from the street.
StreetNet calls on the S.K. government to engage with street vendors in social dialogue and to stop the practice of forced evictions without finding alternatives for them.
Street vendors, as much as other workers, deserve to earn a living with dignity in order to put food on the table to feed their families.
StreetNet Int'l
2008.6.10
From yesterday evening until today in the morning "One million South Korean people and workers protested" (KCTU) against the gov't. Well, here just a few impressions about the event in Seoul:
The main entrance to the Asiana Hotel/Chosun Ilbo HQ..
☞ Container Barricade Draws Spotlight (K. Times)
Related stuff - photos, articles..:
☞ [6.10] A few Photo-Impressions
☞ [6.10] Some more impressing stuff..
☞ Massive candlelight protests draw one million nationwide (Hankyoreh, 6.11)
☞ One million South Korean people and workers protested.. (KCTU, 6.11)
☞ S Koreans rally against US beef (BBC, 6.11)
☞ US beef row steers Seoul into chaos (Asia Times, 6.11)
☞ Protests in Seoul more about nationalism than beef (IHT)
☞ Korean Leader Considers Ways to Rework Government (NYT)
☞ [6.10] Protest, TV Report (al-Jazeera)
李정부 박살내자!
자본주의 박살내자!
What initially began (more than one month ago) as a protest against U.S. beef imports has now turned into an anti-government rally calling for the resignation of President Lee Myung-bak, Korea Herald wrote today. And the ongoing mass demonstrations are showing its first result:
☞ South Korea cabinet offers to quit (al-Jazeera, 6.10)
Well, and it's (hopefully) just the beginning (*):
Right now - as it was planned by more than 1,500 civic groups, labour unions(in the KCTU), solidarity and resistance organisations, political parties and student groups - the 1,000,000 People Mass Rally is taking place in almost 80 cities in S.K.! Alone in downtown Seoul, in the area near Gwanghwmun, until now 500,000 people (according to KCTU, 400,000 according to VoP and 700,000 according to Tong-il News) are joining the protest!
In CNN Int'l (World News Asia) it's THE main story! And the US administration is concerning that the protestors in Seoul will "over-run" the Presidential Palace (CheongHwaDae), according to CNN's 2 p.m. (CET) broadcasting!!!(^^)
☞ A first short report by KCTU, incl. some impressive pics
☞ 전국 동시다발 대행진..."100만 촛불로 정권 심판" (민중의소리)
☞ 50만 촛불, "국민이 반드시 승리한다" (통일뉴스)
* Hyundai, Kia workers to vote on strike over U.S. beef (K. Herald, 6.10)
Unionized workers at Hyundai Motor Co. and its affiliate Kia Motors Corp., Korea's two largest carmakers, will vote this week on whether to join a proposed industry-wide strike against the government's decision to resume imports of U.S. beef, reported Yonhap News Agency.
The Korean Metal Workers' Union, one of the country's most militant labor groups with more than 100,000 members, has proposed the industrial action to protest against a planned resumption of U.S. beef imports and other policy agenda of President Lee Myung-bak, including an ambitious canal project and the privatization of state-run companies.
The 45,000-strong union of Hyundai, KMWU's most powerful member, will vote on Thursday and Friday, while the union of Kia Motors will begin voting on Thursday, the umbrella labor groups said on their Web site.
Union officials at Hyundai's main plant in Ulsan, 400 kilometers south of Seoul, confirmed the planned vote...
☞ Massive labor strike looming in S Korea.. (Xinhua, 6.09)
*****
Related stuff:
Police on High Alert.. (Korea Times, 6.10)
Police Tuesday stand on high alert nationwide ahead of massive candlelight rallies opposing the government's resumption of U.S. beef imports.
Organizers expect nearly 1 million people to take to the streets to join the rally that coincides with the 21st anniversary of the June 10 pro-democracy protests.
