Thousands of S Korean Christians rally to support US

Times of India ^ | SATURDAY, JANUARY 11, 2003 03:45:33 PM

[DeaconBenjamin]

SEOUL: Pleading to God for peace on the divided Korean Peninsula, 30,000 Christians rallied Saturday to support the US military presence in South Korea and condemn North Korea's suspected nuclear weapons program.

"Lord, we need US troops," chanted the crowd, predominantly Protestant churchgoers, at the plaza before Seoul City Hall. "God, please help North Korea repent and stop developing nuclear weapons."

Participants waved small South Korean flags and let loose thousands of green balloons into the overcast winter sky, shouting "Hallelujah!" Some held US flags.

During a prayer blaring from loudspeakers, pastor Kil Ja-yeon asked God to keep US troops in South Korea to deter communist North Korea, and thousands of followers jumped up and down chanting fervently, "My Lord, My Lord."

The unusual pro-US street demonstration, organized by the General Association of Christian Organizations, a major Christian umbrella group, came amid rising international tension over North Korea's withdrawal Friday from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, a global nuclear arms control pact.

The communist North surprised the world in December by deciding to restart nuclear facilities that were frozen under a deal with the United States in 1994.

Organisers of Saturday's demonstration warned that widespread anti-American sentiment in South Korea might lead to the withdrawal of US troops and endanger the country's security.

"Weird and funny! I have never seen anything like this," said Kim Myong-ho, 22, a college student who believes the US military should be withdrawn to ease tensions with North Korea.

But Moon Jong-won, 55, who participated in Saturday's rally, worried that young South Koreans failed to understand the North Korean threat.

"This is not a time for anti-American protests, but a time for an anti-North Korea and pro-peace movement," he said.

Demonstrators held signs reading: "We oppose the anti-American movement" or "Lord, give North Korea real political change."

The rally was in contrast with a recent series of anti-US street demonstrations by tens of thousands of activists protesting the deaths in June of two South Korean teenage girls struck by a US military vehicle.

Two US soldiers in the vehicle were acquitted of negligent homicide charges in US military courts in November. That touched off candlelight vigils by South Koreans. Activists have used the vigils to demand an end to the US military presence in South Korea.

Most South Koreans support a US military presence, but many also complain about crimes involving US soldiers.

Demonstrators on Saturday demanded that a legal code with the United States be revised to give South Korea more jurisdiction over US troops, but opposed the candlelight vigils.

"We should not do things that hurt Americans' sentiment, especially at times like this," said Chung Jin-kyong, 34.

About 37,000 US troops are stationed in South Korea, a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War.

[cookcounty]

cool.

[Dubya]

Some of us are already not going to buy anything made in Korea N or S. And if I know a Co. is investing in Korea I want buy from them.

This will help w/o getting our young men and women killed by these N. and S Korean jerks.

If enough people would do this it would work in a hurry. Hitting them in the pocket book will do wonders.

[Anti-Bubba182]

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[xrp]

"Weird and funny! I have never seen anything like this," said Kim Myong-ho, 22, a college student who believes the US military should be withdrawn to ease tensions with North Korea.

Our ace reporters caught up with Kim Myong-ho 10 years after she made this publicized statement. As everyone knows, in summer 2004, American troops withdrew from South Korea in the face of increasing political pressure from the South Korean government and a large portion of the citizens of the country. In late 2004, North Korea and South Korea finally signed an armistice bringing an end to 60 years of hostility. In early 2005, the North first made overtures intended towards unification. However, in May of 2005, North Korea invaded South Korea, inflicting hundreds of thousands of casualties and bringing the former prosperous South Korea under the umbrella of its Stalinist practices. The South Korea economy collapsed and millions starved. Now in 2012, Kim Myong-ho looks back and wonders wishes the Americans had never left.

"Fate is weird and funny", Kim Myong-ho was quoted as saying, "turns out the Americans weren't so bad after all. I didn't think I would ever see anything like this."

