CINA

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Since y'day you can find the following piece on the English main page of Yonhap news agency:

Former noodle restaurant Dooriban highlights legal loopholes letting down evictees

The South Korean capital, Seoul, has not mushroomed in population from a few hundred thousand to over 10 million in a little more than half a century without ongoing and dramatic changes being made to its cityscape.

 
But as the saying goes, what goes up must first be knocked down. Parks and mountains aside, Seoul's dense urban fabric is such that hardly any land, let alone a plot big enough for a sizeable building project, lies vacant. This occasionally causes protracted -- even violent -- conflicts.

Korea's most notorious case of redevelopment-related conflict reached a climax on Jan. 20, 2009, in Yongsan, central Seoul, when five evictee protesters and one policeman were killed in a fire that erupted during a violent clash.

The incident shocked Korean society to some extent, but has so far failed to prevent further stalemates of the kind from which it resulted.

One such situation is to be found at Dooriban, formerly a noodle restaurant next to Hongik University in western Seoul. It now stands as one of the only two remaining structures on an otherwise razed plot of land. The other is an empty traditional Korean hanok building (*), the demolition of which Dooriban's occupants have also struggled to prevent.

While GS Engineering & Construction, the current owner of the plot, waits for a chance to complete the demolition job and start building, Dooriban is holding out in protest at what, according to its owner, is a highly unjust eviction attempt that would effectively cast her out onto the street.

"We were offered three million won (US$2,700) in compensation," says Yoo Che-lim, the husband of Dooriban's owner Ahn Jong-nyeo. "Normally, the legal act that protects small business owners and tenants grants the right to do business for at least five years, but a subordinate clause states that this does not apply in areas designated for redevelopment."

 
Another law that entitles evicted small business owners to compensation for investments they have made in their own businesses also fails to apply to Dooriban, apparently because the scale of the redevelopment plot is too small.

Yoo quit his job at a publishing company in order to join the full-time occupation now in progress at Dooriban. "The law is wrong," he says. "It needs fixing. Applied as it currently is, it amounts to violence, not law."

Yoo likens the current legal struggles of evictees to those of early campaigners for the rights of women or black people, who also found themselves on the wrong side of existing laws at the time.

As of mid-May 2011, the Dooriban protest has been going on for one year and six months. After legal attempts by an alliance of local residents to secure adequate levels of compensation from GS E&C failed, Dooriban eventually remained as the only business to refuse subsequent increased cash offers from the construction giant.

The Dooriban owner, Ahn, is clear about her demands.

"Of course, I want the means to reopen Dooriban in this neighborhood, as well as compensation for lost Dooriban income, my husband's lost income since he quit his job, and compensation for our expenses in occupying this building in the mean time," she says.

When Dooriban's electricity supply was severed last summer, many of its occupants conducted a sit-in protest for a week at the headquarters of Mapo ward where it is located.

Dooriban owner Ahn Jong-nyeo and her husband Yoo Che-lim

"We claimed that it was the duty of the ward authorities to provide their citizens with commodities such as electricity," says Yoo. "The ward head said he would 'give us electricity.' He gave us a generator, but is not providing oil to run it."

 
An employee at Mapo ward's department of urban planning derides the notion that it is up to the ward to ensure that electricity is provided. "That's up to KEPCO (Korea Electric Power Corporation)," he says. "Anyone knows that."

"We hope the matter is resolved harmoniously," says a more senior employee from the same department.

With regard to Ahn's hope that Mapo ward will provide an opportunity for Dooriban to sit down and talk with GS E&C, he says the ward would have no objections if both sides requested the use of space in its headquarters to engage in dialogue.

Mapo ward declines to explain why it provided the generator.

Negotiations with GS E&C have been complicated by the fact that the construction company has allegedly subcontracted another enterprise, named Samojin, to complete the demolition job on the plot.

"Samojin has a bad reputation as the subcontractor that takes on the toughest demolition jobs and uses the most violence," says human rights activist Dopehead Zo, who currently spends much of his time supporting Dooriban by means including Internet broadcasts and Twitter.

"Samojin is working with GS E&C at a similar site at Dorim-dong in Yeongdeungpo ward," adds Zo. "A lot of illegal demolition and violence is going on there."

Having lost its gas supply and had most of its kitchen equipment forcibly removed, Dooriban no longer functions as a restaurant. It remains, however, busy with regular support concerts, talks, flea markets, film festivals and other events, and has become a symbolic hub of activism.

"We're under pressure but we're strong because lots of people are involved," says Yoo as he sits by the charcoal briquette stove on the first floor. "We're not arming ourselves or looking for a fight, but if Samojin approaches us with violence, we are prepared to resist."

"We use a lot of social media," says Zo. "If there is an immediate threat, we can send out a tweet," If this happens, Zo claims, a considerable number of people will arrive in around 20 minutes.

