CINA

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Following text is translated from the anarchist magazine El Libertario (# 49, March 2007), the "Voice of the Comision de Relaciones Anarquistas" (in Venezuela).
(BTW.. since several days Indymedia Venezuela is online!!! ☞ cmi venezuela)

Prisons in Venezuela: Extreme Violence, Extreme Indifference

2007 began as a wonderful year for the power elite. The overwhelming victory upon their electoral competitors fills with air the saturated space that belongs to the “revolution” and their supporters. However, the penitentiary space does not “share” the same spirit of victory and oxygenation that does the chavista bureaucracy and, on the contrary, the year 2007 began with a sort of aberrant riots that serve as a prelude of the coming violent times.

* Extreme Violence

The past January 2 of 2007, it was started the new year in penitentiary matter with a quarrel at the Uribana prison of the Lara State due to a internal power struggle leaving an outcome of 16 dead prisoners and more than 13 injured ones, according to the official version offered at the midday by the Chief of the staff of the CORE-4, colonel José Enrique Maldonado Lupuy. According to the unofficial information obtained, all the leaders of minimum, middle and maximum were killed and even mutilated in some cases, with spiked sticks, fire arms and others. The happening that began in the midnight of Monday gave the mentioned outcome and only in the morning hours were reestablished the control of the prison.

In a first moment it was told about a fragmentary grenade that were flied and caused the deaths, however, that was refused by the military chief and he said that it was a riot for the control of the prison. As usually happens in those cases, the relatives were located at various meters of the prison due to the area was taken over by the military and just after 1.5 hour it was known officially the names of the dead imprisoned. In the morgue of the Hospital Central, the scenes of pain and desperation were growing while the unofficial information was passing from person to person between friends, relatives and even curious ones.

As it would be expected, the major “milico” of the CORE-4 filled his mouth telling that “the situation is under control”, applying for it the reorganization of the prison, the transference of the imprisoned implied on the crimes, counting on 200 men of the Guardia Nacional for stepping up vigilance in the external areas of the prison while the officials of the Ministerio de Interior y Justicia tried to control the internal areas. After the slaughters of that Monday, the January Wednesday 3, six of the imprisoned transferred from Uribana to Guanare resulted dead in a collective riot. It was told that it was an act of vengeance due to the happenings of the Uribana prison.

* Extreme Indifference

The Venezuelan population has become accustomed to live with the disasters generated inside prisons as it would be something natural. However, maybe the worst of it all is to look into the indifference and slovenliness that the red bureaucrats observed the situation. Beginning with the new Minister of Interior and Justice (MIJ), Pedro Carreño, that abstain himself from confirming the information about the riots, although he said that the Directora de Custodía y Rehabilitación, Fanny Márquez had moved to Guanare to know about the situation and informed that she will impulse the restructuring of the 25 prisons of the country as the messianic coming of the above-mentioned official could stop the violence between imprisoned and the absurd fact that restructuring an obsolete and out-of-date institution could get better the prison situation…

One person that does declare oneself against the situation was the Defensor del Pueblo (Ombdusman), Germán Mundaraín that regretted for the violence happenings in those penitentiary centers and for the general situation of the Venezuelan prisons because they “are against the well-known advances that – upon Human Rights – had been produced in other areas of society”. The aberrant cheek which is characteristic of the employees of the Venezuelan state seemed to be a “sine qua non” condition for occupying their positions. Another person in showing his cheek on that matter was the director of Sabaneta, Elí Ramón Salgado when he said that “everything is ok. The happenings of yesterday were a product of a confrontation among maximum security imprisoned and those of the so-called “prison”. The firsts tried to trespass to the seconds´s area and those killed them with fire arms.” As the imprisoned were animals, the officials shown a clear contempt for human life. Also, The Inter-american Court of Human Rights declared its preoccupation for the prison situation in Venezuela, but, as usual, this was not more than a text reproduced without any reflection about it in this Caribbean enclave.

