403개의 게시물을 찾았습니다.
Lee Gil-jun - A Riot Cop In Resistance #1
While the (reactionary) media of the S.K. ruling class is still lamenting about "protest violence", the "lack of respect for the law", "police impotence" (Chosun Ilbo/JoongAng Ilbo) Lee Gil-jun, a young police officer, decided to refuse to continue his service in the riot police units, i.e. he refused his duty to oppress, if "necessary" with extreme violence, the daily mass protests (since late April) against the gov't. While refusing the service as riot cop, he decided to desert, sheltering himself in a cathedral and call publicly for the dismantling of the riot police units.
Today's (bourgeois) Korea Herald wrote following article about Kim Gil-jun's case:
Officer wants compulsory police system abolished
A riot policeman is protesting the duty of dealing with street demonstrators against U.S. beef imports, calling for the compulsory service police system to be abolished.
"When standing with shields in front of citizens and using violence, I dare not think of refusing the order, and had no choice but to accept the pains without resistance," said Lee Gil-joon, 24, in a press conference on Sunday.
"I felt like my humanity was burning. It was a horrific thing to accept myself as having to toe the line without a word when being mobilized in the dispersal operations and standing to the side indefinitely, on the receiving end of public catcalls and complaints."
Lee's protest came after another officer demanded in mid-June that a national administrative appeals commission deliberate on his request for transfer to the Army, citing skepticism about performing his duty against his will.
Lee, who joined the Seoul police unit in February, has staged the protest since Sunday at a cathedral in Yangcheon-gu, southwestern Seoul. He initially planned to hold a press conference on Friday last week when he was set to return to his unit after his three-day vacation, but it was deferred to Sunday due to the stern admonishment of his parents.
"During the difficult times, I tried to find a way to escape, but thought that avoiding the situation is not the right answer," Lee said.
"By staying there, I thought I would end up eventually contributing to the maintaining of the oppressive structure. Most of all, I felt the need to listen to the voice of my heart and protest what suppresses me now with a clear voice in leading my remaining life."
Lee also said that assault and battery have occurred within the police unit, and called for a solution to stamp out the root causes of these problems.
Lee is likely to face charges for avoiding his duty. His supporters say that when he is tried they will assert that the auxiliary police system is unconstitutional. In 1991, a riot policeman filed a petition with the Constitutional Court to rule on a similar case, but five out of the nine judges at the court said that the police system is constitutional in their 1995 ruling.
All able-bodied Korean men of 19 or older are obliged to serve in the military for 24-27 months. Some apply for or are randomly selected for the National Auxiliary Police system instead of going into the military...
More about it you can read here tomorrow!
Since last week "demonstrations swept through Korea in response to the Japanese government's decision to claim Dokdo islets (also claimed by South Korea) as part of its territory in its history textbooks" (OhmyNews, 7.18).
While LeeMB called to "all Koreans" to stay in "strong unity against Japan's illegal claim", almost all Koreans (*), involved in any kind of politics, "civil rights", labour activities etc.. followed the demand of the Dear Leader(^^):
"The Dokdo demonstrations brought together Koreans from all ideological stripes and colours. Progressives, conservatives, young and old came together to protest against Japan's actions." (OhmyNews)
While last Wednesday (7.16) protesters, here KCTU/KTU 'activists' (!!), "only"
hurled eggs and tomatoes (WHY not bloody American BSE beef???)
at the Japanese embassy in Seoul..
..one day later "protesters in Seoul staged a bloody demonstration
outside the Japanese embassy, slaughtering live pheasants – Japan's
national bird (**) – on the street", according to al-Jazeera (7.18)
They cut the heads off live pheasants, Japan’s national bird, and dripped the
blood on Japanese flags and on pictures of Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda and
former Japanese leaders. Some battered birds to death with hammers. Others cut
open bellies and ate the livers, shouting: “Dokdo is our territory!”,
The Standard (HK) reported on the same day.