When contacted in early May, Samojin CEO Kim Bong-jung, expressed bemusement that Dooriban was receiving so much media attention when "there are so many other tenants in worse situations, they're just not intellectuals."

"We do our best to reach an agreement between the redevelopment association and the tenants. Every day that tenants resist, the members of the redevelopment association lose money. The tenants can stay there forever: it reaches a stage where we can't mediate any longer."

Kim claims an agreement was recently reached between Samojin and a committee formed of pastors, members of two progressive minor opposition parties -- the Democratic Labor Party and New Progressive Party -- and others representing Dooriban. "It should all be solved later this week or next week," he says.

Yoo is not so sure.

"In late April, we conveyed our demand, via the committee, to Samojin that it provide the means for Dooriban to reopen somewhere else in the local Hongdae area," he says. "At the time, Samojin agreed. But we haven't heard anything for more than three weeks, so we're not sure if they really meant it or whether they want to lull us into a false sense of security before attacking."

In the mean time, a group of activists is attempting to get a law passed that bans forcible eviction in such cases. As long as the law remains unchanged, however, Dooriban's status remains precarious and its struggle, with widespread local support, continues.

http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/national/2011/05/16/34/0302000000AEN20110516001800315F.HTML

* Actually there's right now an independent art gallery inside.

Related report:
☞ Duriban - 500 Days of Struggle Against 'Reconstruction' (2011.5.08)

 

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Here, as I promissed, some more impressions from last Saturday's MTU Solidarity Night:
 

Few hours before the event: meeting of the preparation group
 

Decorating the place for the coming event
 

Solidarity message from comrades in Japan
 

'Secret' rehearsal for the coming performance
 

Preparing the directions to the place of the event
 

The opening ceremony, incl. THE S. Korean traditional struggle song
 

Michel's (MTU president) welcoming speech...
 

...followed by a great culture program...
 

...enjoyed and celebrated by the audience!!

 

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From last Friday's Korea Times:

Concerns increase over online racism

Concern is being raised over an increasing number of xenophobic Koreans supporting and organizing online and offline campaigns against migrant workers and immigrant wives.

They said they launched “anti-multiculturalism” movement as migrant workers take jobs away from Koreans and commit crimes, and many migrant women, mostly from China and Southeast Asia, come to Korea to earn money under marriage scams.

In the past, a few Internet users used to post messages critical of the growing number of foreign residents here on bulletin boards operated by web portals.

But recently, several websites and community cafes against migrant workers and foreign wives have been launched, recruiting thousands of members from netizens and organizing activities online to promote their agenda.

Furthermore, members of some anti-multicultural groups have begun engaging in offline activities, making protest calls to government agencies and lawmakers to force them to scrap the expansion of benefits for foreign residents.

They even protested outside embassies of Southeast Asian countries, demanding they do more to prevent their nationals from committing crimes here.

Among the groups that are leading the anti-foreign movement are the Pan-National Alliance against Foreign Workers (http://cafe.daum.net/pncsfw), the Alliance against Multiculturalism (http://cafe.daum.net/antifworker), the International Marriage Damage & Prevention Center (http://cafe.daum.net/mna5319?t——nil—cafemy=item) and the Citizens’ Alliance against Foreign Workers (www.njustice.org/).

The International Marriage Damage & Prevention Center plans to hold a rally in front of KBS headquarters in Yeouido in June to urge the TV broadcaster to stop airing a series of programs what they call “beautifying” multicultural families.

“We have filed a complaint with KBS not to air programs, which create illusions about interracial marriage and multicultural families. But our efforts came to no avail. So, we have decided to take bolder action,” Ahn Jae-sung, a representative, said.

Ahn said when he first launched the organization, many disapproved of him. But he said these days a growing number of people are joining his cause.

Hostility toward difference

However, government officials and supporters of migrant workers and multicultural families have expressed alarm at such movements, saying Korea should become a more diverse and tolerant society.

Park Sung-nam, team leader at the National Human Rights Commission said it was regrettable that an increasing number of Koreans have become hostile toward foreigners.

“Korea should become an integrated society in which all members should be treated equally, regardless of nationality and color of skin. Despite the growing anti-multicultural movement, still the majority of Koreans hold favorable views toward migrant workers and foreign wives, as well as appreciating their contribution to society,” he said.

On May 9, the commission demanded law enforcement authorities and Internet regulators to introduce steps to remove racially discriminating comments and articles in cyberspace. It called on the Ministry of Justice and the Korea Internet Self-governance Organization to come up with countermeasures against discriminative language, which it says could hamper social integration.

Kim Jung-youl, director of the Multicultural Family Division at the Ministry of Gender, Equality and Family, echoed Park’s views, saying the government will take a range of measures to promote multiculturalism.

