403개의 게시물을 찾았습니다.
Well - in my opinion - it seems that the first 24 hours of the MASS PROTEST MARATHON (for 72 hours, from y'day until Sunday/72시간 릴레이 국민행동) is - until now - a full success!
From y'day evening until today between 70,000 (Tong-il News) and 100,000 (KCTU) took the streets of downtown Seoul (City Hall Plaza, Sejong-no..). According to KCTU yesterday in the late evening around 50,000 people gathered in front of Seoul City Hall. Only two hours later (at about 10 p.m.) 100,000 people crowded there!!
And even today in the morning hours about 10,000 people continued the protest in downtown Seoul!
Here you can read Scott B's impressions from Thursday (night) protest:
"..I was out there at Kwanghwamun again last night (Thursday) and if Korea is going to ever have its "Woodstock" this may be it. There were several large drum circles with like 30 drums, people dancing in the center and hundreds looking on; several other folk-type bands playing Crying Nut or Deli Spice songs (with the odd anti-ChoJoongDong ditty thrown in which was kind of incongruous but whatever); and another band with an accordian player and even a foreign drummer, along with a violinist and guitar player..
..The mood was much more festive and there was a sense of joy or juissance as the French say: All the college kids were out in force and mostly in their own circles, either drinking around a fire or even more funny, the girls from women's schools doing their sort of cute little cheerleader synchronized dancing ("Bring it!"). So there was a variety of people and styles (even quite a few red devils in their glowing red horns) but the dominant mood was much more festive despite the highly decentered assemblage of people, and since they are going through the weekend we'll see if this turns into a full-scale Woodstock-like cultural event that really flips this society upsidedown (it was also notable that the police did nothing to break things up even though about 10,000 people were still occupying Kwanghwamun when I left at 5am). I did meet a cool (Korean) activist/NGO guy who came up to me because he had read my last book and recognized me and we had a good long talk: I asked him if this was a movement (undong) or revolution (hyongmyong) and he said he had no idea what to make of this thing yet but he seemed rather ambivalent about its future or long-lasting potential as am I (at one point he pointed to people putting anti-gov't stickers on the police buses and said "They're just playing, they're just having fun."). Oh, and he also said a lot of people he knows on the left are attacking Hankyoreh these days. Anyway, the big day is next Tuesday where they're hoping for 1 million people; alas, given the dearth of drugs here and seriously crowd rocking bands, any comparisons to Woodstock or true cultural revolution may only be superficial at best. The jury's still out on this thing."
☞ 시민들의 '난장'이 시작됐다 (통일뉴스, 6.05)
☞ 반2MB 72시간 릴레이 국민촛불 현장 (KCTU, 6.06)
Yeah, and right now (KST23:00), according to some KCTU comrades, about 200,000 people are gathering near Gwanghwamun..
李정부 박살내자!
자본주의 박살내자!
While yesterday and today once again tens of thousands of people took the streets in downtown Seoul...
...but also in Busan and several other S.K. cities, to demonstrate against the LMB administration, a broad coalition of 1,700 civic groups, (left) political parties, solidarity/resistance organizations and labour unions prepared the next highlight:
THE PROTEST MARATHON
The coalition will hold a protest for 72 hours (72시간 릴레이 국민행동) from tomorrow evening until coming Sunday without any break! In the reality it means that there will be rallies, demonstration (and street battles???) during the daytime besides the usual nightly "candlelight vigils".
But that could be just a "warm-up" period for coming Tuesday's (6.10)
1,000,000 People Candlelight Mass Action
100만 촛불대행진
Related articles/reports:
☞ SNU Students to Boycott Classes.. (Korea Times..)
☞ One Rainy Day, a Glimpse Into Candlelit Vigil (..6.04)
☞ 민주노총 촛불 '네티즌·시민과 함께' (KCTU, 6.04)
李정부 박살내자!
자본주의 박살내자!
1.) KCTU y'day predictad that there's "No More Hope for Lee Myung-bak Government!" (1)
2.) After the (last) weekend of STATE TERROR, executed by thousands of riot
cops in the streets of Seoul, even the bourgeois S.K. media had to report about
the POLICE TERROR against tens of thousands of demonstrators. And there are
some evidence that the attacks by the riot cops (they even used SWAT units) were
(likely) well-planned to "terminate" the increasing street protests against the "ruling"
Lee Myung-bak administration.