* Of course not ALL Koreans: A minority of voices called for restraint in this debate. An OhmyNews contributor suggested that Dokdo become an "Island of Korean-Japanese Peace" and have the two countries manage the island and its seas together. According to OhmyNews this article - surprise, surprise!(^^) - incited mostly negative comments among the readers.
** An internet reader from Japan later mentioned following:
There is unintended irony here: The Korean nationalists are killing Common pheasant (Phasianus colchicus),and it’s name in Japan is Kourai-kiji (コウライキジ) meaning “Korean Pheasant”.
The natonal bird of Japan is Green Pheasant (Phasianidae versicolor), a subspecies of Common pheasant only seen in Japan. (^^)
About a very queer development Korea Herald reported last week (7.18):
Educators protest Japan Dokdo claim
Educators are stepping up their efforts to repudiate Japan's latest claim to the Dokdo islets.
The (conservative) Korea Federation of Teachers' Associations sent out letters to 394 teachers' associations in 171 countries, explaining why Japan's sovereignty claim over Dokdo is historically invalid.
"Dokdo has been recognized as a part of Korea historically and by international law, as well. Dokdo is clearly Korean territory, and its people are currently living there," the letter from the association representing over 190,000 teachers reads.
"Among a number of historical documents which prove that Dokdo is a territory of Korea, 'Samguksagi (the Chronicles of Three Kingdoms)' states that, in 512, Shilla, an ancient kingdom of Korea, was comprised of Usanguk, which was a country based on Usan Island (the name of Dokdo at the time)."
The KFTA letter also discussed other evidence, such as the "The complete map of the Joseon Kingdom," which was drawn by the French geographer Danville in 1737; "The map of three adjoining countries," by a Japanese scholar named Hayashi Shihei in 1785, and "The attached map for elementary school geography textbooks," published by the Japanese Government General of Korea in 1934, which was during the Japanese colonial period.
"Besides, it turned out that the imperial Japanese Council of State (Dajokan) confirmed in 1877 that Uleungdo and Dokdo had no connection with Japanese territory," reads the letter signed by KFTA president Lee Won-hee.
"Above all, the KFTA is deeply worried that the Japanese government has tried to take advantage of the invalid assertion of some Japanese, and has written a book for teachers which promotes a distorted history."
The KFTA said that, "as the issue of Dokdo is related to the education and the views about history which the next generation will develop, rather than disputes between two countries, teachers and the organizations responsible for students' education should take the lead in straightening out the matter."
While seeking support from educators around the world, Korean teachers also pledged to thoroughly educate their students about Dokdo to raise their historical awareness. Japan's right-wing textbook publishers and local administrators have continued to make sovereignty claims over Dokdo, based on its seizure of the islands in 1910 when it invaded Korea. (Korea was under Japanese colonial rule from then until liberation in 1945.)
The ("progressive") Korean Teachers and Education Workers' Union (a part of the KCTU), with nearly 80,000 members, joined forces with the KFTA to hold special classes on Dokdo as soon as school starts next month. Summer vacation starts in most Korean middle and high schools next week.
"Teachers have begun preparing the educational material for the courses on Dokdo," the KFTA said.
Superintendents of 16 provincial or municipal administrations across the country have also agreed to enhance the education regarding Dokdo.
"Japan's irrational behavior - teaching fabricated history to the new generation - is intended to cover up its historical errors such as war, violence, oppression and exploitation," said the group of superintendents.
"This will threaten Korea-Japan relations, the peace of Northeast Asia and the world."
The KFTA sent out newsletters to its 190,000 members in 11,000 schools nationwide, asking them to participate in the educational campaign. The teachers are asked to give students assignments to check out photographs, historical records and media reports about Dokdo over the summer vacation.
The KFTA is considering issuing a joint statement with the North Korean teachers' association to denounce Japan's recent claim...