“We offer a wide array of support to multicultural families. Foreign wives and their children are part of us. It is not right to tell them to leave the country,” Kim stressed.

He said in order to counter anti-multiculturalism organizations, the government will boost public relations activities to promote the benefits of multiculturalism and contributions that foreign residents have made to the development of Korean society.

Lee Ha-ryong, head of Korea Migrant’s Center, also expressed regrets over a pick-up in civic movements against foreign workers and their families.

“Members of such organizations should be ashamed of themselves. It is just absurd to argue that foreign workers take jobs away from Koreans. They work under poorer working conditions and receive smaller paychecks. Migrant workers take up what Koreans don’t want to do,” Lee stressed.

He said Korea should treat migrant workers well and pay more attention to improving their well-being so that they go home with a favorable opinion of Korea. “I cannot stress enough that the so-called anti-multiculturalism organizations should disband themselves.”

Campaign gets aggressive

In April, members of the Citizens’ Alliance against Foreign Workers and the Alliance against Multiculturalism came to the office of Rep. Kim Dong-sung of the governing Grand National Party to protest Kim’s bill seeking to expand educational and medical benefits for children of illegal aliens.

A staff at Kim’s office said they talked with the lawmaker for over an hour, adding it was the first time for the opponents of multiculturalism to come and protest in person.

Additionally, members of the Alliance against Multiculturalism paid a visit to the Bangladesh Embassy here in January, demanding the Bangladesh government introduce a crime-prevention program for its nationals staying here.

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2011/05/117_86959.html

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Here just a few pictures from yesterday's MTU Solidarity Party (more impressions about this really great event you'll see here on Wednesday)...
 

THANX a lot to all our comrades who prepared and joined the event!!!!

 

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And here, how to get there:



 

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From yesterday's (bourgeois) Korea Herald:

Cyberspace tainted with racist postings

Looking at Internet cafes with many messages disparaging migrant workers based on their appearances and nationalities, Soe Moe Thu feels Korea still has a long way to go to establish a “mature” online culture.

To maintain the country’s reputation for state-of-the-art Internet infrastructure, the Seoul government needs to make more efforts to ameliorate “online manners,” the 36-year-old Myanmarese said.

“When people write things online, they appear to become barbarians unaware of culture and ethics, taking advantage of anonymity and doing whatever they please. I rarely see such people offline, but encounter them quite often online,” he told The Korea Herald.

“The messages show how antagonistic they are toward migrant workers and how deeply such discriminatory thoughts are lodged in their minds.”

He came to Korea in 1995 to work here. He currently heads an Internet television station (ie MWTV) , which was established in 2005 and is dedicated to migrant people living in Korea.

According to research done last October by the state human rights watchdog, there were many online disparaging postings. Some baselessly associated those from the Middle East with terrorists while others claimed those from Southeastern Asian nations looked like drug dealers.

He stressed that such messages could tarnish the nation’s image and hinder efforts to become one of the world’s top-tier nations. Korea is becoming increasingly multicultural with the number of foreign residents having topped 1.3 million.

“Such messages remain as part of history, contributing to the establishment of the country’s image. Those who understand Korean may feel disheartened by the messages,” he said.

“To become an advanced country in the material sense, you only have to earn much money. However, to be an advanced state in terms of mental qualities, there needs to be education to help people refrain (from posting such messages).”

Recognizing the seriousness of the issue, the state human rights watchdog has advised Justice Minister Lee Kwi-nam to include measures to “improve” such discriminatory expressions online in government policies, officials said Monday.

The National Human Rights Commission has also conveyed its opinion to the Korea Internet Self-governance Organization that it should strive to block the online distribution of discriminatory expressions. The KISO is an entity launched in 2009 by seven major Internet portals to deal with slanderous postings.

The commission believes that the government should establish policies to enhance people’s understanding of racial and cultural diversities so as to minimize conflicts in the increasingly multicultural society.

“We carried out research on such messages last year and realized they were as serious as we thought they would be. As the ripple effect on the Internet is great and runs long, we thought we need to take policy measures to address this problem,” said Park Sung-nam, chief of the NHRC team handling human right issues for migrants...

http://www.koreaherald.com/national/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20110509000777

PS:

A very bad example for racism in the S. Korean internet you'll find here: http://www.njustice.org/

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Amnesty International (the S. Korean section) interviews MTU's chairperson...
 

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Last Friday the "Duriban Sit-in Committee" celebrated the 500th day of their struggle with a nice concert, many supportes and a large audience...

 
The following text is from a solidarity leaflet, informing about the peaceful struggle against the GS (the former LG) construction mafia:

Evicted in Korea

Leave (South) Korea for a few months and come back, and Seoul is unrecogniseable. The urban renewal process in this city is swift, anti-nostalgic, and unstoppable. The struggle behind all this was brought to light on 20 January 2009, a police raid on rooftop where evictees were protesting resulted in a fire leading to five civilian deaths and one police death. Since then, urban renewal has become a national issue as people slowly take notice of the places being destroyed around them and the lives being destroyed along with them. One such place is right up the street from Hongdae Station, just a few meters out exit 4.

