If you missed the fairly large anti-American Unification demonstration near Seoul’s city hall on August 15, 2007, I have included these pictures so that you can get a feel for what it was like.
This guy was one of the few leading the parade - he was part of the group armed with Ak-47’s and tormenting the Iraqi people. He was quickly swept away along with the “War for Oil” carriers.
Not to be outdone, the children gave their own performance. Can’t remember if they sang the “American Military are Bastards” song or not…..but their performance was well-greeted by the highly entertained crowd. The large banner in the background has amongst other things: “The Korean peninsula without the American military.” Seems fitting on August 15th. The demonstration, according to a police superintendent that I stopped and asked, was nearly 4,700 people strong.
39 Comments
So starving and dying in an isolationist shit hole is preferable to having the US military in Yongsan? Ok. I for one am willing to let them live their dream.
I am too. And as for whether it’s “fair” to “abandon” that silent majority who supposedly love the US, one must ask why they keep so silent. This ain’t Baghdad, you know.
Also, the U.S. military will leave anytime the ROK government wants it to.
If they wanted to live life in Korea without the U.S. military, they should either protest your own government or go North.
Also, if they wanted to protest a specific, actionable issue, such as “please move the U.S. from the center of a metropolis of 22M to a more remote location” or “please beef up the ROK military so we can defend against the DPRK, China, and Japan without the help of the U.S.”, then I could sympathize.
However, using the U.S. military as the constant bogeyman in the general sense will do little more than give themselves a temporary sense of self-satisfaction at poking their finger at “the man” who just happened to give 50,000 lives of its soliders, billions of dollars in aid, and has asked for very little in return other than maybe some respect.
Yet, simply bashing the U.S. and hoping for a unified Korea without a real plan (and no, “kicking out the U.S. military and praying that KJI and his cronies will then just roll over and give up” is NOT a plan - it’s pure fantasy and likely suicide).
Do these people really imagine how horrible life would be under their (lack of a real) plan of a unified Korea, with the ROK bending over to everything the DPRK wants ?
Idiots.
Repeat until you understand:
Kim Jong-Il is not your friend.
Kim Jong-Il could care less if you and your entire family were in prison, starving, or dead.
Kim Jong-Il could care less about Koreans or Korea.
Idiots.
The toy gun that the guy is carrying is a replica of the H&K MP5. It looks like the one made from Academy that costs around $180 or $140, if you buy it online.
No argument there, those guys and girls are idiots. Of course, considering that the so called leftists are the ones that never attend class, droupout of school, or have failing grades, it’s not that surprising.
The guy in the photo has an MP-5 (German) not a Kalashinkov. It’s most likely a BB gun that survivor game enthusiasts use here (of which I am one)
Robert, is this really worth blogging about? I mean these people are an ignorant fringe group that does not represent anything meaningful in South Korea.
I disagree. I have Korean friends who pretty much feel the same way these jokers do. They may not be as extreme or vocal, but they basically blame a lot of their woes on the US and the GNP and feel they would be much better off without either. In fact, I don’t know a single Korean male who feels otherwise. And these are all office workers with families, not uni students. Furthermore, they all claim not to know anyone who plans to support the GNP in the upcoming elections. It may be a fringe group, but I don’t think support for their beliefs is insignificant.
Ah, the beauty of free assembly.
Most of the militant anti-American, Koreans I know (the ones at EVERY rally) are heavy-duty drinkers. I think if you sit down and have a beer with these guys you will realize a that just because they are nationalist, racist, blindly anti-American doesn’t mean they can’t be your friends.
And regarding this last point:
“…blindly anti-American doesn’t mean they can’t be your friends.”
I have a lot of Canadian friends.
I take it the line of people shown behind the H&K carrier is the lead parallel line of the parade (ie they’re not bystanders along the side of the road)?
I’m wondering because of the fellow wearing the UK flag T-shirt. I assume this is meant as a protest against UK troops present in Iraq, not just a casual bystander who believes in “cool Britannia”.
The photo is blurry due to movement of the camera but I reckon the crest or herald in the middle of the flag may denote a specific UK army regiment, perhaps one that was deployed to Iraq.
Also, am I correct in speculating that this demonstration would have been much bigger (perhaps by an order of magnitude) prior to the withdrawal of one of the 2nd ID Brigades two years back?
Koreans can only in their minds logically and rationalize blaming the United States or Japan for any or all of their shortcomings! For them its as natural as eating kimchee.
#2 Those “silent” majority who are not anti-US actually do speak out regularly. In fact, on 6.25 anniversary or on certain holidays Korean conservatives and right-wingers alike gather in front of the city hall and protest against the lefties and anti-Americanism.