One video piece is showing a chief of one riot cop unit adivising his officers: "Do not
get caught (by the protestors' cameras) hitting the elderly, women, children or handicapped
people. If we get caught then we would get in trouble (it would give people more ammunition to fight back). And in case you got caught, then snatch the cameras from the protestors
right away with help of your colleagues. Get rid of any evidence!"
K. Times (6.02) reported: "In a 5-minute-long clip, a riot police officer grabbed a
female protester's hair and threw her down beside a parked police bus. As she
was attempting to crawl under the bus, the officer relentlessly kicked her in the
head and stood on her neck she managed to get beneath the bus screaming out
in pain. Another police officer at the scene then hurriedly stopped the video
camera from recording." (2)
(1) ☞ S.K. Gov't Crack Down Peaceful Demonstration! (KCTU statement, 6.02)
(2) ☞ Police Under Fire for Overuse of Force (Korea Times, 6.02)
Y'day's Korea Herald reported following:
Police under fire for violence against.. demonstrators
The government is scrambling to contain the fallout from police violence against
demonstrators protesting U.S. beef imports last weekend.
Video clips have been circulating online showing police kicking a female
protester, hitting demonstrators with metal shields, firing water cannons and
dragging drenched protesters.
One video clip taped Sunday shows Lee Na-rae, 21, a college student at Seoul
National University, being thrust onto the ground following violent scuffles with
authorities and then being kicked by a boot-clad riot policeman.
Lee told local media that she hid beneath a nearby police bus to avoid further
assault. She was beaten again after she emerged.
In another clip, a soaked and half-naked protester on top of a police bus was
shoved onto the ground.
Different footage shows a crowd of protesters being chased by riot squads, who
later caught and beat them with their metal shields.
Reflecting growing public frustration against the government, the slogans chanted
at the initially peaceful candlelight vigils, first held on April 27 against U.S. beef
imports, have changed. Demonstrators who originally called for renegotiation of
the import pact are now demanding the ouster of President Lee Myung-bak...
Since May 24, 545 demonstrators have been detained, according to police. Of
them, 211 were booked without detention while 21 were brought to summary
trials. Fourteen were released with warnings and 299 are still under detention...
More, but independent evidences of the POLICE TERROR:
☞ [6.01] Video Report (by Hong Gil-dong.., 6.02)
☞ [5.31/6.01] Report, incl. pics and video (KCTU, 6.01)
Related:
☞ Injured Citizens File Lawsuit Against Police (K. Times, 6.03)
李정부 박살내자!
자본주의 박살내자!
Since more than 24 hours, almost without any break, tens of thousands people are taking the streets to protest.. AGAINST THE CURRENT S.K. GOV'T!
And since Saturday evening they - school children, university students, labour union/political activists and thousands of "ordinary" citizens - are confronted with excessive POLICE TERROR!
While the wave of demonstrations (mainly as "candlelight vigils")..
..started few weeks ago with protests against the KORUS FTA - especially against the resuming of beef imports from the USA - now, since some days, a majority of the protestors are demanding the resignation of the LMB gov't..
Today's Korea Herald reported that..
..Protests against U.S. beef imports are intensifying with more violent clashes between police and demonstrators, despite increasingly tougher dispersal measures by the police, including the use of water cannons and on-site detentions.
Thousands of people again inundated streets in central Seoul, chanting slogans criticizing the Lee Myung-bak government, which they claimed trampled "the will of the people," calling for measures to safeguard public health. The demonstrations stretched into early this morning.
"Violent police move out! Lee Myung-bak step down!" protesters shouted.
The protests are expected to further intensify in the lead-up to the government's formalizing of the new import terms, slated for tomorrow. Once published in the official gazette, the pact with the United States will immediately go into effect.
Opposition parties also ratcheted up their pressure on the government yesterday, calling for either nullification or renegotiation of the import deal. The main opposition United Democratic Party joined the unceasing wave of protests and initiated its own campaign outside the parliament yesterday, demanding the government renegotiate the import deal. The liberal party is expected to launch campaigns across the nation with its regional offices taking part.
UDP members are also reportedly considering joining the candlelight vigils, something the party has been vacillating about as their participation could make the vigils appear politically motivated.
Party leaders of the progressive Democratic Labor Party launched a ribbon-hanging event as part of efforts to publicize its opposition to the beef deal. About 300 DLP members are expected to join the party's daily rallies.
