Protests in South Korea imperil government

// added June 10, 2008 // 16 comments //
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mjsmith11

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http://biz.yahoo.com/nytimes/080610/1194783974197.html?.v=3

President Lee Myung-bak confronted the biggest challenge to his young and increasingly unpopular administration Tuesday as tens of thousands of demonstrators filled central Seoul to protest his agreement to resume suspended imports of American beef and to denounce a broad range of other government policies.

The country’s entire cabinet offered to resign as a way to help Mr. Lee find a way out of the crisis. It was unclear if he would accept the resignations.

Mr. Lee’s 107-day-old government has been increasingly beset by fears that his agreement to reopen markets to American beef could expose the public to mad cow disease.

or the past 40 days, central Seoul has been rocked by demonstrations , which began as rallies by hundreds of teenage students, singing, dancing and holding candles to protest the importing of American beef. They have now evolved into a protest against government policies on education, health care and consumer prices.

Once hailed as a potential savior of South Korea’s troubled economy, Mr. Lee has lost public confidence in his leadership over a broad range of policies at a time South Korea is grappling with a slowing economy and a prolonged crisis over North Korea’s nuclear weapons programs, political analysts said.

"Lee Myung Bak, OUT!" the protesters chanted, brandishing yellow and red cards carrying the same message.

The rally almost had a mood of festivity, with the city center reverberating with anti-government slogans and people dancing to the tune of songs blared from loudspeakers.

Overhead, large balloons carried banners that read “Judgement day for Lee Myung Bak" and "Re-negotiate the beef deal." One widely distributed leaflet said: “Mad cow drives our people mad!”
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    Current News UK,  Protest,  South Korea,  Trade,  7 more

16 comments // Protests in South Korea imperil government

  • Katmai512
    • 0
      Katmai512  

    • Seems like S. Korea has a very healthy democracy but at a price. People become easily agitated at the smallest things without full understanding of the politics involved.

      For one, S. Korea used to be a heavily protectionist state and the US propped it up during the Cold War as an example to the Communists. (Ditto goes for Japan, Taiwan, Germany and, the only failure, Iran). That is why the Korean Chaebols survived for a long time (among them is Samsung; the biggest failure was Daewoo with $80 billion in debt). No company can amass such a massive debt without support for long.

      Anyway, to get the new FTA with the US, the major string attached was the importation of beef into S. Korea. Its a quid pro quo for the whole agreement to go through. Depending on which side of the equation your in, the FTA can be a good thing or not.

      And apparently most Koreans don't think so. Now we have a too democratic S. Korea that's currently on its 6th republic since it was carved out by the Superpowers in 1948. I think they're about to set up the 7th.

    • 1 year ago
  • MissAmanda
    • 0
      MissAmanda  

    • im not really taking offence to the south koreans not wanting US beef. it takes that piece of revenue from us, which is a swift kick...but if they don't want US beef, Mr. Lee, don't feed them US beef...

    • 1 year ago
  • pcs007
  • timunuhe
  • CarlosIsDown
  • abbym0308
    • 0
      abbym0308  
    • Image...

    • Mr. Lee is going to great lengths to fight for his political life. He's nowconsidering appointing one of his biggest political rivals prime minister after huge street demonstrations called for his resignation.

    • 1 year ago
  • Day2Day1nSociety
  • mjsmith11
    • 0
      mjsmith11  

    • Our food supply is just fine. I remember when there was a boycott of US Beef in Canada because of Mad Cow disease. It turned out that the source of the Mad Cow disease was from Canada to begin with. Canada should have banned their own beef and ONLY consumed US beef. The issue with our food supply is not the beef. The issue with our food supply is sugar and other carbs that make up the majority of out diets. This huge consumption of sugar and other simple carbohydrates is what it leading to massive health care issues for so many people.

    • 1 year ago
  • TyMarshal
  • mjsmith11
  • amirct3
  • CarlosIsDown
    • 0
      CarlosIsDown  

    • If it were america, they would've been pepper sprayed, and gased. Fuck, I wish we could protest like that.

      Hell, I have a feeling that the healthcare plan might get shot down. I think we should stage a protest if that happens.

      Crap, now I'm on the FBI's most wanted list.

      I mean, err. . . . . I love this country and it's private sector. I also love the current healthcare plan and woudl never riot/protest . . . .

    • 1 year ago
  • GreenScreenCinema
    • 0
      GreenScreenCinema  

    • South Korea has a very healthy, interactive democracy in which public protest is an extremely common site. I would not put too much into this. It's summer, it's hot, and indoor air-conditioning is really not up to standard there. These people would be out in the streets at night anyway. Might as well bring a candle and call it a protest.

    • 1 year ago
  • Katmai512
  • cerealforeal
  • AlbeeYap
  • mjsmith11

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