* The mortal cycle

The extreme indifference which is shown by the authorities and the general society caused extreme violence as a mortal cycle. The lack of assistance, the slovenliness, the classical justification of a state where any arbitrariness has a justification – if you´ll forgive the repetition – are in a certain way the causes of those vandalism actions that only benefit the penitentiary authorities that are the first to introduce arms in the prisons. “Divide and Rule” tells a popular saying and this is the policy that is applied in prisons. For avoiding escapes and riots, the “authorities” are into favouring the riots between rival bands and they dispute for “territories” and in this manner maintaining a tense calm within prisons.

Uribana, Guanare and Sabaneta are premonitory cases of what could keep occurring. 8 years of Bolivarian “revolution” had been equivalent to 8 years of penitentiary carelessness. The social debt with the most forgotten sector of society is very big. No restructuring and no funds for get better the precincts: we, as anarchists demand the freedom of all the imprisoned and the substitution of the prisons for more human measures that do not carry the charge of freedom deprivation. Keeping them apart from society and imprisoning do not pay for the committed damage and do not rehabilitate to the individual. I don´t know if “socialism” is conquered by fighting but I do know that freedom does. Also, it is conquered demanding the just. We make a calling not only to the antiauthoritarian local movement but to the whole human race to put to a end to the prison system.

To organize right now a big network reporting the arbitrariness’s that happens in prisons and to break the cynical informative blockage, to organize into groups of similar interests according to its own means and strategic possibilities, in the margins of any party or establishment that pretends to monopolize the anti-prison struggle, to study in depth about the abolitionist principle and far from the irrational violence that it is the way of the state.

With nothing more to say but that we wait hopefully the fall of the Walls of Jerico and that the word prison would be a synonym of demolition.

¡¡¡ Down to the walls of prisons!!!

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Following critical, controversial article (*) about the current anti-S.K.-US FTA movement/struggle I found several days ago on Jinbonet. Yesterday Jae-young ("marc") wrote a kind translation in summary about it.

Well, here it comes:

Organization for Building a Party for Liberation of Laborers (OBPLL: not official name) criticized that current way of the anti-KORUS FTA movement is fraught with petit bourgeois ‘nationalism slogans.’ Subsequently, they are contributing to the dismantlement of dynamic force of anti-KORUS FTA movement struggle by making obscure the frontline of laborers.

The title of the document by OBPLL is “Let’s struggle for the right of laborers to live, not for the protection of national interests.” It made it clear that “urging people to fight for the protection of national interests or our economy and industry is just shuffling the direction of our struggle and is only a delusion of the middle class which believes that they can join the side of Korean capitalists under the concept of the nation.

It also pointed out that such anti-KORUS FTA movement fraught with nationalism slogans “has just been yelling toward the sky in neglect of Korean capitalists’ class which is the very target to be attacked, and in the meantime KORUS FTA was signed, now making us face this worse situation where we are being forced to allow the FTA.”

OBPLL explains that the reason why most Korean capitalists except for agricultural and few industrial sectors welcome the KORUS FTA come to a settlement is that “they are sure that they will have the chance to increase their profit and wealth with the help of KORUS FTA.” It suggested an outlook that such thing will be possible since the way of restructuring is widely opened by the external shock so that they will be able to freely lay off the laborers and fill the vacant positions with contract workers.”

It analyzes that Korean Alliance Against KORUS FTA is led by the middle class civil movement force which is a group of nationalist ideology.

It also points out that delusion and ideology of nationalism was distributed among the laborers in general by the medium of the leaders of KDLP and labor union participating in the Korean Alliance Against KORUS FTA.

It emphasized that it is time for the laborers that they should throw away the nationalistic ideology and slogans and step forward to fight against FTA systematically and collectively under the slogans of their own demand such as “Smashing the restructuring!” “Desperate protection of the right of laborers to live!” “Abolish the irregular worker system!”

Influenced by this document by OBPLL, theoretical disputes around the issue of coming presidential election including KORUS FTA are expected to seriously begin among both major parties, PD (People's Democratic) and NL(National Liberty).

My simplified summary (once again):

* ☞ 한미FTA 반대투쟁 '범국본'은 노동자 외면하는 민족주의 집단, 민노당 민주노총도 노동자 투쟁동력 갉아먹는 기능하고 있다

Related article:

☞ FTA protestors hold joint meeting, notch up efforts (Hankyoreh, 4.14)

PS:

For yesterday organizations such as DLP, KCTU, Da ham-kke etc.. called for a "massive" protest (actually just by a "candlelight-culture festival") against the S.K.-US FTA...

