Korea Independent Media Center

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www.indymedia.org

Check out the feature section.

이무기의 기사가 붙여있습니다.

 

* 기사 바로가기 http://www.indymedia.org/en/2009/02/920422.shtml

 

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Stop forced evictions and further death in South Korea

 

In South Korea, 5 people died while protesting against an imminent forced eviction

 

 

1. Summary of the Incidence

 

 At 6 a.m. on 20^th January, people who were asking for solutions to avoid eviction in February in Youngsan-Gu, Seoul lost their lives as a consequence of violent oppression from the police. A 1500 strong police force was dispatched to disperse about 50 protesters. The police actions taken toward these protesters were similar to those taken in times war. Less than a day after those facing eviction started protesting and without further conversations or an effort to discuss the issues, the government dispatched a special police force and staged an anti-terror operation. After the police entered the building where the protesters were, a fire broke out and the circumstances became dangerous. However, without taking any safety measures, the police proceeded with the operation which resulted in the death of 5 protesters and 1 police officer.

 

Dispatching a special police force for an anti-terror operation in less than 24 hours is a rare case even in South Korea. Since the Conservatives took power however, the police have often cracked down on protesters in a violent way. This incidence also happened under this context.

 

A place to pray for the dead was set up at the spot of the incident. Despite of it being the Korean New Year holiday, visits from people continue. A fact finding committee composed of civilian organizations is carrying out investigations whilst the government is trying to close the case as soon as possible.

 

 

2. Background and Characteristics

 

It is well known that there are many problems coupled to rapid re-development projects in South Korea. Existing solutions (such as compensations, providing temporary place to stay etc) are neither realistic nor properly implemented. It is especially worrisome that forced eviction, which is prohibited under international human rights law, is being pursued under the auspices of the government.

 

South Korea, who is a signatory to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, was requested twice by the Committee on the Economic, Social and Cultural Rights to provide protection to victims of forced evictions. However, as shown in this case, the South Korea government violated its obligation to respect the right to an adequate housing and to not being forcibly evicted. It also violated its obligation to protect the safety and the life of victims of forced evictions. 

 

For over a year, lodgers in the re-development project area demanded the Yongsan-Gu Office for appropriate protection. The Yongsan-Gu Office provided no opportunity for talk or negotiation. Local lodgers went to the Youngsan-Gu Office to file an appeal but got rejected. During this appeal process, private security officers hired by the construction company threatened the lodgers and sexually harassed them. However, the police did not take any action against the private security officer’s practices. Despite the fact that eviction in the cold season requires the taking of special measures prior to the eviction, the Youngsan-Gu Office approved the construction company’s request to initiate the re-development from February. Lodgers faced with forced eviction entered the empty building to stage protests against this process and lost their life due to violent police operation.

 

Lodgers living in re-development areas are excluded from both the process and results of re-development projects as they do not own a property in the area. Re-development to improve the housing condition causes inequality in housing as many lodgers have to move into a place worse than their previous housing. A serous problem is that in the previously re-developed area, only 10~15 % of local residents will get to stay in that same area.

 

Lodgers suffer a serious violation of their housing rights during the re-development process. The aim of re-development projects should be in improvement of housing conditions and relieving poverty for the people living there. The government is obliged to provide necessary information and guarantee participation for people living there regardless of their ownership of the housing. However, these demands are ignored by the government and the construction companies who get benefits from the re-development in South Korea.

 

On the other hand, the investigation carried out at the government level is criticized for being biased. The police carried out autopsies of the bodies of the victims without the consent of their families. The police report on the incident was revealed to be false in light of a variety of evidence reported by the major media. The police attitude, which is neither democratic nor transparent, creates deeper mistrust. A fair and impartial system for the investigation is urgently required. Rather than trying to close the case as soon as possible, an effort to prevent this kind of tragedy from happening again and a guarantee of democratic participation are required.

 

 

3. Demands

 

․ Guarantee participation of civil organizations in the investigation process to secure a fair and thorough investigation.

․ Punish those responsible for the incidence.

․ Review current re-development projects which do not guarantee the right to housing of the lodgers.

․ Guarantee the right to housing as a human right.