Related stuff:
☞ Progressives, Conservatives Unite Over Dokdo (Korea Times, 7.16)
☞ Seoul May Take Hardline Steps on East Sea Islets (K. Times, 7.20)
First of all: From yesterday evening until today's morning about 500,000 people took the streets in Seoul to protest against the (policies of the) current S.K. gov't/the LeeMB administration.
☞ 500,000 S. Koreans Stage Anti-US Beef Rallies (Seoul Times)
☞ VoP Report
☞ KCTU Report
☞ NewsCham Report
☞ Tong-il News Report
But the most important question is, if the protest movement isn't on its end: What comes next? Despite the motto of y'day's protest - "People's Victory Day" - there is (until now) definetely NO people's victory in sight! LeeMB will/must continue with his policy, because he "only" represents the ruling (capitalist) system. And also not unimportant: Is there any (real) alternative to LMB and the ruling GNP??
Related stuff:
☞ Candlelight Vigil Faces Calls for End (K. Times)
While the "Protests against U.S. beef likely to continue", as yesterday's the S.K. press predicted...
LMB ORDERS CRACKDOWN ON ANTI-GOV'T MOVEMENT!
Today's Korea Herald is reporting:
President Lee Myung-bak yesterday ordered a tough response to violent and otherwise illegal protests against U.S. beef imports.
He expressed concern that radical activists have taken the helm of the candlelight vigils, turning them into a movement that challenges state authority and negates the "national identity."
"But protests challenging the national identity, and the illegal violent rallies, should be distinguished from policy critics and should be sternly dealt with," Lee said.
Law enforcement agencies warned that they will crack down firmly on assaults, blackmailing, malicious rumors and other illegal activities. Police chief Eo Cheong-soo reported to the president that, though the number of demonstrators is declining, law and order has been seriously damaged by a few extremists who have resorted to violence.
The police agency has secured warrants to detain 12 leaders of a civic coalition which is in the vanguard of the month-long campaign against the beef imports. The agency will take legal action against others involved in illegal actions, said the commissioner general of the National Police Agency.
Police and prosecutors are jointly conducting an extensive investigation into spread of false rumors and calumny regarding U.S. beef, largely on the internet.
The inquiry also targets the blackmailing of advertisers of major newspapers which are seen as supporting the government's beef policy.
The candlelight vigils appear to be losing steam. But protest organizers pledged to continue to fight and expand their agenda to a wider range of issues such as the privatization, economic policies, industrial relations and education...
Meanwhile yesterday, for the first time, pro-gov't forces - incited by the S.K. extreme reactionary press, such as Chosun Ilbo(*), JoongAng Ilbo and Dong-A Ilbo ("조중동") - started with violent attacks against anti-gov't protesters:
A 50-year-old woman, identified as Park, lies in a hospital in Seoul on June 23 after having been beaten by approximately 10 members, among them a pastor(!!!), of a conservative association on the same day.
Park held a one-woman demonstration to keep the Korean Broadcasting System, or KBS, independent. She began her demonstration at around 5 p.m. on June 23 in front of the building’s headquarters when 10 members of a conservative association beat her indiscriminately, saying, “We should kill all of the leftists”
The person who carried her to the hospital said, “The members of the association struck her with a square bar and the kicked her after she fell down.”
The fifty members of the conservative association, including the 10 who beat the woman, fled at 9 p.m. when 1,000 people arrived on site after hearing news of the incident. (Hankyoreh, 6.24)
Related article:
☞ Clash Escalates Between Candlelit Ralliers, Conservatives (K. Times)
* Here just some (disgusting) examples from Chosun Ilbo:
☞ Legitimate Protesters or Hooligans?
☞ Protest Leaders Show Their True Colors
During the last week the S.K. bourgeois/reactionary media predicted a significantly decreasing of the current demonstrations - now ongoing since almost 50 days - against the KORUS FTA beef deal (or better said against the LMB gov't!!!), but the reality shows (possibly^^) a complete different picture:
Protests Continue Despite New Deal (Korea Herald, 6.22)
Civic groups and opposition parties have been continuing to call for renegotiating the U.S. beef import deal, rebuffing the latest measures between Seoul and Washington to ease Koreans' concerns over mad cow disease.