The National Police Agency issued a "Gapho'' alert at 9 a.m., ordering all police forces to be on standby until the rallies come to an end. About 37,000 police officers were mobilized across the country, and 10 of 14 traffic lanes in the Gwanghwamun area in central Seoul were closed with containers. Police plan to close the remaining four lanes in the afternoon..
To prevent demonstrators from approaching Cheong Wa Dae, police blocked three main roads to the presidential office with 60 containers. They built a wall of containers instead of patrol buses in Gwanghwamun, as protestors had attacked and destroyed them in previous rallies. Police sealed the containers tight by welding them, so as to ensure protestors could not push them down...
☞ 경찰, 컨테이너박스로 세종로 틀어막아 (통일뉴스, 6.10)
Vigils show public distrust of Lee (K. Herald, 6.10)
What initially began as a protest against U.S. beef imports has now turned into an anti-government rally calling for the resignation of President Lee Myung-bak, who demonstrators claim has bypassed due democratic procedures by disregarding public opinion.
In the wake of the controversial April 18 deal, tens of thousands of people have gathered for candlelight vigils for weeks in Seoul and other parts of the nation, taking to the streets to present their collective opposition.
Struggling to assuage deteriorating public outrage, the government has taken action, including calling on U.S. President George W. Bush to cooperate in banning the trade of meat from cattle aged 30 months or older, cited as dangerous for human consumption.
Such efforts, however, appeared to be too late or too weak to appease the citizens disenchanted over a series of policies against "the will of the public."
Citizens are upset over the "environmentally sensitive" project to build a cross-country canal and the appointment of Cabinet ministers suspected of unethical activities, as well as the decision to resume the imports of U.S. beef.
"I just can't trust (the president), who keeps changing his policy line. He is backing from his initial firm stance and making changes to the deal only after seeing the growing public backlash," said Bahk Seo-hyun, 29, an office worker in Seoul.
"When he appointed rich ministers, he said it was not right to rebuke them just because of their wealth. But, he recently admitted that his Cabinet appointments were problematic. Completely ignorant of public sentiment, he has frequently changed his stance, further baffling people," she added.
Some protesters noted that President Lee's CEO-style management of state affairs contributed partially to the public outrage.
"He has pursued most of his policies without public consensus properly formed. I feel that the former head of Hyundai Engineering and Construction Co. thinks of himself as a chief executive of the Korea corporation comprising 50 million employees," said Hong Seo-dong, 50, a supermarket owner in Seoul.
"At his inauguration ceremony in February, he vowed to 'serve' people. Now, I guess he meant only the top one percent of the people, not the ordinary citizens that truly need assistance from the government," said Baek Dong-soo, 48, graphic designer.
Some dismissed Lee's recent phone talks with the U.S. President as a "political stunt" to quiet down public uproar over the beef deal.
"With only simple phone talks, nothing can be guaranteed. For it to be recognized as an international trade pact, it must be put into the form of an official document. As waves of protests keep surging, the president is trying to placate the public," said Song Ki-seong, 66, a director of a welfare center in Seoul.
Some pointed out that the president has failed to genuinely communicate with the people.
"The president appears to interpret domestic situations from his own perspective and reach unilateral judgments on them without taking into account how the public would react. He initially promoted U.S. beef as safe, which gave me an impression that he was working as a representative of the U.S. livestock industry, not of Korea's," said Lee Hyun-ju, 28, a job seeker in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province.
Many, however, are concerned that the protests are getting increasingly violent, running counter to their initial purpose of letting the public voices be heard through peaceful demonstrations.
"While watching violent clashes between protesters and riot police, I felt very ashamed. The government should be blamed for having not thoroughly prepared for the deal. However, just continuing protests without thoughts of how to cope with the crisis appears to be no good for the future of our nation," said Shim Gyu-in, 28, a graduate school student at Yonsei University.
"Aside from such beef issues, there are many daunting tasks the government must push for to help the nation join the ranks of advanced nations. Calling for the ouster of the president whose term passed slightly over 100 days is ridiculous," says Kang Dong-heun, 30, a high-school teacher in Incheon.