The minor New Progressive Party is set to soon file a damages suit against President Lee and Agriculture Minister Chung Woon-chun.
Police in Seoul detained more than 200 protesters between Saturday night and yesterday morning on charges of contravening the demonstration law following the 24th candlelight vigil, which drew an estimated 100,000 citizens.
Reminiscent of the 1987 pro-democracy movement, in which pent-up public resentment against the military junta led by Chun Doo-hwan was unleashed in central Seoul streets, about 40,000 citizens packed Seoul Plaza during the candlelight vigil Saturday. The vigils were held at about 100 locations nationwide, including Busan, Daegu, Gwangju and Incheon.
Nearly 10,000 riot police were deployed in central Seoul. They used water cannons, clubs and shields to disperse increasingly uncontrollable demonstrators during the protests that began at around 8:50 p.m. on Saturday and ended at around 9 a.m. yesterday. (*)
Scores of injuries(**) were witnessed, but no official word was released.
Around midnight Saturday, about 9,000 protesters occupied roads near the government complex in Jongno, central Seoul, and the entrance of Cheong Wa Dae, the presidential office, chanting anti-government slogans.
At around 4 a.m. yesterday, police started to use water cannons as protesters continued to refuse police dispersal orders. Police also dispatched special troopers to push the demonstrators back away from the presidential office...
* Of course it's wrong!! The protest demonstrations in Seoul started on Saturday at 4 p.m and until now there's no end in sight!!
** Over 100 citizens sustained injuries in the fiercest clashes yet with riot police during all-night street protests over the weekend (K. Times, 6.01)
Related reports, pictures, videos..:
☞ Report, incl. video about the current police terror (KCTU)
☞ '광우병 촛불'이 '광우병 항쟁'으로 (통일뉴스)
☞ [5.31, afternoon/evening] Photo Report
The bourgeois (extreme reactionary and of course very close to LeeMB and the "ruling" GNP) daily newspaper Chosun Ilbo published last Friday (5.30) following report:
Massive Protests Send Message to President Lee
Over 10,000 people gathered in downtown Seoul to protest against the resumption U.S. beef imports on Thursday, marking a sixth day of demonstrations that blocked the roads of the capital. Civic groups organized a candlelight vigil at 7 p.m. in Seoul Plaza in front of City Hall that drew many university students, with the flags of major universities like Korea, Sungkyunkwan, and Ewha prominently visible in the crowd.
Democratic Labor Party lawmaker Kang Ki-kab said the government “ignored public opinion” when it decided to go ahead with the announcement of new import rules for beef. Demonstrators shouted slogans like, “Nullify the agreement, and withdraw the announcement” and “Withdraw the announcement, it will be judged by the people.”
Led by an anti-Lee Myung-bak group that took to the streets around 8:30 p.m., protesters marched from Euljiro 1-ga and Gwanggyo through Jongno 2-ga and 3-ga, back to Euljiro and on to Jongno 1-ga. They eventually occupied the eight-lane avenue in front of the Gwanghwamun Post Office and attempted to enter Sejongno, which leads to Gwanghwamun. But police barricaded the street with police busses while 105 companies of altogether 9,000 police officers were stationed in the Gwanghwamun area, the largest number since the candlelight vigils started.
Choi Bo-sig from the Chosun Ilbo’s National/Politics News Desk observed the protests during the past five days. Here is his account of the events:
What is noticeable in this rally is that it is not centrally controlled. Even though there may be some groups who are leading the demonstration, they are failing to drive the people into a single direction. Most participants seem to believe misinformation on U.S. beef available online, and came out because of genuine indignation.
When police blocked the crowds from entering the roads on Sunday night, a woman in her 30s with a baby on her back asked officers if they wanted their children to eat U.S. beef. “I came here to protect my child,” she said. Around 1 a.m., five middle school students were debating whether they should go home or stay. “It’s not cowardly to go home now because we’re going to come again tomorrow,” one of the girls told the boys. This emotional innocence seemed impervious to logic.
For them, occupying the roads does not seem so wrong compared to the government’s indifference to people’s legitimate demands. The World Cup experience, of huge crowds going out into the streets and supporting the Korean national football team, also fed into this demonstration. “I love this country because when something happens everyone comes out into the streets,” one protestor said.
A police officer said police are uncomfortable about having to forcefully disperse crowds made up of ordinary citizens -- middle and high school students, salarymen on their way home, women wearing high heels and miniskirts. “There is no channel for dialogue,” an officer complained.