..and just imagine: There is a protest - and (nearly) nobody is participating (**):

Source of the pics: Da ham-kke('All Together')

** Please remember 4.07: "Nearly 6,000 hold rally to demand scrapping FTA with U.S." (Yonhap)

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A try to reply..#2

One of the most disputed points of the S.K.-US FTA is the negative effect for the S.K. agriculture, especially the issue of rice.

Already in autumn 2002, I had the possibility to join for the first time a peasants' rally in Seoul(about 200,000 of them demostrated in Seoul's Yeouido) I thought that especially the rice production in S.K. will have no future. On this rally, but also later when I had to pass the countryside, I saw only middle aged people. For what I know, their children/grandchildren are mainly refusing to follow the path of their parents/grandparents. Simply they have complete no interest to spend their life in the rice fields. They only want to move to the big cities, go to study and/or later "earn a lot of money"(^^).
But this development - if my reflection was/is right(eh~ I'm not sure..) - will lead to the death of the S.K. rice production. Sooner or later. Whether with or whithout S.K.-US FTA.

In my opinion there should be the demand (by the farmers, but also the supporting movements) that the gov't is helping (for example finacial) to create alternatives on the countryside. Perhaps there are a lot of alternatives, beside the rice production, to make the life on the countryside attractive even for younger people. Organic agriculture - payable also for the "ordinary" people, kinds of eco-tourism... Anyway.. whatever..

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A try to reply.. #1 

First of all - my question: was there any mass movement against S.K.-Chile FTA?
Right now: is there any opposition movement against the planned S.K.-E.U. FTA? Against a (likely) S.K.-China FTA???
Well, that's a question.. Hopefully someone can answer me!

In my opinion as long as there will be capitalist ruled societies there will be stuff like the S.K.-US FTA! And we aren't able to avoid it without a real (active) mass movement against it. And for what I know.. in S.K. there isn't a real active mass movement against S.K.-US FTA.

And that's the reason why organisations such as DLP are "able" to treat with "topple the Roh Moo-hyun gov't", because this call isn't with any consequences, because no-one will follow the call in reality. Everything what they're talking is just BLABLA!!

But in my opinion there are possibilities to fight against the negative results of S.K.-US FTA.

1. For example there should be a complete ban of any genetically modified organisms(GMO). And the USA are very "famous" for their GMO..

2. FTA means free movement of capital (and of course the capitalists). But there isn't any right for a free movement of the "ordinary" people. The capital has any right to search for places where it can earn maximum profit, but the "ordinary" people, who only can sell their working capacity/labour power.. So, like the capital the "ordinary" people (i.e. the working class) should have the right to search and find places where they are able to "sell" their only "capital"(i.e. their working capacity) as expensive as possible, where-ever it is possible.

Tomorrow I'll try to continue it..

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Just few days ago "Moon Sung-Hyun, leader of the DLP.. declared "If the government signs the FTA on March 30 despite popular objections, we will start a fight to topple the Roh Moo-hyun administration." (*) 
Moon also said "President Roh is acting like a dictator. Our history proves how dictators come to a miserable end, so we will certainly win the fight." (VoP, 3.30)

And what's happen now - eh~ what was happen y'day??

Nearly 6,000 hold rally to demand scrapping FTA with U.S. (Yonhap)
 
Thousands of South Koreans gathered in Seoul on Saturday, calling on the government to scrap the recently signed free trade agreement (FTA) with the United States.

There were no reports of any violent clashes between the protesters and police as of 5 p.m., but the police warned bystanders to exercise caution.

Rally organizers had anticipated that over 6,000 people would attend the rally, but the exact count of participants was not yet available.

The police had banned the protest rally, citing violent outbursts at previous gatherings and hazards to traffic.

"Instead of blocking the anti-FTA rally in advance, the police decided to arrest (those responsible) if the rally gets out of hand," said a police official, asking for anonymity.

The protesters, mostly farmers and civic activists, began marching toward the Seoul city hall from Daehangno, a theater district in northern Seoul, shortly before 5 p.m., causing a major traffic jam in the downtown area...