A coalition of about 1,700 civic groups organized nationwide 48-hour candlelight vigils over the weekend.
The area around Seoul City Hall, 6.21 in the early night
Labeling the outcome of the additional negotiation as "deceptive," tens of thousands of demonstrators roamed down the streets in downtown Seoul on Saturday, urging the government to renegotiate with Washington to impose tougher quarantine measures.
They confronted riot police at the Sejongno intersection until today in the morning, attempting to march on the presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae. Opposition parties also pressed for renegotiations on the deal, saying that the additional talks did not secure the health rights and complete quarantine sovereignty for the nation...
The overnight demonstrations, which organizers say were attended by as many as 60,000 people, turned "violent" in today's predawn hours, as protesters tied rope to one of the police buses in an attempt to break the barricade of buses and get through. They also built steps made of sand bags to walk over the buses.
The bus barricade was located just a kilometer away from the protest in the Gwanghwamun area to block them from marching on Cheong Wa Dae.
In return, the police used fire extinguishers to control the protest and a motor sprinkler also appeared on the protesting grounds, adding intensity to the demonstrations.
So far, a total of 17 protesters have been arrested for illegal acts, which include damaging the police's wall of buses, fighting with the police and disobeying police orders.
This was marked as the second-largest protest to come after the rallies commemorating the 1987 democracy movement on June 10, which were attended by about 80,000 people (oops~ the reality: at least 700,000!!).
Related (all contributions have a lot of impressive pictures):
☞ [6.21/22] Tong-il News Report
LeeMB before yesterday, once again, apologized "for mishaps of U.S. beef deal". But "netizens and the People’s Countermeasure Council against Full Resumption of Imports of U.S. Beef Endangered with Mad Cow Disease(PCC) downplayed President Lee Myung-bak’s second public apology on June 19. They said that they had expected Lee would come up with a drastic measure but there was no improvement from the current government position", according to Hankyoreh.
And today's news that "Korea and the United States have reached a new agreement on the resumption of U.S. beef imports" (Yonhap) leave the activists of the PCC, a coalition of 1,700 civic groups, resistance organizations and ("progressive") political parties un-impressed and complete unsatisfied!
So, according to PCC: "THE STRUGGLE GOES ON!"
Already since today's evening thousands of people are protesting (and discussing the perspectives of the current struggle) in front of Seoul City Hall. From tomorrow until Sunday the activities will continue (Saturday, 5 pm: rally in Daehang-no and demo to City Hall. 7 pm "Candlelight Culture Festival" etc..)
And in the coming days there are at least two more reasons for mass demonstrations/protests (i.e. disrupt the public order!!): Next weekend C. Rice will come to Seoul and just a few days later (likely 7.07) the most beloved(^^) G.W. Bush will pay a visit to S.Korea's "Public Enemy No.1" (aka LeeMB^^)!!
Well, while the PCC predicts the increase, at least the continuity of the protests.. the S.K. bourgeoise press has a complete different view (surprise, surprise!!) about the current situation and the "possible" perspective of the protest movement:
Candlelight flickers as issues diverge (K. Herald, 6.19)
The candlelight at protests against U.S. beef imports has noticeably dimmed amid controversy over their political aims.
Protesters have been criticized for widening their politcal targets, and even threatening to oust President Lee Myung-bak.
In stark contrast to the rallies commemorating the 1987 democracy movement on June 10 - attended by about 80,000 people - the number of protesters at the key venue of Seoul Plaza has thinned to less than a thousand, according to police estimates.
On Monday and Tuesday - when political issues were first brought in as primary topics - about 800 and 500 people, respectively, turned out in central Seoul. Some observers even claimed participants were mostly members of civic groups disapproving of government policies.
From this week on, the coalition of about 1,700 civic groups, named "People's Action for Countermeasures against Mad Cow Disease," have added five government plans to the vigils' official agenda.