It was impressive to see workers who would have to be up early the next morning take part until late at night. One 31-year-old office worker who gave his name as Kim stayed with the demonstrators until 2:30 a.m. on Tuesday. Kim, who voted for President Lee Myung-bak, said he knows that there is only a slim chance of being infected with mad cow disease from eating U.S. beef. “But the president did not seek any understanding from the citizens, and didn’t consult public opinion when so many people were concerned and fearful about it,” he said. “ That clearly shows what he thinks of the masses. He believes the people are his employees who should follow the decision made by the CEO of the country. I regret my vote every day,” Kim said. That perhaps sums up what is really in the minds of the people who were swarming through the heart of the capital. The government fatally missed it.
For more please read:
☞ Leaderless, Candlelit Vigils Show No Letup (K. Times, 6.01)
☞ It's Not About the Beef Anymore (OhmyNews, 5.30)
李정부 박살내자!
자본주의 박살내자!
Really? Is such a ("logical") development possible??(*):
Is 'Made in USA' Backlash Next? (Korea Times, 5.30)
The ongoing protest against American beef may develop into an anti-"Made in the USA'' product campaign.
"Let's boycott U.S.-made products,'' read one posting Friday on a popular Korean Internet portal. "It's not just the Korean government that's pushing this import deal on Korean consumers. The American government is in on it. Let's boycott U.S. products,'' it continued. Such postings urging a boycott appeared following the government's announcement of the official resumption of beef imports, Thursday.
"Let's begin a campaign to boycott U.S. products. Boycott Hollywood movies! Don't wear Nike! Don't drink Starbucks coffee and stop going to McDonald's, Pizza Hut and KFC,'' read another Internet post.
U.S. companies with a business presence in Korea could suffer losses from the beef controversy if the campaign gains traction.
Choi In-ki, a top policymaker for the main opposition United Democratic Party, said last week during a National Assembly meeting that the U.S. government has nothing to gain if public resentment against its beef exports continues to build. The public backlash could expand to become an anti-U.S. products campaign, Choi told reporters...
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2008/05/116_25062.html
* But actually everything can be possible:
Yesterday K.T. reported that "armored vehicles with teargas launchers were dispatched" (against the ongoing "anti-US-beef" protests in the center of Seoul).
And now imagine that a tear gas grenade is hiiting and killing a middle school girl! And the tear gas grenade was "Made in USA"!!
Or imagine following scenario: The S. Korean army is buying used attack helicolpters AH-64 Apache from the US Army (☞ S. Korea Considers Buying Secondhand U.S. Copters). And one of the copters, a short while later, is crashing... in a middle school in Gyeonggi-do!! Well, just imagine..
Yeah.. of course following report by today's Korea Times is really "helpfull" to support the current "anti-US..":
☞ 'US Ready to Hit N. Korean Targets'
Related articles:
☞ Massive Candlelit Vigil Planned for Saturday (K. Times, 5.30)
☞ Street Protests, Hunger Strikes, Resignation Demands.. (Marmot's Hole, 5.30)
☞ "너희 월급 세금이다. 비켜라" (통일뉴스, 5.30)
☞ 첫불대오 덕수궁앞 대치중 경찰버스 시민 깔아 (KCTU)
*****
Protesters attempt to block distribution of stored beef (K. Herald)
Police are tightening security at 12 warehouses in Gyeonggi Province as protests intensify following the resumption of U.S. beef imports yesterday.
Some 1,800 officers will be dispatched to six warehouses in Gwangju, four in Yongin, one in Incheon and one in Hwaseong, where a combined 2,066 tons of U.S. beef is being stored. The beef has remained frozen since Oct. 5 when banned backbone fragments were found.
The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, the nation's biggest labor umbrella group, said yesterday it will launch an all-out struggle against the government to block the planned release of the meat from the warehouses, presaging clashes with police.
"The government completely ignored public demands calling for securing health, and made a decision for the good of the U.S. livestock industry instead. Scrap the notification and renegotiate the import deal," the KCTU said in a press conference held in front of a beef storage house in Yongin.
"The Lee Myung-bak government has crossed a line that it should not have crossed. The formal notification of the import terms is tantamount to waging a war against citizens."...
"A full-fledged struggle will be initiated the moment the shipments of U.S. beef begin. It will be peaceful, but it will be the government's fault if the police crack down on us high-handedly," the KCTU added...