This is the first major gathering against the South Korea-U.S. FTA since the trade pact was signed at the beginning of this week, after nearly 10 months of negotiations.

The police are also on alert because a 44-year-old farmer, suspected of shooting three neighbors with a rifle, has warned his relatives that he will commit suicide by setting himself on fire at Saturday's gathering.

The suspect, identified only by his surname Lee, allegedly shot three neighbors, killing one and critically wounding others, while quarreling over the free trade agreement on Tuesday, according to the police.

More (Korean) reports about y'day's demonstration:

☞ "한미FTA 타결은 무효다!" -서울 도심 한미FTA 무효 촉구 대집회 (P. Times)

☞ "제2의 87항쟁은 한미FTA 무효화" (Tong-il News)

☞ ..한미FTA 전면무효 범국민대회 "투쟁 끝나지 않았다" (VoP)

☞ 7일 오후 전국 동시다발 반FTA 범국민대회 (OhmyNews)

Related articles (mainly by the S.K. bourgeois media):

☞ Trade deal to cement Korea's security relations with the U.S. (K. Herald)

☞ FTA a boost to Korean economy

☞ Seoul drafts plans for FTA-damaged sectors

☞ A Day in the Life of Post-FTA (K. Times)

☞ Gov't documents reveal trade-off on textiles, GMC (Hankyoreh)

☞ Korea to Open FTA Talks With EU in May (K. Times)

* In spring 2004 hundreds of thousands of Koreans, actively supported by DLP, Da-hamkke, KCTU..,  tooks the streets to "fight" against the impeachment process against Roh Moo-hyun.

And today DLP etc want to smash the "new dictatorship".. but only with 6,000 people..(??)

Anyway.. Yesterday "marc" requested following: "Please write for Korean people about the necessity of street demonstration until the FTA ratification of Congress and about what you learnt from the past experience on the S.K.'s streets, especially about why the FTA issue is actually the problem of class struggle, rather than that of country-to-country."

Well, I'll try to do it as soon as possible (likely tomorrow)!!!! 

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First of all: Short after the final agreement on the S.K.-US FTA some farmers in Yecheon-gun showed the ruling (exploiting) class - aka the capitalists - a possible cheap way how to solve the problems, caused by S.K.-US FTA - at least on the countryside:
FREE ALCOHOL AND FIRE ARMS FOR PEASANTS!

Just check out Hankyoreh's article:

☞ Farmer kills one, injures two over FTA (*)

But of course there's is also a way to solve the FTA problem in the interest of exploited class:

INCREASING THE PROTEST AGAINST S.K.-US FTA(**)

▶ 일시 : 4月7日(土) 오후2시 (Sat., 4.07, 2pm)

▶ 장소 : 대학로 (Daehak-no/Hyehwa Stn.)

▶ 행진경로 : 대학로(2시) → 종각 → 을지로입구 → 서울시청(7시) (demo to City Hall Plaza)

▶ 진행(안) : 14시 한미FTA 타결무효 투쟁선포대회(민주노총 결의대회)
                  15시 한미FTA무효 범국민대회
                  16시 행진 및 대국민 선전전
                  19시 촛불문화제

Actually the Anti-FTA culture festival (7pm) was scheduled opposite

of the US embassy(^^) - but now it will be on City Hall Plaza..

* Uhuu~ I'm really sorry... for my sarcasm!!^^

** Of course just to protest - it might be not the final solution.. (as you know: THE FINAL SOLUTION - REVO.. ^^)

BTW.. the entire situation right now reminds me of the year 2002, the struggle against the USFK. Especially in fall/winter - the presidential election was near - politicians like Roh Moo-hyun "joined" and used the the protest movement (of course just for their own goals). Perhaps you remember how Roh promissed to change SOFA, "never" he wanted to "support a unjust war/aggression against Iraq", and so on, and so on.. And we all know what was happen just few months later..

The same right now: Even if politicians, like Kim Geun-tae, are behaving soooo progressive - as much as possible - finally they will act like every other "ordinary" collaborator of the ruling (exploiting) class! (eh~ that's just MY opinion!)

