CINA

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Last Friday(3.10) the South Korean Constitutional court unanimously voted 8-0 to uphold the South Korean National Assembly vote to impeach Park Geun Hye from elected office as President...(source: BWI, 3.10)

On the same day(3.10) KCTU declared today as "a day of victory for the candlelight revolution". It also made it clear that the impeachment is not the end but a new beginning of a long journey to abolish deep-rooted evils including regressive labour reform, to change our society and our workplace...

Yesterday(3.11) in central Seoul: The 20th and final weekly rally was held at Gwanghwamun Square to celebrate ousting President Park Geun-hye, over four months after the eruption of a widespread corruption and influence-peddling scandal implicating her...

A festive mood was prevalent at the rally attended by an estimated 650,000, where rock stars such as Jeon In-kwon and Han Young-ae performed, and fireworks lit up the skies of Gwanghwamun...

While sharing the joy over Park's impeachment, participants called for the completion of remaining tasks...

These include the arrest of the former President for her involvement in the scandal, the trials of others involved in the scandal, and for acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn, who is viewed as continuing the Park administration, to step down.

Organizers recited a declaration drawn up by citizens, which called for the existing system of politics and business to be reformed, the guarantee of basic rights in labor and social welfare, and an end to discrimination related to gender and social minorities...(source: Korea Times, 3.12)

Here you'll get KCTU's (Korean)report, incl. lots of pics...

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South Korea and the United States have begun placing the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in South Korea. According to the Ministry of National Defense, some of the equipment including two THAAD missile launchers were brought into the country on Monday(3.06)...

Yesterday's Kyunghyang Shinmun reported the following: When news that the launchers for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missiles had arrived at the Osan Air Base in Gyeonggi-do spread on March 7, the residents near the golf course in Seongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do, the final destination of the missiles, could not conceal their surprise. The group of residents against the placement of the missiles suggested that they could break away from their previous stance of a "peaceful response" and take physical action...(the full report you can read here)

Yesterday's protest rally/demo in Soseong-ri(Seongju county) - now the "frontline" village - very close to the planned THAAD deployment site... 

...was supported by KCTU/KMWU activists...

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Friday is a crucial day in the fate of "President" Park Geun-hye(PGH) and the country. At 11 a.m., the eight justices of the Constitutional Court will deliver a verdict on the impeachment of the President, which will be televised live...

Supporters and critics of President Park Geun-hye are gearing up their rallies to the greatest intensity possible to express their opinions, with the Constitutional Court set to deliver its ruling on her impeachment...

The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), the second-largest umbrella union and the organizer of the anti-Park Geun-hye candlelit vigil rallies(*), said they will gather near the square at 7 p.m. Thursday before marching toward the court.

"The Constitutional Court was established to protect the public against abuses of power under authoritarian regimes," a KCTU official said.

"We expect the court will deliver an 8-0 ruling to uphold the impeachment."

Now that the ruling is imminent, the group added, the future course of action should focus on the "post-impeachment roadmap," by increasing their demands on the state prosecution to put Park behind bars.

"Immediately after the ruling upholding the impeachment, as we believe the court should announce, we will keep raising our voices for a district court to issue an arrest warrant for Park and for the prosecution to conduct the investigation in a no-holds-barred manner," the official said.

"Unless our demands are met, we will keep holding candlelit vigils, peacefully but steadfastly."

The group plans to hold a rally on Friday, with statements prepared for both scenarios in which impeachment is upheld or overturned.

On Saturday evening, the group plans to hold a candlelit vigil with musical performances scheduled to celebrate the court ruling, on the premise Park is removed from office.

"We know our plans on Friday and Saturday are based on the results we want, but we warn that the court justices should beware of the consequences before they decide to overturn the impeachment. We will then respond with full-fledged civil disobedience," the official said...(source: K. Times, 3.09)

* In fact, KCTU is just ONE part of the organizing committee!!

Related articles in Korean:
☞ 퇴진행동 “만장일치 탄핵인용 확신”, 11일 촛불집회는 축제로 (노동과 세계, 3.09)
☞ 퇴진행동 “8대 0 탄핵 인용 확신” 목금토 대규모 집회 (참세상, 3.09)

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The Constitutional Court will deliver its ruling on the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye at 11 a.m.(KST) Friday. Bae Bo-yoon, a spokesman for the court, announced the date after the eight justices spent two-and-a-half hours in behind closed door deliberations, which started at 3 p.m. Wednesday. "The ruling will be broadcast live," Bae said. If six or more of the justices vote in favor of impeachment, the President will be immediately removed from her post. In that case, with her presidential immunity from prosecution gone, she will no longer be able to dodge the investigation into her alleged crimes, including bribery that could put her behind prison for life...(source: K. Times, 3.08)

Related article:
☞ Eight of 10 Koreans back jail for Park Geun-hye (K. Times, 3.07)

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Last Saturday(3.04) in the afternoon/evening(KST): About 950,000 citizens chanted slogans calling for President Park Geun-hye’s impeachment to be upheld, for Prime Minister and acting president Hwang Kyo-ahn to resign, and for a "Spring without Park Geun-hye", during the 19th candlelight demonostration in Seoul's Gwanghwamun Plaza...(source: Hankyoreh, 3.06/KCTU's report, incl. lots of pics you'll here)

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That's a part of my yesterday's contribution, related to the planned THAAD deployment in S. Korea(Gyeongbuk-do, Seongju County)...

Here you can read a detailed article, published in today's Hankyoreh, depicting the current situation in Soseong-ri(village) and yesterday's protests against the THAAD project.

PS. As you can see here...
 

...KCTU also joined the protest demo!!

Today's editorial in Hankyoreh: On THAAD, reconsider now to avoid catastrophe...

But there's only ONE way to avoid the "catastrophe": The people united...