Some cautioned that the protests against U.S. beef could stir anti-U.S. sentiment across the nation unless the government comes up with a judicious way to quell the public outrage.
"When you buy even green onions, the buyer rather than the vendor is in a position of demanding what you want," said Park Soon, 62, a housewife in Seoul.
"Unless the government scraps or brings the deal back to the drawing board, the issue could eventually stir up public resentment against the United States," she added.
☞ Biz Organizations Call for End to Demonstrations Over US Beef (K. Times, 6.10)
李정부 박살내자!
6.10항쟁의 깃발을 들고 노동해방,
인간해방으로 나아가자!
자본주의 박살내자!
First of all, here, as I wrote y'day, my opinion about the complaints by many S. Koreans the current gov't, especially against LeeMB (according to the bourgeois mass media "even people who elected LeeMB are dissatisfied with him" or "cannot trust him anymore"): Please remember what LeeMB promissed before/during the election campaign last year:
- a more open economy-friendly (i.e. strict pro-capitalist) policy
- stronger actions against the labour movement/struggle
- a harder stance against NK
- improving the SK-US relationship (incl. military cooperation)
- "successful" finalization of the KORUS FTA (of course incl. the beef agreement)
- etc, etc..
So, what we've to see now is "only" the almost uncompromisingly realization of LeeMB's policy(*), promised before his election..
* For exapmle: The (likely fatal??) crackdown on MTU (as a part of KCTU) was one of the first results LeeMB's plan to smash the SK labour movement..
BTW.. According to Hankyoreh "President Lee in early May urged the government to investigate who was buying candles in order to identify dissidents and demonstrators" - harrharr..
*****
Tension escalates as one million gather for vigils (K. Herald, 6.09)
Tensions are heightening as about one million people across the nation are expected to turn out for vigils to dramatize their opposition to U.S. beef imports tomorrow, the 21st anniversary of the grass-roots uprising which helped democracy be established here.
"Despite the candlelight vigils which we have continued against the decision to resume U.S. beef imports, the government and the National Assembly don't appear to be listening to the voices of enraged citizens," Kim Dong-kyu, 36, an official from a coalition of about 1,500 civic groups, told The Korea Herald.
"So, we have prepared the candlelight vigils involving 1 million citizens to signify people's resolve to bring the government to justice if it continuously refuses to listen," he added.
The coalition, which is roughly translated as "the people's council for countermeasures against mad cow disease," has been staging huge rallies since April 27.
There was a three-day vigil from Thursday night to Sunday afternoon in which tens of thousands of citizens assembled to demand renegotiation of the import deal and to criticize the Lee Myung-bak administration for "disregarding" public sentiment.
The coalition plans to begin another vigil at Seoul Plaza at 6: 30 p.m. tomorrow. About 300,000 people are expected to take part, its members said.
The protests are expected to escalate throughout the week. On Friday, the sixth anniversary of the deaths of two schoolgirls who were crushed by a U.S. military vehicle, is set to be celebrated in Seoul. As various conservative groups, including New Right Union, also plan to hold their own rallies this week at the same locations, clashes between the coalition against mad cow disease and other groups are likely, observers say.
The association of right-wing groups, called the "National Action Campaign for Freedom and Democracy in Korea," said it will hold a massive rally in front of Seoul Station. It is calling for prompt ratification of the free trade agreement with the United States.
The association yesterday condemned the candlelight vigils: "(People leading these vigils) are committing gruesome acts as they are drumming up children, who look like they are haunted, by stirring fears of mad cow disease," it said.
"Their objective is not to secure public health but to overthrow the regime by sparking bloodshed."
Various cultural events are also scheduled at the vigils today, with singers and an orchestra performing to commemorate the June 1987 movement against the military junta of President Chun Doo-hwan.
In memory of Lee Han-yeol, who was a student at Yonsei University during the uprising, about 300 people will gather at the school and restage his funeral while they march from the school all the way to Seoul Plaza.
Lee died after he was hit by shrapnel from a tear-gas canister which struck his head during a demonstration one day before the massive protests against military rule in downtown Seoul...