While thousands of protestors took the streets today/tonight (after the S.K. gov't today announced to resume the beef import from the USA), the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (SMP) sent thousands of riot cops to make advertisement for its most famous(*) product:
"CHICKEN CAGE CAR TOURS"
"닭장차 투어"
Let's enjoy a free trip, organized by the SMP (from the rally place to the next prison!!)
For more details please check out:
* Well, of course the "Chicken Cage Tours" are wellknown by S.K. resistance movement - since at least 20 years..
But at the end there will be no fun anymore:
"Thousands of riot police and armored vehicles with teargas launchers were dispatched." (K.Times)
Over 100 detained after beef rallies (Korea Herald, 5.29)
Over a hundred demonstrators were detained during protests against U.S. beef imports held between Tuesday night and yesterday morning in central Seoul, officials said yesterday.
Police held 113 protesters for illegal acts, including obstructing traffic. Four high school students were immediately released while the remaining 109 are being questioned in nine separate police stations in Seoul.
It was the highest number of detentions in four successive days of protests. Most of the detainees voluntarily turned themselves in so as to avoid injuries and clashes with riot police.
"Today, the demonstrators voluntarily got into the police cars after they were besieged by police, which jacked up the number of the detained," said a police officer.
Between Sunday and Wednesday, police detained 211 protesters, mostly in their 20s and 30s. Seventy-six have been released while 135 still remain in police custody, according to the police. No serious injuries were reported.
Senior Cheong Wa Dae presidential secretaries, led by presidential chief of staff Yu Woo-ik, yesterday met to draw up measures to rein in the demonstrations, which are turning increasingly violent ahead of the official notification of beef import terms, slated for later this week. The beef agreement takes effect on the date of the formal notification.
During the meeting, they reaffirmed the government's stance that the right to freedom of expression and assembly through peaceful candlelight vigils must be protected, while illegal street rallies must be sternly dealt with so as to strengthen law and order.
They also stressed that law enforcement authorities must focus on dealing with protest leaders who "strategically and collectively" orchestrate the demonstrations, while building a watertight case for their clampdown on illegal protesters.
Since May 2, police have been investigating the leaders of five civic groups that organized the candlelight vigils in protest against the April beef deal with the United States.
Jongno Police Station has ordered 10 leaders of the groups to appear for questioning by June 2 on charges of violating the Law on Assembly and Demonstration. Police are also considering seeking arrest warrants if they refuse to respond. No formal arrest warrants against any of the protesters have been sought yet by the police.
On Tuesday night, about 2,000 citizens took part in a candlelight vigil in Cheonggye Plaza in central Seoul, demanding the government either scrap the import deal with the United States or renegotiate it.
About 1,500 started marching onto the streets near Seoul City Hall and other major areas in central Seoul at around 9:15 p.m., causing serious traffic snarl-ups. They chanted slogans, calling for the release of the detained protesters and the nullification of the import deal.
Residents of many other cities also took part in candlelight vigils yesterday, including 900 in Busan and 300 in Ulsan.
Related stuff
☞ 안국역 부근서 5천여명 행진中 (통일뉴스, 2.29)
TEACHERS TO PART-TIME COPS!!
The S.K. ruling class is experimenting with new and creative forms of "democracy" (as you can read in the following report by today's Korea Times)!!
Wow, that's really progress and development! But actually I don't understand what the new S.K. gov't has to criticize on the N. Korean reality!!?? The Dear Leader in P.Y. couldn't give a "better" order!! (Counter question to some S.K. "progressive" organisations: ...? Well, I think you know what I mean..!!??)
Teachers Mobilized to Disperse Anti-US Beef Rally
More than 800 teachers, mobilized by the education authorities, attempted to send home their students participating in the rally against the U.S. beef imports at Cheonggye Plaza, Saturday.
The teachers were there to "guide'' the participating students to go home at the instruction of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education. The education office said students could get hurt in the crowd if they are involved in a clash with police.
Rally organizers and students criticized the education authority's measures. "Banning and supervising students' voluntary participation is an infringement of their human rights,'' a member of the civic coalition against U.S. beef imports said.
Students, civic group members and citizens have held candlelit vigils almost every evening since May 2 to oppose the full opening of the local market to U.S. beef.
