Big rallies and demonstrations in Seoul over the weekend against American beef resulted in the arrest of 30 some people. The Chosun Ilbo has the story in English here, and you can find other photos and stories in Korean here.
My coteacher was there, along with several other teachers, and she took the redeye train back to Suncheon this morning. She told me I ought to attend one fo the rallies, to experience the atmosphere, but I politely declined. Hahaha, big mistake. I think next time I'd better just say that I don't understand English, or that I'm allergic to outside. Talking about current events is often less a discussion and more of a trial or a dissertation defense, with both sides discrediting the other's sources. Anything that I say coming from the Joongang Ilbo or Chosun Ilbo is immediately thrown out, and my objections to scare-mongering in the media are ignored because those objections are repeated in said papers. It's not that I don't admit there are legitimate reasons for protesting the President or the FTA, it's just that I believe a lot of this passion has stemmed from baseless rumors and intentional deception and that there are motives beyond just food safety (more on that in a later post, along with some context for this conversation, since I normally don't talk about politics with
My coteacher told me about the arrests this morning and that she was very sad about it. She's a very lovely woman, and a bit of an activist if you couldn't tell. Anyway, seeing these photos reminds me of a post The Marmot's Hole had a few days ago titled "Anti-FTA Demonstrators: sheep in the US and wolves at home," based off two stories from the Chosun Ilbo. One of the articles says of a 2006 anti-FTA demonstration, according to Sonagi's translation:
In June 2006 a group opposed to the Korean-US FTA went to the US to hold a demonstration. They obtained permission from the police and peacefully picketed in a confined area.
One wonders why these people who, for one month, paralyzed traffic in the city center behind Gwanghwamun became gentle sheep in the US. It’s because of the awareness that public authorities enforce the law, gloves off, against transgressors on the spot. US law enforcement warned visiting Korean demonstrators through a posted warning, “Demonstrators who touch the police will be arrested immediately.” Although excessive use of police authority can be a problem in advanced countries, it is compensated for by the trust and respect for public authority.
* Update: Fox News has the story, and reports that 68 people were arrested over the weekend.
* Update 2: More pictures from the teachers' rally from the union's homepage.
5 comments:
Yeah, go to a rally/protest in Seoul sometime; it IS quite an experience, but wait until a day when Koreans are angry at Japanese, or Chinese, or university tuition hikes, or LMB for a domestic issue with no anti-American undertones (say, the canal). don't show your white face at an anti-FTA rally, or anything where the US is being scapegoated. I've been sternly warned by a few friends.
Not that you needed ME to tell you that, but, you know.
Don't get me wrong, I love living in Korea 98% of the time, but to be honest I'm kind of scared of being around a large group of worked-up Koreans. I know my coteacher said there were some foreigners there---there's one in the picture---as well as some foreign journalists, but I really don't think I'd enjoy myself. A big part of it is my own immaturity and an inability to detach myself from what I'm seeing. Now, I completely understand the anger at LMB for what seems like selling Koreans out . . . not saying it's justified, but I can at least understand that. But this business about Mad Cow is ridiculous, and I think I need to just stop talking about it, writing about it, or looking at Naver when the headlines are about it. Thing is, I wonder if Koreans will keep all this anti-LMB stuff going on if---and hopefully when---the visa waiver program falls through. Funny that people almost EXPECT it . . . for all their years of faithful ally-hood, or whatever.
That said, they have rallies down here all the time against E-Land---I think that's the name of the conglomerate---who owns Homever and NC Department store. Those are okay. And, to be fair, I always felt uncomfortable around big angry crowds back home. While studying at the University of Maryland the students would riot all the time (sports related), destroy property, attack police and shopkeepers, and I've been through a couple of anti-war rallies in D.C.
I just don't like aggression, whether directed at effigies, at Americans, at the Swiss, or whatever, and whether they take place in Korea, the US, Europe, etc. And from what I've seen in Gwangju and even after the 2006 WC loss, I'm much happier avoiding all that. My coteacher said it's important to leave the comforts of Suncheon, and I agree with that and with her outlook . . . but, yeah, I need to stay out of this fight I think. I'll be the first guy to light up my candle when they hold vigils for the murdered refugees, or the deceased schoolchildren, or even for the War in Iraq . . . but seeing crowds getting so worked-up about this, and having such blind faith in the authorities---all while claiming to be anti-authority---kinda makes me squeamish. Probably because I realize it's only a matter of time before they turn their ire toward GIs or teachers, depending on whatever other garbage they run on PD Diary.
Yeah. I've been trying to stay away from these kinds of topics in my conversation classes too -- when you get that visceral reaction, you're not getting anywhere anyway (cf my recent Dokdo post). I've had a series of conversations with a new coworker (western) about how Korean kneejerk nationalism may not be quantitatively different than American kneejerk nationalism, but it is certainly qualitatively different.
I was two stones throw away from one of the tibet grappling breakouts during the olympic torch thing and that was close enough for me, too. That'll be enough of demonstration culture to last me for a good half year.
(Speaking of which, have you noticed LMB trying to throw up other controversies in an attempt to get public attention off this? Something about Dokdo, something about a major bank acquisition or sale by a foreign company -- nothing's derailing the demagogues this time, now that they're finished licking their wounds after LMB's election victory.)
Just came from one of my final conversation classes for this course. Over coffee at the start of class we were discussing the weekend, and one student, who is a teacher, and a member of the local branch of the teachers union, said she'd been up to Seoul for the weekend. I had to complain that she wasn't trying hard enough because she wasn't among those arrested.
We'd already talked around the topic politely in previous conversations without getting too overheated about it, and tonight was okay too. I started by saying I have no opinion about any of the beef issue, and have heard different stories about the science and the politics behind it all, and don't know what to believe, and then introduced new words and phrases like: rhetoric, media spin, independent verification, emotionally clouded perspectives, playing with statistics, ... damn I missed 'mass hysteria' (that would have been perfect!) so personally I see this topic as a godsend for introducing good new language to the class.
As for what I learned: I hadn't realised that all this talk, whether of English policy restructuring or canals and most particularly beef from the USA is all probably just a means for distracting the people from what is the 'evil' (in Jeollado) LMB's plan to privatise all state owned companies such as water and electricity.
I hadn't realised these services weren't already deregulated, but after looking at the south American countries - which my teacher student knew about, and looking at the New Zealand example too which she didn't - I can sympathise with her fears.
Anyway, main point is just echoing roboseyo's comment that much of the recent hoohaa seems to be about distracting the public from real issues...
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