The topics include educational policies; the project to build a cross-country canal; and the plans to privatize the health service and public enterprises. The coalition has organized the candlelight vigils since April 27, following the signing of a beef import deal with the United States on April 18.
Critics have berated the coalition for deviating from its initial "pure" purpose of protecting public health from the risks of the brain-wasting disease, and becoming unduly antigovernment by raising such diverse issues.
Lee Moon-youl, a conservative novelist, denounced the candlelight vigils for opposing government policies which have yet to materialize.
"In my view, (the protesters) objecting to all of the yet-to-be-implemented policies of the legitimate government, elected by overwhelming voter approval, appears to be a sort of collective fracas. Continuing their candlelight pranks for too long could burn them in the end," Lee said in a radio interview on Tuesday, prompting some to boycott his books.
Among protesters themselves, concerns are running deeper over the demonstrations "getting sidetracked."
"I feel annoyed while watching some utilizing the candlelight vigils to unconditionally rebuke the government with impure motives. We need to calm down and ponder on what is in the best interests of our nation," says an internet poster with the username "Hanmaeum," in a message posted on the website of the coalition.
Apprehensive about such rising concerns, the coalition is trying to restore public confidence. To rally further support, it vowed to hold a 48-hour "intensive" struggle against the government if their demand for a complete renegotiation of the import deal was not met by tomorrow.
To ease public concerns over divergent vigil issues, the coalition will hold an internet debate for three days - today, Saturday and Monday - to solicit public opinion. The coalition had previously threatened to stage a national movement to topple the Lee administration if it refused to meet its demands. However, it backed off from its initial position, saying that there was no official agreement reached yet regarding the full-scale antigovernment drive, and that it would seek public opinion...
And the same newspaper reported today about following "development":
University students clash over vigils
University student councils appeared to have clashing views on student participation of the anti-U.S. beef candlelight vigils that are increasingly drawing criticism as politicized protests.
The student council of Seoul National University said yesterday it will only join the protests against U.S. beef imports, boycotting the vigils that deal with other political issues.
"The issue students have approved of is regarding the renegotiation of the U.S. beef import deal. Therefore, the student council cannot engage in any activities concerning other political issues," Jeon Chang-yeol, president of the SNU student council, told reporters yesterday.
"If participants at the vigils chant slogans not related to the import pact, we are considering leaving the place or avoiding chanting the slogans."
SNU students collectively joined the candlelight vigils on June 5, calling for nullification or renegotiation of the import deal after nearly 90 percent of the voters at the school approved of the student council's action against U.S. beef imports.
The Korea University student council also remained skeptical about its students taking part in vigils touching on other political issues.
In contrast, the head of the student council at Ewha Womans University, said the vigils should be expanded into protests against overall government policies.
"From the outset of the candlelight vigils, many have raised a series of issues against government policies such as liberalization of universities and privatization of public enterprises," Kang Jeong-joo told reporters.
"The beef row cannot help but be linked to the overall policies of the incumbent government, I guess."
From this week on, protesters have included political topics to their vigils' official agenda. They include educational policies; the project to build a cross-country canal; and the plans to privatize the health service and public enterprises.
A coalition of 1,700 civic groups, called "People's Action for Countermeasures against Mad Cow Disease," set a deadline of today, demanding the government clarify its position on the beef issue. If their demand -- a complete renegotiation -- is not met, it threatened to mobilize every possible means to lead an anti-U.S. beef movement.
The coalition plans to hold another massive rally today at 7 p.m. at Seoul Plaza for 48 hours, in the form of debates or cultural performances, it said.
☞ Citizens Split Over Direction of Candlelit Vigil (Korea Times, 6.20)
And finally you MUST read following "background stories"(^^) published in Chosun Ilbo:
☞ Protest Leaders Show Their True Colors (6.18)
☞ The Real Identity of the Mad Cow Fearmongers (6.13)
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!
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!
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