Like other vigils since May 2, however, there were neither clashes between ralliers and police, nor any other dangerous, violent situations at the Saturday vigil where 30,000-40,000(*) people gathered. The exact tally varies depending on agencies.
Many teenagers have taken part in the rallies, saying they will be the main "victims'' of American beef, which they believe to be unsafe. They have lit candles despite police warnings that such rallies are illegal.
Educational authorities said earlier that some media and political groups are agitating the youth protests. Some schools sent written requests to students' homes to urge parents to dissuade the children from participating in the demonstration.
The mobilization of teachers at the rally site came after police questioned a high school boy who reported his rally plan to police. On May 6, a police officer in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, took the student out of class and questioned him over why he did it and who was behind the protest. With public criticism mounting for this incident, the officer and school teachers said the questioning took place during break time, not class ― which turned out to be false. The police officer was suspended from his duties.
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2008/05/117_24348.html
☞ 청계광장 6만촛불 집결 '2MB OUT' (민주노총, 5.17)
☞ '버티는 MB, 커져가는 촛불' (통일뉴스, 5.17)
☞ '국민촛불 이명박정권 강타' (민주노총, 5.18)
Only two weeks ago OneFreeKorea (US) cheered: "Better Them Than Us: Korean Nationalism Turns on China", but (fortunately) this was just a short "pleasure"! Just few days later the "Korean Nationalism" (unfortunatey) turned back to business as usual, the "National Struggle Against the US-Imperialism".. and founded the..
Anti-Mad AmeriCow Revolution
Since about ten days tens of thousands of demonstrastors are taking the streets of S.K. to protest against the planned (based on the SK-US FTA agreement) import of US beef, "very likely infected with BSE" (..of course, what else!?!?).
Tens of thousands of people in S.K.'s major cities took to the streets last Friday and Saturday protesting the government's decision to resume imports of U.S. beef after a five-year ban.
Only on Friday more than 30,000 people participated in a candlelight vigil in Seoul which was organized by a coalition of 1,500 civic groups and Internet-based communities in what was the biggest gathering since the government announced plans to relax the import restrictions on U.S. beef.
And the Americans in SK.. What they've to say?: "The Koreans are Mad at 'Americow' Disease!"..
☞ They May Already Have vCJD (K. Times, 5.08)
☞ President's arrogance contributed to continued protests (Hankyoreh, 5.10)
☞ South Korean beef overcooked (Asia Times/HK, 5.07)
☞ Rally Against US Beef Sweeps Nation (Korea Times, 5.10)
☞ One Million Netizens Favor Impeachment
☞ Text-Message War Looms Over Candlelight Vigils
☞ Police Issue Strong Warning to Candlelit Ralliers
PS:
My suggestion how you can avoid the contaminated U.S. beef: EAT DOG MEAT and KIMCHI!! And dont't forget to drink every night (at least) one bottle of SOJU!! It's very healthy and you support the local producers!!
4.09 General Election in S.K. - the final results (according to K. Herald):
Grand National Party - 153
United Democratic Party - 81
Liberty Forward Party - 18
Pro-Park Geun-hye Alliance - 14
Democratic Labor Party - 5
Creative Korea Party - 3
Independents - 25
..and the New "Progressive" Party got: NOTHING!
Well, finally it's a brutal result - but it was foreseeable. Especially the almost total defeat of the "left"/"progressive" parties (DLP, NPP).
WELCOME TO THE REALITY!! (sorry!!!)
And of course the S.K. bourgeoisie is now in party mood:
☞ Progressives Sidelined (Korea..)
☞ Conservatism Sweeps Korea (..Times)
*****
But, hopefully, this development is terminating any illusions about the current (capitalist!!) system! Just remember the spring 2004 when hundreds of thousands of citizens - among them many labour, anti-war, human right activists were demonstrating to defend Roh Moo-hyun (during the impeachment campaign against him), despite the fact that he already proved that his policy also stands just for (increasing) exploitation and oppression(*).. So - hopefully - the current (political) development will lead to a situation where something like that never will be happen anymore!!
* Almost a half year before the impeachment campaign the Roh dov't started with the massive crackdown against un-documented migrant workers. In spring 2004 our sit-in strike in Myeong-dong took place since almost 4 month. And during the anti-impeachment protests, many rallies were held on the same place were we had our sit-in strke (Myeong-dong Cathedral compound) and we were criticized by a large number of political activists (many of them called themselves "leftwing", "progressive", even "socialist"..) about our strong anti-gov't/anti-Roh positions..^^
Progressive parties fighting uphill battle
The Democratic Labor Party stunned the nation in 2004 when it became the nation's first leftist group to win seats in the National Assembly.
