Posted on 06/11/2008 1:55:20 AM PDT by bruinbirdman
By the time the final brace was welded to the immense metallic fortress in the centre of Seoul, the country knew that this was no longer just about an unpopular policy to resume imports of American beef.
The new presidency of Lee Myung Bak is in meltdown and his closest political allies — including the Prime Minister — resigned yesterday en masse. The sight of a 20ft “Berlin Wall” of shipping containers blotting out all view of the presidential residence revealed a Government rattled to the core.
“June the 10th is rat-catching day,” bellowed protest leaders through vast loudspeakers positioned in front of the graffiti-plastered fortress. “It is the day the Korean people become the cat that destroys Lee Myung Bak.” As the demonstrators swelled in numbers and vehemence, Catholic nuns rubbed shoulders with leather-faced steel workers. Teachers’ unions stood side by side with truant-playing students. Mothers with babes in arms chanted for freedom of the press, while political cartoonists called for cheaper fuel.
Fearing a repeat of the weekend’s violence, South Korea’s national police raised their state of alert to the highest level and readied themselves for a night of rioting. Light skirmishes between supporters and opponents of Mr Lee had already begun by mid-afternoon.
South Korea is no stranger to street protests but as night fell over the capital, the hundreds of thousands of demonstrators who had marched to the heart of the city knew that this was no normal rally. The oratory was much farther to the political left than anyone has heard for decades. The list of grievances — from the privatisation of state utilities to the minimum wage and a proposed “grand canal” across the country — revealed a society profoundly ill at ease with the Government it recently elected.
Dozens of other interest groups and labour unions told The Times that the US beef issue was a convenient pretext for a bigger protest.
“The people of Korea have many scores to settle with this Government,” said Kim Duk Yeop, one of the rally organisers. “Today is where they all come to the surface.” Everyone who joined the march yesterday — including those not even born in 1987 — knew the political significance of the date. It was timed to coincide with the 21st anniversary of the huge pro-democracy protests that shook the authoritarian regime of the time to its foundations and paved the way for the country’s first free elections.
The sight of the massive steel wall, erected by the authorities, and ranks of riot police has played to the protesters’ sloganeering that Mr Lee has “taken Korea back two decades” in terms of democratic rights. That atmosphere was enriched with nostalgic allusions to the riots of yesteryear. Members of one group of demonstrators who had been students in 1987 said that the day would not be complete “without the smell of teargas burning our nostrils”. At one point in the evening the speaker on the main stage was interrupted by the news that the presidential website had crashed. A mighty roar rose into the night, followed by a live rendition of Morning Dew — the anthem of the 1987 protesters and a song that left their 2008 counterparts in tears.
For the growing forces ranged against the President, the resignation of his Cabinet appeared to be a triumph. The resignations plunge Mr Lee’s three-month leadership into a crisis that some believe he may not survive. Since February Mr Lee has weathered a breakdown in relations with North Korea, a scandal that claimed the patriarch of Korea’s most famous company, Samsung, and a spiralling inflation menace that now threatens to derail the economy.
The hysteria over the feared dangers of US beef has proved the most incendiary. Despite his landslide victory, the popularity of the conservative, pro-business leader has fallen farther and faster than any of his predecessors.
The “mad cow” protests mask a strong mistrust of Mr Lee and his plans to revive the economy. For the past six weeks he has faced widespread protests over plans to restart imports of American beef, suspended five years ago amid concerns over BSE. The vehemence of recent protests last month was enough to delay Mr Lee’s plans to begin US beef imports, which are now being tweaked to make them appear more acceptable. The restarting of beef imports is part of a wider free-trade agreement struck between Seoul and Washington in the last days of Mr Lee’s now widely despised predecessor, Roh Moo Hyun.
ping
I’d be keeping an eye on the DMZ — not sure if Li’l Kimmie is in a position to be able to take advantage of the SK instability, but I’m sure that he’d like to try.....
His government was elected under a strong tide toward conservatism. If it has to dissolve over US beef issue, which has been banned for a while anyway, and is replaced by a leftist government, I would say it’s very unfortunate.
The People get excited about new leaders as if they are saviors, then it wears off very quickly, and then those leaders are ajbectly unpopular.
The People can NEVER be pleased. Lee will just be one in a long line, a series, of leaders who are heralded and then run out of town on a rail, as the average Korean looks for an illusive leader which will bring them ultimate satisfication, which of course will never occur.
Until then, we will see cycle after cycle of huge crowds in the streets at candlight processions.
At least they DO have a choice, where as the poor Northies are saddled with the Kim family for generations to come.
“The hysteria over the feared dangers of US beef has proved the most incendiary.”
The cases of mass hysteria ocncerning fears with absolutely no basis in scientific fact, would seem to be a worldwide phenomenon. Governments topple, economies are left in ruin. Pro-business governments seem to be unable to survive, even with the vast powers of both “big business” and the government.
The more they bring in extra agenda not related to original grievances, and the more militant leftwing organization(labor unions, and leftwing activists) join in and try to insert their agenda, this protest would lose its steam.
However, to make it die down, he has to do a few things, including resolving this beef issue.
Actually, I do see the hardcore left and Lee Myung-bak go at each other for a while. It will soften Lee's hubris and expose the hardcore left again for what they are.
Kim Jong-il is clearly pulling all stops to make this situation worse.
I am banking on Kim and his minions in the S. Korea left overreaching.
” Kim Jong-il is clearly pulling all stops to make this situation worse. “
What’s bothering me is some reports that I vaguely remember seeing a few months ago about a substantial NK buildup along the DMZ - with no subsequent reports of withdrawals...
The question is how desperate is Kim, given that his mind games with the US has slowed the relief shipments he was counting on??
If they think our beef is bad, wait till they get a load of our tomatoes.
How many Koreans have died from US beef?
What idiots.
Perhaps we should ban Hyundai cars for awhile...
“You can taken the peasant out of the third world country but ...”
For 35 years I’ve watched as South korea exports everything they can produce to the U.S. with little tariffs or import duties.
While on the other hand it costs 300 percent import fee to import ANYTHiNG from outside South Korea.
Sounds fair huh?
How about we place a 1000 percent duty on Hyundais until they agree to open their markets to our goods duty free.
We subsidize their defense and their govt. how about playing fair for our goods?
And isn’t it about time to pull our troops? It.s only been 60 years.
Having said that, Lee is an ass. The guy needs some beating to get his behavior in order. He even alienated a big chunk of his own support base.
US out of S. Korea. We have no strategic interest there anymore, the cold war is over. I’m sick of paying to defend a bunch of ungrateful children.
They can buddy up with their allies to the north, or live under their yoke, for all I care.
300% tariffs on Korean goods sounds like a nice start.
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