李정부 박살내자!
자본주의 박살내자!
Well, I think that the organizers of the 72-HOURS-PROTEST(Marathon) must be complete satisfied: On the first day/night of the protest, from Thursday to Friday, about 100,000 people, according to "independent" voices, such as KCTU, VoP or Tong-il News (of course they're not really independent, because they're parts of the movement!) joined the rallies and demonstrations in downtown Seoul. From Friday to Saturday the masses who took/occupied the streets there increased to 200,000 people. And from y'day until today again 200,000 people participated..
Today's Korea Herald published a kind of summary about the last three days of protest in Seoul:
About 50 citizens and police officers were injured Saturday night during the peak of a 72-hour protest in Seoul against U.S. beef imports.
Organized by a coalition of about 1,500 civic groups, tens of thousands of people marched with candles in the city center, demanding that the government renegotiate its beef deal.
The three-day rally began on Friday.. and ended early Sunday.
The protest turned violent on Saturday night as police tried to block citizens from marching toward Cheong Wa Dae. Some demonstrators smashed a police bus with steel pipes and hammers. Riot police were seen hitting protesters on the ground with their shields.
About 20 protesters and 30 policemen were hurt, according to both sides. No serous injuries were reported.
Police said some 40,000 people began the street march around 8:26 p.m. on Saturday after a rally in front of City Hall, and another 4,000 joined by 10 p.m.
The organizing group, whose name roughly translates to "the people's council for countermeasures against mad cow disease," said the number of participants grew from 120,000 to 200,000 as the march continued.
The demonstrators marched from Seoul Plaza (in front of City Hall) to Namdaemun, Myeongdong and Jongno. Some marchers got into a scuffle with riot police on their way to Cheong Wa Dae.
About a dozen people suffered facial and head injuries in the clashes, and 11 who were suspected of attacking police were taken into custody for questioning, according to the police.
Some 8,800 protesters confronted thousands of police at the Gwanghwamun intersection near the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, with many spraying fire extinguishers or hurling plastic water bottles. Some shook or climbed on top of police buses or tore the wire mesh protecting the bus windows. They demanded that President Lee Myung-bak come out to listen to them.
About 15,000 riot police were put into force downtown to block the protesters heading towards the presidential office.
Rows of riot police buses blocked the streets of Gwanghwamun yesterday, limiting traffic on Sejongno, the city's main thoroughfare.
The police said that, as of Saturday, 548 people were detained and 56 of them were charged with breaking the law.
Among the participants in the candlelight vigils were families who enjoyed daytime picnics at Seoul Plaza and university students who had returned after being part of the rallies the night before.
The Federation of Korean Trade Unions (??? - possibly they mean the KCTU..), the nation's second- largest umbrella labor group, along with dozens of university student associations and one of the nation's leading literary groups, have been involved in the vigils.
There have been daily demonstrations since May 24, following more peaceful candlelight vigils held in downtown Seoul since Korea and the United States agreed on new import rules for U.S. beef on April 18.
Internet comments on news articles, along with online discussion sites, have spurred the explosive increase in the number of protesters, with young students to middle-aged people joining the anti-government furor.
"The beef import issue simply pulled the trigger," said Lee Dong-ho, who works at a local company. "There are so many problematic policies, such as the cross-country canal project and privatization of public companies. I can no longer trust what the president says because he lacks basic morals."... (*)
Sejong-no, 5:35 a.m.(6.08)
Taepyeong-no/Sejong-no, 12:15 p.m.(6.08)
Related articles, reports, pictures..:
☞ 또 20만, 6.10 백만 인파 '꿈틀' (Tong-il News, 6.08)
☞ Impressions(photos) of the Protest (노동의소리, 6.07)
☞ Candlelight Protests. Mob Violence or Genuine Protest? (Marmot's Hole, 6.08)
* Tomorrow I'll write here my opinion about it..
李정부 박살내자!
자본주의 박살내자!
최근 덧글 목록