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Two representatives of the US and Korean

capitalist class are finally happy to achieve the..

..S.K.-US FTA (a summary):

1. Both sides agree to abolish about 94 percent of tariffs on commodities within three years after the FTA goes into effect, and scrap all tariffs on traded goods over time.

In the case of automobiles, the U.S. will immediately abolish tariffs on passenger cars with an engine capacity of below 3,000 cc and auto parts. Tariffs on automobiles with an engine displacement of 3,000 cc or more will be abolished in three years.

In return, South Korea will overhaul its auto-related tax scheme under which a flat special excise tax of 5 percent is levied on automobiles. South Korea will also streamline its auto-related taxation scheme.

2. Both sides agree to establish the "Committee on Outward Processing Zones on the Korean Peninsula" which designates outward processing zones on the peninsula under some conditions. Products made in the inter-Korean industrial complex in the North Korean border city of Kaesong are expected to be treated as South Korean-made goods.

3. The United States will immediately abolish 61 percent of tariffs on textiles and garments in terms of its import value, and exclude South Korea's major textile export items such as men's shirts and women's jackets from the yarn-forward rule of origin.

4. Both sides agree to exclude rice on their concession lists.

South Korea will maintain current tariffs on oranges, beans, powdered milk and other imported agricultural products.

Also, South Korea will maintain safeguard measures and a tariff rate quota (TRQ) on such goods as pork, beef and other agricultural products.

5. Both sides agree to establish a trade dispute settlement body.

They also agree to have a consultation prior to inquiries or probes regarding trade disputes, and suspend inquiries or probes if they settle the dispute.

6. South Korea will not open such public services as education and medical care. But it will push to open accounting, law and broadcasting services in a phased manner. Restrictions on Hollywood movies will be maintained, requiring local theaters to run domestic movies for at least 73 days a year.

7. South Korea will not guarantee the minimum price of new U.S. drugs. Seoul will introduce a system that calls for assessing the violation of patents when it reviews applications by local drugmakers for the sale of copied drugs.

8. Both sides agree to establish a body that deals with the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) issues. But they agree to carry out scientific assessment of any SPS-related risks and carry out technical consultation before the body gets involved in the issues.

9. Both sides agree to allow each other's experts to get involved in setting and ironing out technical barrier to trade (TBT)-related standards.

Also, they agree to inform each other of formulating new TBT-related standards, thus providing each other a chance to come up with opinions on them.

10. Both sides agree to clarify criteria for indirect expropriation in investor-to-state dispute (ISD) cases. The two also agree on excluding "appropriate" state policies such as public health, environment, security and housing price stabilization from indirect appropriation.

11. Both sides agree to introduce a temporary safeguard measure which controls sudden and massive capital outflows in case of financial crisis. South Korea's state-run financial institutions such as Korea Development, Industrial Bank of Korea and Korea Housing Finance Corp. are not on the list of the financial sector's agreement.

12. South Korea will maintain regulations that bar foreign investors from owning more than 49 percent of the country's major telecommunications firms that provide core networks and services.

13. The two sides agree to extend their copyright protection period from 50 to 70 years after the author's death, but the agreement will go into effect two years after the implementation of the FTA.

14. The two sides agree to improve the level of each other's labor-related laws and their implementations. The labor communities in the two nations are allowed to raise issues on the labor laws.

15. The two sides agree to make efforts for high-level environmental protection and abide by environmental laws. The two also agree on not damaging the environment as part of their bid to facilitate trade and investment.

Source: Yonhap (4.02)

Related articles:

☞ U.S., South Korea agree trade deal (CNN, 4.02)

☞ All fired up over Korea-US free trade (Asia Times, 4.02)

☞ Korea, US Strike Historic Free Trade Deal (K. Times, 4.02)

☞ FTA deal reached, future of Korean capitalism (TwoKoreasBlog, 4.02)

☞ USTR continues to push beef/Kaesong products will not enter U.S. (Yonhap, 4.03) ..and finally the same source wrote following today: "Labor groups here on Monday voiced their strong opposition to the just-reached deal between South Korea and the United States to effectively dismantle their tariff barriers.