Four years later, these representatives' popularity is shrinking, and there is a split in their ranks. Their prospects in the parliamentary elections tomorrow are slim.
The DLP earlier this year disintegrated into two parties after factional feuding that was triggered by its meager showing in the December presidential election.
The DLP's candidate, Kwon Young-ghil, got 2.8 percent of the vote, far lower than the party's projection of 10 percent. He won 3.9 percent in the 2002 election.
The DLP and its splinter group, the New Progressive Party, are striving to reinvigorate the left wing in the upcoming elections.
The DLP fielded candidates for 103 constituencies and 10 proportional representation seats, while the NPP registered 34 candidates for directly elected seats and 11 for proportional ones.
But voters are increasingly uninterested in politics which stresses ideology, and this has led to what analysts see as a crisis for progressives.
In recent opinion polls, the DLP and the NPP ranked fifth and seventh, respectively, with approval ratings of about 3.8 and 1.9 percent.
The progressive duo has two major problems, according to the experts.
They have no regional strongholds, unlike the Grand National Party, with its major support in the southeastern Gyeongsang provinces, and the United Democratic Party, with its base in the southwestern Jeolla provinces.
The DLP and NPP candidates are not even doing well in their only home turf, Ulsan, according to recent surveys. In five constituencies of the industrial city, progressive candidates have gotten less than half the approval ratings of the leading candidates.
Compounding the problem for leftists is the fact that South Koreans have become fed-up with ideological conflict among political parties. Analysts say that this has much to do voters' having been disenchanted and even alienated by the policies of the Roh Moo-hyun administration.
Citizens are now more interested in a pragmatic agenda which stresses issues related to their livelihood. This sense of priorities is amplified by the deepening strains in the economy.
Workers, farmers and many lower-income voters sent 10 DLP members to the legislature in 2004, but the group's support has dwindled over the last four years.
Progressives attribute this to the party's dependence on the radical Korea Confederation of Trade Unions as its main support base. Additionally, there is the party's stubborn pro-North Korea stance.
In the wake of its utter defeat in the presidential election, members of the minority People's Democracy faction led by Reps. Sim Sang-jeong and Roh Hoe-chan sought to revamp the party. But they gave up their DLP membership after they failed to patch up their differences with the mainstream National Liberation group over the party's stance on radical labor groups and Pyongyang. The defectors formed the New Progressive Party on Feb. 16, and adopted moderate policies.
The progressive parties are emphasizing their trademark concerns: welfare for workers, farmers and the underprivileged. The DLP has also used the very specific slogan: "Half Tuition, Temps into Regular Workers." The promise is to improve working conditions for temporary workers and cut the skyrocketing university tuition to 1.5 million won ($1,500) per semester.
And the NPP decided to field the nation's first openly lesbian politician for a parliamentary seat.
In addition, they are seeking to improve their prospects by aligning with other liberal parties so as to derail the Lee Myung-bak administration's controversial cross-country canal plan.
But a party split will mean fewer parliamentary seats and a weaker voice for workers and farmers in the Assembly, analysts point out.
The progressive parties are focusing on a few politicians, in recognition of the fact that their fate largely depends on these individuals' success.
The DLP is concentrating its support on Kwon Young-ghil and Kang Ki-kab, who are running for in Changwon and Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province, respectively.
Kwon, who is trying for a second term, is slightly ahead in recent opinion polls against his GNP rival. Kang is behind the GNP's Lee Bang-ho, but is doing his all to narrow the margin to 5.2 percent.
The NPP's co-chairman, Roh Hoe-chan, is fighting against Hong Jung-wook of the GNP. In the latest Munhwa Ilbo survey, Roh has 38.3 percent support, outperforming Hong by 7.5 percentage points.
Another co-chairman, Sim Sang-jeong of the progressive party, is running against the GNP candidate, Sohn Beom-kyu in Goyang-Deokyang, Gyeonggi Province. Sim lags behind by a margin of about 10 percentage points, but is hoping for better by integrating with the UDP candidate, Han Pyeong-seok.
A group of progressive intellectuals and lawyers have joined the campaigns for progressive candidates, along with dozens of celebrities, including people in the film industry.
최근 덧글 목록