Originally a triangular-shaped collection of buildings, now only three remain: a police station, an old empty hanok, and a three-storey building, the front door of which is always wide open. That’s Dooriban, a small restaurant and the last remaining opponent to the renewal plan. The other floors were vacated, so Dooriban has taken over their spaces, converting the third floor into a live music venue. Ever since February, they’ve had weekly Friday shows, Monday street concerts, and Tuesday documentary screening.

Dooriban originally opened in 2005. The next year, Mapo District Office authorised a redevelopment plan for the area, and building owners started selling to developers. In 2007 the new landowners began telling tenants they had to leave. According to Jo Yakgol, a frequent face at Dooriban, they told tenants to negotiate, and if they resist they will end up with less money.
According to a strange law (지구단위개발계획, probably misspelled [you get what you pay for]), the area being redeveloped is too small to be properly protected by law, so the developers do not have the responsibility to properly compensate the monthly rent payers. According to Jo, the developers claimed they were nice people, and they were willing to pay tenants when it wasn’t necessary. The owner of Dooriban, Ahn Jongnyeo was reportedly offered a 3-million won compensation deal, not even enough to relocate the business, Worse hit was the owner of a Latin dance academy, who eventually moved away without receiving a single penny.

The tenants of the area started a committee to oppose the deal they were getting. The lawsuit lasted two years, during which time most tenants gave up their claims, until only Dooriban was left.

The situation worsened on Christmas Eve 20009, when a team of 30 hired goons started destroying Dooriban. They dragged customers outside, along with Ahn’s husband Yoo Cherim, a part-time worker, and the cook. Then, as Jo describes it, “Stuff got broken.” Right after everyone was pulled out, the goons set up metal fences around the building, blocking them from getting back in.

According to Ahn, this was a “death sentence.” She had invested everything in this business.

She came back on Christmas Day at night and cut off the metal wires that support the metal fences and opened the main gate, and began a sit-in.

“It was a critical period when they cracked open the metal fences and started the sit-in,” says Jo.
Meanwhile, Jo, who related most of this story to me, was busy with his own problems. He had lived in Yongsan and become part of the protest there, during which time he heard about the struggle at Dooriban. When he left, he joined the Dooriban protest, including a one-week sit-in at Mapo District Office.

The demands of Dooriban’s owner are simple. Their livelihood was violated, and they need relocation money so they can contine to work.

But they’re not looking for a fight. “Peaceful negotiation is the only way,” says Jo. “We kinda succeeded in making this Dooriban struggle a big issue. They can’t solve this problem violently by sending thugs or beating the shit out of people.”

Banners hang on the outside of the Dooriban building, decrying GS Construction, with the idea that if anything happens people will point their fingers at GS Construction. “If you have victims, their commercial name gets tarnished.”

 
Although GS is behind the redevelopment plan, the current situation is being handled by Namjeon DNC, which Jo describes as a “phantom company,” created to take the bad publicity in place of GS. GS won’t step in until the land is cleared, and Namjeon DNC will disappear. They have no employees, no phone number, and no address.

“If you dig down deeper it gets really dirty,” says Jo. He says that Namjeon borrowed 86 billion won from Nonghyup Bank, due back this year, and if they don’t pay it back, GS will.
And Dooriban will live to see 2011. Following the disastrous Yongsan eviction in January, a law has been enacted to prevent forceful evictions during the winter season. As winter legally started on 4 December, it is hopeful Dooriban will be safe for the foreseeable future, despite the efforts of GS and Namjeon DNC.

“They tried many times this year, they made many threats,” says Jo. They cut off electricity and water, and the owner of Dooriban installed solar panels on the roof that provide power for the whole building (although a gas generator is for concerts).

“The Dooriban people were lucky,” Jo says. A variety of artists, musicians, novelists, and poets joined the struggle in solidarity. Every day and night, people visit Dooriban, bringing their own food and drink since the kitchen is no longer open.

Now that Dooriban has gotten so much attention, their situation is more stable. “If we see more people coming to this place, it’s going to make it hard for land owners to send thugs here,” explains Jo. “Participation is crucial. We know [the developers] know how many people come here every day.”

If you’re in a band, you can contact Dongmin or Daham of Murmur’s Loom about playing a show at Dooriban. If you’re an individual, they need a lot of supplies to last the winter due to the lack of heating, including blankets and food. “We need everything to survive here,” says Jo.

 
Namjeon DNC was unavailable for comment.

More info you can get here (unfortunatelly only in Korean).

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MWTV's short video report about MIGRANT WORKERS MAYDAY rally in Seoul: