We call your immediate attention to what’s happening in Korea at this very moment.
Since the South Korean government announced a new beef import agreement with U.S. (April 18), worried Koreans—mostly middle and high school girls who would become known as “candlelight girls”—started holding candlelight vigils in downtown Seoul. As you may know by now, these almost daily vigils recently evolved into daily street protests.
However, we’re witnessing a decisive turning point now. Last night (May 31–June 1), tens of thousands of Koreans pulled off all-night street rallies in downtown Seoul. Some large groups of protesters peacefully proceeded in the direction of the Blue House, the presidential residence. The police responded with bus barricades and water cannons. During this confrontation, a high school student who was protesting on top of a police bus was attacked by a water cannon, and has reportedly lost one eye. The police discharged water directly to the student only several feet away, which is absolutely illegal. Here are some pictures showing protesters being attacked in a like manner:
There have been countless other cases of police violence and abuses. Here’s a series of pictures (taken by a staff reporter at ohmynews.com) showing riot police chasing a protester and attacking with billy clubs on the back of his head:
Here are some other pictures showing protesters injured by the police:
And some dropped fainted during scuffles with the police as shown below:
We can’t believe what we’re seeing. All this eerily reminds us of those tumultuous years of Korean politics when Korean youths poured out into the streets to protest against military dictatorships. It’s a sad irony to see the children of those protesters in the 1980’s back on the streets.
It would seem that Lee Myung-bak and his regime crossed the Rubicon. Koreans are now calling for ousting him from power.
We Koreans need your support. Right now. Please report and share what’s happening in Korea.
Thank you.
[URGENT] Democracy in Korea is under attack from its own government.
May 31, 2008We call your immediate attention to what’s happening in Korea at this very moment.
Since the South Korean government announced a new beef import agreement with U.S. (April 18), worried Koreans—mostly middle and high school girls who would become known as “candlelight girls”—started holding candlelight vigils in downtown Seoul. As you may know by now, these almost daily vigils recently evolved into daily street protests.
However, we’re witnessing a decisive turning point now. Last night (May 31–June 1), tens of thousands of Koreans pulled off all-night street rallies in downtown Seoul. Some large groups of protesters peacefully proceeded in the direction of the Blue House, the presidential residence. The police responded with bus barricades and water cannons. During this confrontation, a high school student who was protesting on top of a police bus was attacked by a water cannon, and has reportedly lost one eye. The police discharged water directly to the student only several feet away, which is absolutely illegal. Here are some pictures showing protesters being attacked in a like manner:
There have been countless other cases of police violence and abuses. Here’s a series of pictures (taken by a staff reporter at ohmynews.com) showing riot police chasing a protester and attacking with billy clubs on the back of his head:
Here are some other pictures showing protesters injured by the police:
And some dropped fainted during scuffles with the police as shown below:
We can’t believe what we’re seeing. All this eerily reminds us of those tumultuous years of Korean politics when Korean youths poured out into the streets to protest against military dictatorships. It’s a sad irony to see the children of those protesters in the 1980’s back on the streets.
It would seem that Lee Myung-bak and his regime crossed the Rubicon. Koreans are now calling for ousting him from power.
We Koreans need your support. Right now. Please report and share what’s happening in Korea.
Thank you.
Posted in Comments and analysis | Tagged Democracy in Korea |