 

 

4. Action for everyone

We would like to show international support at the second pan-national memorial for the dead. Please email us your supporting messages and let us know whether you would sign our statement by noon of the 30^th January. Please also send us a copy of your complaints for those responsible. Sending complaints for those responsible continues until mid February.

Email to Sarangbang Group for Human Rights : humanrights@sarangbang.or.kr

   

1) Send us your supporting messages.

 

2) Please sign the statement below.

 

We urge the South Korean government to protect victims of forced evictions and to carry out a thorough investigation and punish the responsible for the deaths that occurred during the police action in Youngsan-Gu, Seoul 20th January 2009   We pray for the repose of the deceased who protested to secure the right to housing. With sorrow and anger about the deaths, we send our warmest regards to the family. We feel devastated with the reality that a demand for a living with dignity turned into a death and send our support to the family and people in South Korea who resist against the government.   We pay attention to the fact that this incidence was rooted in the problems of the re-development process in South Korea and resulted from a unilateral over-use of public power. We regret that the South Korean government has attacked its citizens who protested against forced eviction and tried to protect their right to housing. Dispatching a special police force is an act of labeling its citizens as a terrorist group, which is contrary to the state’s obligation to respect and protect the rights of its citizens. The government further damaged its fairness and trust by trying to close the case as soon as possible and in carrying out autopsies of the bodies without consent of the family’s concerned. We urge the South Korean government to apologize to the families concerned and come up with measures to prevent a similar case happening again in future. We demand the acceptance of responsibility for this incident from Seokgi Kim, the head of the Seoul Police, Sehoon Won, the minister of the Ministry of Public Administration and Security, Jangkyu Park, the head of the Yongsan-Gu Office, Dongsan Baek, the head of Yongsan Police   We confirm that the aim of re-development projects should lie on improving the right to housing. We are concerned that the re-development process in South Korea has become a means to earn more money for certain groups, such as construction companies, rather than follow an approach based on international human rights law. Under the international human rights perspective, forced evictions are a clear violation of human rights. Despite the fact that the South Korean government should, as a signatory to the ICESCR, take steps to prevent forced evictions, the government itself used police force against citizens who tried to realize their right to housing, resulting in the death of five citizens and one police officer. According to human rights organizations in South Korea, for over a year demands by lodgers in the re-development project area for appropriate protection, talks and negotiations were rejected by the Yongsan-Gu Office. They had asked several times to make plans for re-settlement but received no answers back. Out of desperation prior to the forced eviction, these people staged protests that cost them their lives. We urge the South Korean government to review any re-development projects that do not provide protection to the lodgers and that do not guarantee the participation of citizens.   Sending our support and expressing our solidarity to those in South Korea demanding a thorough investigation and punishment of the responsible, we urge the following:   * Guarantee participation of civil organizations in the investigation process to secure a fair and through investigation. * Punish those responsible for the incidence. * Review current re-development projects which do not guarantee the right to housing of the lodgers. * Recognize housing as a human right and guarantee this right to housing.

 

 

3) Please, send any protesting messages to the following addresses:

 

Myung-bak Lee, the president of South Korea

http://www.bluehouse.go.kr/kr/index.php

1 Sejongno Jonno gu

Seoul Korea(110-820)

Tel +822-730-5800

Fax: +822-770-4943/+822-770-2440

 

Sehoon Won, the minister of the Ministry of Public Administration and Security

 http://www.mopas.go.kr

 Tel +822-2100-3000

 Fax: +822-2100-4001

 

Seokgi Kim, the head of the Seoul Police

 http://www.smpa.go.kr 

Tel +822-720-3993

Fax: +822-754-7000

 

Sehoon Oh,  the Mayor of Seoul (Metropolis)

http://www.seoul.go.kr

Tel: +822-731-6060

Fax +822-737-8688

 

Jangkyu Park, the head of the Yongsan-Gu Office

http://www.yongsan.seoul.kr

Tel: +822-710-3333

Fax +822-718-0333

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용산 철거민 학살 사건 반대 촛불집회에 참여하면서, 주말마다 무료시장을 열기도 하고, 스스로 문신하는 법을 동영상으로 만들어 올리기도 하는 등 요즘 진보넷 블로그와 imc korea 에서 왕성한 활동을 하고 있는 김승현 (http://blog.jinbo.net/giraffe ) 군이 텔레비전에 나옵니다!
다들 잊지말고 꼭 챙겨보세요.