[shaggy eel]

,,, I see an estimated million people turned out in North Korea for an anti US rally over the weekend and posed accordingly for the cameras. They will probably live to see another meal or two because they're arse kissers and have the energy to stand on two feet - many of their countrymen don't thru starvation. The Christians in the [free] South Korea turned out voluntarily. I'd buy South Korean products, no problem at all. It's anything made in China I avoid like the plague.

[Dubya]

Thats your right to buy what you want.
I stand by my decision not to buy fron the jerks.

[Texas_Jarhead]

well Hallelujah!

[DeaconBenjamin]

Do you object to ROC, or just PRC?

[Centurion2000]

SEOUL: Pleading to God for peace on the divided Korean Peninsula, 30,000 Christians rallied Saturday to support the US military presence in South Korea and condemn North Korea's suspected nuclear weapons program.

"Lord, we need US troops," chanted the crowd, predominantly Protestant churchgoers, at the plaza before Seoul City Hall. "God, please help North Korea repent and stop developing nuclear weapons."

Now we're talking.

[shaggy eel]

,,, PRC only.

[maro]

Note that there is an AGE difference: older South Koreans are more likely to understand that the US protects the peace, since they remember the war, than college kids. There is also a difference between families that fled the North and native South Koreans; the former generally are as anti-Communist as any Freeper. Evangelical Christian denominations are starting to organize demonstrations for the US; Billy Graham recounts that during the Korean War, he lobbied for US intervention on the basis that many Koreans were Christians. The anti-Americanism is due to many factors: nationalism; a Stockholm Syndrome desire to ingratiate oneself with the people who could kill you; and the influence of many Communist agents in the universities and media.

[BenR2]

desire to ingratiate oneself with the people who could kill you

Too bad this won't work for them if the NKors do invade after all!

[Dark Wing]

This is also something to watch.

[American Soldier]

Harder for THIS part of the Korean populace to get out and protest, due to the fact that they actually have real lives to live.

University students and transients have it much easier when it comes to finding time for public activism.

Of course, this will go unreported in most publications. There will need to be MANY of these demonstrations to get the amount of press one anti-American demonstration would get from the overwhelmingly anti-American world media clique.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Re #12

The backbone of S. Korean christians is made up of N. Korean christians who fled from Kim Il-Sung's grip.

[XHogPilot]

Spent a week in Seoul just before Christmas. Looking through the upscale shops in Myong Dong, revealed a shocking bit of information. On a very nice "Hang Ten" brand wool coat, was a "Made in DPRK" label. That's North Korea for those letter challenged individuals - Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea. (The shop keeper appeared shocked when I pointed this out, but still insisted the price of approx $150 US was worth it.) Which brings up several questions:
1. Why is a US corporation licensing its name to a obscenely depraved manufacturer using DPRK factories?
http://www.hangten.com/about/history.cfm?year=2000&image_number=1
http://www.hangten.com.tw/inter.htm
2. Which member of President Kim Dae-Jung's political party (Millennium Democratic Party) got his cut on this business transaction? (With the exception of tightly controlled S. Korean govt' events, it is still a death penalty offense for South Korean citizens to do business with, travel to, or correspond with North Koreans.)
http://www.nobel.se/peace/laureates/2000/
3. Why should I risk my life, and more importantly my nation's soul, defending South Korea? I spent 18 months in the prime of my life, defending the ROK. - I think its time we leave and let these ingrates solve their own problems!

[FreedomPoster]

>>I'd buy South Korean products, no problem at all. It's anything made in China I avoid like the plague.

My wife wanted a laser printer for Christmas. I bought a Made-in-South Korea Samsung instead of an HP, which were all Made in China.

[FreedomPoster]

>>Do you object to ROC, or just PRC?

Most people think "Taiwan", not ROC. Personally, I'll buy something made in Taiwan in a heartbeat.

[Guenevere]

#15...Sadly, this is true.

Maybe I missed it, but I didn't see this Pro-American, anti North Korea rally anywhere on TV.

I hope it was shown.