The groups vowed to launch a campaign to nullify the free trade agreement deal (FTA) and even threatened to attempt to oust President Roh Moo-hyun." (*)  

☞ Civic groups escalate anti-FTA protest (K. Herald)

* Great idea, but what will follow him (Roh Moo-hyun)..???

BTW.. In March/April 2004 many so-called "progressive" groups/organizations, such as All Together/Da Ham-kke, DLP, several in the KCTU organized labour unions etc. took the streets to struggle against the impeachment process against Roh Moo-hyun (Yeah, he's the guy who ordered the S.K. troops to Iraq one year before!!! Just for example..). Now - likely - the same people will fight for to kick him out..^^

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While the activists in Seoul were fighting against ROK-US FTA, against the oppression of MTU, the exploitation of migrant workers... "All Together" (다함께) was practice the unification between the S.K. (so-called)  "socialist" movement and the Islamic-fascist movement in the M.E. (incl. the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, Hamas and Jihad al-Islamiya in "Palestine", the Rev. Guards of Iran, Hizbullah, the Iraqi "resistance"...) during the "Cairo Conference Against Imperialism and Zionism"

'Progressive" of all countries - UNITE!

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Tomorrow evening (7 pm, Seoul City Hall Plaza) another (hopefully massive and powerful) protest against the US-ROK FTA is scheduled..

But finally in the case of the struggle against the FTA, as well as the peace/anti-war struggle, the issue of migrant workers.. the exploitation and opression in general..

..THE ONLY SOLUTION

(yeah, exactly, you already know) is..

THE REVOLUTION!

(*)

* Ha, that's not a joke, not really!!! 

♠ ∴범국민∴
┏┓∴ 촛불 ∴
*♡*∴문화제∴
┃┃3/28,7시
┗┛안돼!FTA

^=^

 Ton Steine Scherben

"Die letzte Schlacht gewinnen wir"

(The last battle we will win)

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It seems that the (f.. reactionary) S.K. daily newspaper Chosun Ilbo is really hating (haehae~ what a surprise!!) the Democratic Labour Party..!

Following editorial was published in Chosun Ilbo's today's English editon:

No Wonder Nobody Likes the DLP

 
Downtown Seoul was a mess once again on Sunday. The Korean Alliance Against KorUS FTA, as it bills itself, held a rally in front of City Hall and hundreds of protesters marched into the streets waving banners and disrupting traffic. The police had informed the alliance that their request to hold a rally had been rejected. The police response was only natural, considering the fact that in November of last year, protesters from the anti-FTA group attacked city halls and provincial government buildings in seven locations across the country, setting some on fire. But the group was able to hold the rally downtown thanks to the Democratic Labor Party (DLP), which had applied for a permit allowing its own members to hold an anti-FTA rally in front of City Hall. They held a short rally and then handed over the microphone to the anti-FTA alliance. The same thing happened in December last year and in January this year. Using its National Assembly status, the DLP gained police permission to hold a rally and the anti-FTA alliance used that gathering to launch an illegal protest.

 
In authorizing the DLP rally, the police said they expected the party to be responsible in managing the gathering in a manner befitting a public political group. When the DLP leaders applied for permission to visit North Korea last October, the Unification Ministry authorized it on the condition that they would be careful in their conduct, since they were members of a South Korean political party. But as soon as they arrived in the North, the LDP(*) leaders issued a statement saying the U.S. and Japan, which have no qualms about starting a war on the Korean Peninsula, were continuing their mischievous maneuvers. Then they visited the birthplace of former North Korean leader Kim Il-sung. All this took place while two people from their party were indicted on espionage charges.

In the 2004 general elections(**), the DLP was able to win 10 seats in the National Assembly. There were expectations that the DLP would play a role in finding solutions to a wide range of social problems through the enactment of new regulations. On the contrary, the DLP has instigated illegal protests and violence by leftwing groups. Among the 520 people detained by police after an anti-U.S. protest in May last year, 30 were DLP members.

The DLP saw their approval rating rise to 21.9 percent just after the general elections in 2004. But according to a Gallup Korea poll last week, their approval rating fell to just 5.7 percent. Only the DLP members seem to have no idea why the public’s view of them has changed so drastically.

http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200703/200703260024.html

* ??

** ?????