시간은 2009년 2월 3일 화요일 저녁 7시 30분이고요, KBS 에서 방송이 됩니다.
공중파를 타고 나오는 김승현 군의 활약을 놓치지 마세요!
프로그램은 제목은 Love in Asia 라고 합니다.

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NEW IMC PROCESS - HOW IT WORKS

So that you can know what to expect, here's a brief description of the current process that the New IMC Working Group follows. Because we're all humans and we rely on our diverse communication styles, this is not designed to be a perfect science, but rather to be democratic, transparent and flexible. This process has been evolving as we continue to improve the process and to incorporate helpful feedback from participants.


   1. Pre-organizing: the first step is to talk with people in your community and try to get the sense if there is interest in forming an IMC. Once you have formed a collective, or as you are forming it, ask yourselves these questions:
          * (1A) How does the makeup of your collective reflect the diversity of the local community (e.g. in realtion to gender-, sexual-, spiritual-, and/or cultural-identity)?
          * (1B) If your group currently does not represent the diversity of the local community, particularly in relation to groups who are underrepresented in mainstream society and denied access to vehicles of expression, what steps will be taken to address this on an ongoing basis?
          * (1C) What steps will be taken to involve individuals in workfields new to them? What measures will be taken to overcome a gendered work division?
   2. Look at the documents linked at this site (see below).
   3. When you think you're really ready to do some good organizing, fill out the form at the bottom of the http://newimc.indymedia.org page. The person filling out the form and the person written as contact will receive a password for updating the http://contact.indymedia.org database. Please keep this password carefully.
   4. Open a mailing list: http://newlist.indymedia.org (If there are problems, you can try emailing listwork at sos.indymedia.org . If nothing happens after a few days, you can try asking on irc on #listwork if someone has answered your "ticket" (your request). Read ListworkWorkingGroup to understand how the group of listwork volunteers functions.) Please read NewImcMailingListIssues about openness of the list.
   5. O - R - G - A - N - I - Z - E !!!!
   6. With your forming collective, write
          * (6a) an updated mission statement (see below) and
          * (6b) an editorial policy
          * and maybe contact imc-tech@indymediaSTOPSPAM.org at this stage.
   7. When you're really ready, and only when you're ready, reply to and send to new-imc at indymedia.org your collective's responses to these (you might disagree with some of them, please be honest, it's as much for your own group's self-organising than for the network):
          * (7a) MembershipCriteria
          * (7b) PrinciplesOfUnity
   8. Your new-imc contact proposes your site
          * internally to new-imc, if no one blocks within 3 days, this is passed to
          * globally to http://lists.indymedia.org/mailman/listinfo/imc-process/ and http://lists.indymedia.org/mailman/listinfo/imc-communication and if no one blocks there within 7 days, then...
          * you become part of the network! This will be official when your imc sponsor sends a 'Welcome' email to imc-process, imc-communication, and new-imc.
                o If your website is not ready yet: the contact person in your group, who received a password for the contact database at step 3, should update your entries in http://contact.indymedia.org to show that your collective is accepted in the network
                o When your website is ready:
                      + DNS: you should ask dns@sos.indymediaSTOPSPAM.org to get your domain name alias (somewhere.indymedia.org) - see SoS for more info on the sos system and to check the progress of your request, and
                      + cities list: Your http://contact.indymedia.org/ entry should be updated to "live" (by the contact person in your group, or by your new-imc helper) so that your site goes onto the http://www.indymedia.org/cities.inc list; also update other information there for your collective
   9. The fun begins. Get involved in the global lists and Indymedia discussions and decisions. Offer to work with other IMCs from your area or elsewhere around the world. Do good work.
  10. Change the world, for the better of course. We wouldn't expect anything less.

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for those of you who are not familiar with what is going on in korea these days, here's the situation:

The S. korean police SWAT team killed 5 tenants who were resisting a forceful eviction in brutal raid.
During the raid a cop also died.
A group of tenants, on the verge of getting evicted in this cold winter, occupied an empty building in Yongsan area, central Seoul, to let their desperate situation know to the general public and resist together.
 
The police commandos started attacks early morning of Tuesday, Jan 20, jointly with hundreds of riot police soldiers and thugs hired by large companies aiming at redevelopment of the area.
Conglomerates such as Samsung and Posco kicked out most of the tenants living in the area and cleared most of the buildings to build luxurious buildings.
It is estimated that the conglomerates can make profit of 4 trillion won or some 1 billion US dollars.
The police started the violent attack just 24 hours after the tenants occupied the empty building.
Tenants prepared painter thinner to make molotov cocktails and to warn the police off the building.
As soon as the attack started, fire erupted suddenly, which may have caused the deaths.
The building was heavily guarded by the hundreds of police and so nobody could get out of the building.
The Seoul metropolitan police and the prosecuters say that the fire was caused by the molotovs, blaming the 'squatters' for the deaths.
Evicted tenants fighting for their basic rights were dubbed as 'urban terrorists' by the authorities.
But it is for sure nobody could have died if the Seoul govenrmnet had tried to sit down and talk with the protesters.
More than 20 people got severe burns and everyone in the building was arrested.

A rally was held on Friday, Jan 23 and some 3,000 people attended to demand punishment of the cheif police commissioner and step down of the President.
Currently, we have candlelight vigil at the Yongsan building every night and there will be another big rally in Seoul on Saturday Jan 31.

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“아니, 도대체 왜???” why, why, and why?                             IMC Korea 준비모임 맛봬기         

대안미디어로 세계 방방곡곡에 경계를 넘는, 다양한 소식을 알려야 하는 이유

작년 광우병 촛불, 미네르바. 더 많은 이 작은 나라 안팎 이야기는

지구 안 수많은 사람들의 이목을 끌고 있어요.

근데 인터넷에 떠돌고 있는 한국에 대한 많은 영어 기사들은 

수많은 차이와 이 땅의 사람들, 여러분 모두를 대변하고 있지 않아요.

오히려 왜곡과 과장된 한 쪽 면만을 부각시키고, 흑백논리로 일관되어 있지요!

(1월 22일자 J신문 일부발췌) “I did not consult with my upper chain of command about this operation,” Kim told the National Assembly’s committee on government administration and security.

행정안전부 상임위원회에 김석기 청장 내정자는 “나는 윗선과 이 지시에 대해 상의하지 않았다.”고 밝혔다.

“I tried to persuade the squatters [to leave] and repeatedly warned that the police would forcibly remove them if they continued illegal action,” he added.

그는 또 “불법 점거자들을 (떠나도록) 설득하려고 노력하였고, 불법 행동을 계속한다면 경찰이 억지로 그들을 끌어내겠다고 계속 경고했다.”고 말했다.

(1월 22일자 K신문 일부발췌) The prosecution yesterday spurred the investigation into the latest fatal clash between the police and squatters with calls for the authorities to conduct a "transparent" and "objective" probe.

검찰당국은 어제 “투명하고” “공정한” 정밀 조사를 행하기 위한 사명을 확인하며 경찰과 불법 점거자들 사이에 있던 치명적인 충돌 정밀조사에 박차를 가했다.

President Lee yesterday again expressed his condolences to the families of those who died. He has postponed reshuffling to fill empty Cabinet posts until the situation is under control.

이 대통령은 유가족에게 애도를 표했다. 그는 이 상황이 통제될 때까지 내각의 공석을 남겨두겠다고 했다.

"It is heartbreaking and very lamentable that lives were lost in such a tragic incident," the president said in a meeting with his top presidential secretaries, according to an official who asked not to be identified.

신원을 알리지 말라고 부탁한 한 관계자에 따르면, 대통령은 대통령 수석비서관 회의에서 “이러한 비극적 사고로 생명을 잃은 것이 매우 가슴아프고 슬프다”고 말했다.

1. ‘철거민’(1대1 번역할 단어는 없음)이야 ‘불법 점거자’(squatter)야?

J영자신문을 비롯한 몇 개의 ‘내로라하는’ 영자신문들은 ‘철거민’을 설명하기 위해 'squatter'라는 단어를 쓰고 있어요. 영자신문에서는 더욱 쉽게, 철거민들이 ‘(공유지, 미개간지의) 불법 점거자, 무단 입주자, (소유권 획득을 목적으로 하는) 공유지 정착자’라는 불법 파렴치한으로 정의됩니다.

2. 왜, 영자신문은 경찰, 정부 측 말만 싣는 거지?

검찰이 옳은 판단을 내리고, 공정하게 사건을 해결할 것이라는 ‘희망적인’ 메시지. 그러나,

우리는 이 순간, 이 땅의 현실을 희망적이라고 생각하나요?

이 언론이 사람들이 꼭 알고 싶어하는 것을 알려줄까요? 신원을 알리고 싶지 않은 관계자가 전한 대통령의 말을 기사에 꼭 넣었어야 할까요? 대통령이 자비롭고, 인간적으로 묘사되는 기사에‘불법 점거자’로 일반 시민이 규정되는 것이 정의로운가요? 여러분이라면, 어떻게 쓰고 싶으신가요?

이 땅에 한 번도 오지 않은 사람들은 이번 사건을 어떻게 이해할까요?

‘자비로운’ 대통령과 ‘공정한’ 검찰, ‘비도덕적인’ 시민들...

그들이 얻을 단서는 인터넷에 돌고 잇는 몇 개 안되는 일간지 영자 신문,

간혹 자신의 시각을 담은 몇몇의 블로그 뿐...

우리는 스스로를 알릴 수 있고, 우리를 알릴 때가 온 겁니다.

더 많은 사람들이 함께 다른 누구보다 현실적이고, 객관적이고, 공정한 이야기를 만들어

세계 방방곡곡의 수많은 인터넷 인구에게 전한다면, 그들은 열렬한 지지를 담아 응답할 것입니다.

우리 스스로 왜곡되지 않은 진실을 만드는 대안미디어가 됩시다!

다들 여기로 http://blog.jinbo.net/imc/ 모여서 대안미디어를 만들어가요.

 

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이 전단지를 다운받아서 인쇄하고 배포하려고 합니다. 같이? 하자!!! 내일 집회에서 합시다. 이것은 전단지 2개입니다. 인쇄하고 나서 잘라서 배포하면 됩니다.

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IMC-kimchee tech team notes - 

people: 지각생, 돕, 제프, 승현, 도영

talked about software we can use for our imc site.

Dada imc software uses ruby, which doesn't work well in korea. we would need our own server.

plone, zope, python, would also require our own server

dada, mir, sfactive?

drupal uses php so we can be hosted here.

should we have our server abroad or korea? safer abroad?

dope: had server before in UK it seemed to slow. speed is an issue

CIA has raided servers in UK before.

there is a method to have server abroad and cache common pages for rapid pace.

jinbo.net people - dope asked if they would support imc, and they will decide 1-21.

maybe they will offer space or we can buy it. raise money how?

pb and j holds fundraisers for ngo's and events. contact linda for info

dopehead.net - his server is too small

we could start own site first. run it. then later get recommendation.

미문동 has server we can use. but maybe unstable for the long term.

one server in Labor net and 2 in MWTV, need place with constant internet and power.

blood sisters office? must find one.

what webspace? jinbo.net? 20,000 won a month, and little space.

hosting.jinbo.net/guide/service.html 

much space on media culture action server computers?

not much~

need a sugar daddy.

rogue imc has hosted other imc's.  ethan will ask them.

jigak suggests we start with our own server. use mimoondong but buy memory. hosting is expensive and not safe from the oppression of the state. jinbo.net is safest from the law.

doyoung mentioned maybe using MWTV space for our servers.

maybe we can have meetings in their studio as well? 

jigak will find out about dadaimc compatability. 

japan imc is not doing well. only about 2 people,

g8 media network (japan) doyoung will ask them about solidarity.

rack space to put computer in suyu. ask mwtv to ask suyu to use the space. (mention imc)

ask Labor.net for DNS domain space

buan media activist camp 에 asia media network, public video network, champon~ maybe use them for hosting and server space.

on Thursday a media activist will be here from japan. ask then.

doyoung will ask about champon's  ability to host us.

suggestion that 지각 makes the site. 승현 manages it.

tech team should find new people 모집!!!!!

ask bum if he'll be global list liason.

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PRINCIPLES OF UNITY
독립미디어센터 협동의 원칙

1. The Independent Media Center Network (IMCN) is based upon principles of equality, decentralization and local autonomy. The IMCN is not derived from a centralized bureaucratic process, but from the self-organization of autonomous collectives that recognize the importance in developing a union of networks.
1. 독립미디어센터 네트워크(IMCN)는 평등, 탈중심주의, 지역 자치의 원칙을 바탕으로 한다. 중앙집권적이고 관료주의적인 운영을 지양하고, 네트워크 구축의 중요성을 인식한 공동체들이 자율적인 자기조직 원리에 따라 운영한다.

2. All IMC's consider open exchange of and open access to information a prerequisite to the building of a more free and just society.
2. 모든 독립미디어센터는, 보다 자유롭고 정의로운 사회를 만드는 필수요소인 정보의 자유로운 교환과 접근을 보장한다.

[3. All IMC's respect the right of activists who choose not to be photographed or filmed.]
3. 모든 독립미디어센터는 사진이나 동영상에 찍히고 싶지 않은 활동가들의 권리를 존중한다.

4. All IMC's, based upon the trust of their contributors and readers, shall utilize open web based publishing, allowing individuals, groups and organizations to express their views, anonymously if desired.
4. 모든 독립미디어센터는 필자와 독자의 신뢰를 바탕으로 누구나 자유롭게 (필요하면 익명으로) 쓸 수 있도록 공개 웹 출판 형식으로 운영된다.

5. The IMC Network and all local IMC collectives shall be not-for-profit.
5. 독립미디어 네트워크와 각 지역 독립미디어센터들은 비영리로 운영된다.

6. All IMC's recognize the importance of process to social change and are committed to the development of non-hierarchical and anti-authoritarian relationships, from interpersonal relationships to group dynamics. Therefore, shall organize themselves collectively and be committed to the principle of consensus decision making and the development of a direct, participatory democratic process] that is transparent to its membership.
6. 모든 독립미디어센터는 사회 변화의 ‘과정’의 중요성을 인식하고, 개인 뿐만 아니라 그룹들간의 소통에 있어 반위계적이고 비권위적인 관계를 만들기 위해 노력한다. 따라서 합의에 의한 의사결정 원칙과 직접, 참여, 민주적 과정을 따라 그룹을 조직하고 운영한다.

7. [All IMC's recognize that a prerequisite for participation in the decision making process of each local group is the contribution of an individual's labor to the group.]
7. 개인이 지역 센터의 의사결정과정에 참여하려면 어떤 형태이든 ‘노동’을 제공하는 것이 전제가 되어야 한다.

8. All IMC's are committed to caring for one another and our respective communities both collectively and as individuals and will promote the sharing of resources including knowledge, skills and equipment.
8. 모든 독립미디어센터는 개인간 혹은 그룹간 깊은 협력 관계를 유지하며 지식, 기술, 장비 등의 자원을 공유한다.

9. All IMC's shall be committed to the use of free source code, whenever possible, in order to develop the digital infrastructure, and to increase the independence of the network by not relying on proprietary software.
9. 모든 독립미디어센터는 독점 상업 소프트웨어의 사용을 자제하고 가능한 공개소스를 이용하여 자유로운 디지털 인프라를 구축하고 네트워크의 독립성을 촉진한다.

10. All IMC's shall be committed to the principle of human equality, and shall not discriminate, including discrimination based upon race, gender, age, class or sexual orientation. Recognizing the vast cultural traditions within the network, we are committed to building [diversity] within our localities.
10. 모든 독립미디어센터는 평등의 원칙을 지키고 인종, 성, 연령, 계급, 성적 성향 등의 이유로 차별하지 않는다. 네트워크 내의 다양한 문화를 존중하고 자신이 속한 지역에도 다양성을 만들어나간다.

본문

1월 22일 목요일 인디미디어 코리아 전체 준비모임을 합니다.
장소는 서울 광화문에 있는 미디액트입니다.
시간은 오후 7시부터입니다.

중요한 내용 등을 결정하는 회의이기 때문에 시간 내서 꼭 오세요.

we will hold the imc korea general meeting at Mediact in Kwanghwamun area, thusday Jan 22, 7 pm.
we're gonna be making lots of important decisions so be there!