Just because you are ignorant of such voices does not mean they do not exist. Maybe you should look outside The Marmot’s Hole to hear Korean voices other than the ones that commentors on this blog love to use to generalize and debase the entire Korean population.
If you can read Korean, I suggest you visit websites like Polizen or Nparam where conservatives (and some libertarians) in Korea exchange their views.
Paul H: the Union Jack on that kid’s shirt is just part of the “ASK: ENQUIRED” brand. So he may just be a casual bystander that believes in “cool shirt with engrish on it”
Thanks, glad to hear it was merely an innocuous commercial T-shirt (although the demonstrator, if that’s what he is, may have chosen to wear it deliberately as part of the anti-US in Iraq conga line).
My 2 cents is that here stateside, most Korean Americans think this anti-Americanism is rather irrational and dumb. I’d have to say that most Koreans in America bend more towards the right as their kids in their 20’s and 30’s are already so Americanized that they care less for what’s going on in Korean politics (although I will say a lot of them do care a great deal about Korean identity and nationalism and will waste a sh*t load of time on wikipedia and English language Asian forums).
I think the consciousness of different generations plays a lot to the different levels of anti-Americanism. I remember back in late 2004 I was watching Taegukgi in the states and there was this Korean old timer behind me (probably in his late 60’s to early 70’s) mutter, “… the bitch must die…” when Lee Eun Ju’s character was about to be shot by those South Korean death squads. Not being use to this kind of venomous hate for something hat happened almost 55 years ago, I was beside myself.
#4 “leftists are the ones that never attend class, droupout of school, or have failing grades, it’s not that surprising.”
To get a failing grade in Korea is nearly impossible, you actually need to try to get a failing grade.
Dumb and Dumber!
To get a failing grade in a Korean university, you have to obviously;
A. Never attend a single class or most of your classes
B. Never turn in your homework
C. Turn in a blank answer sheet or a sheet scribbled with gibberish during the exams
So, it doesn’t take much “trying” in order to get a failing grade. As a matter of fact, you don’t have to do anything, and that “F” will be in your next report card.
Most of my Korean students have preferred an “F” to a “D” because the latter stays permanently on one’s record, whereas the former disappears at graduation.
Jeffery Hodges
* * *
Robert N.: Are you going to update this with the picture of the overzealous whitey you mentioned? Inquiring minds want to know.
As much as I am for reunification (^^ hey, call me an idealistic fool.. and I probably am), I cannot quite see the logic between “Hooray for reunification” and “Death to America”. I’m not really impressed with what the current U.S. administration has done with North Korea (for that matter, any foreign policies laid out by them), and I’m speaking of the entire 7 years of it, not just the recent development (which have been relatively wonderful). But that doesn’t support the logic at all either.
However, despicable generalizations like mcnut’s comments in #11 really should be self-restrained in discussions. I, for one, am not so sure if my genetic logical setup (assuming such laughable concepts can even exist) makes me blame U.S. and Japan for every shortcomings.
Brendon Carr asserts that since the silent majority is staying silent about the issue, they must not exist or is not the majority as some claim. Ignoring the appeal to ignorance, surely you can agree at least that the most vocal does not imply most popular. Here in United States, the most vocal ones are the ultra-conservative hardcore “republicans” who would like to hang the gays and Mexicans while invading Iran. Yet, we can probably agree that such opinion does not even resemble the majority here in the states.
However, I do hold the ancient belief of “Politicians = bastards”. As that one South Park episode goes “Every election is between a giant douche and a turd sandwich.”
Including yourself?
# 21,
Yeah, probably including me!
#20: bumfromKorea: “….Here in [the US], the most vocal ones [?] are the ultra-conservative hardcore “republicans” who would like to hang the gays and Mexicans while invading Iran….”
My dear bum, I’m hoping there may be one portion of this rather self-indulgent phraseology that we both can agree is in need of correction.
That being the correct use of a capital “R” in the spelling of “Republican”; obviously you mean the US Republican political party, not “republicans” (with the small “r” it means anyone who supports a “republican” system of government, this would be 99% plus of all US citzens to include vocal Democrats).
A “republican” Englishman or Australian would be one who supports the abolition of the monarchy as the titular head of government — not one who is “pro” the US Republican party (admittedly such a stance is likely to be a silent majority or minority, given the vocal presence of many vocal anti-US bums in their respective countries).
Have the goodness to hit the target you purport to aim at, mon bum. Lest readers here come to consider you incompetent as well as foolish.
Considering that I have explicitly stated “Here in the United States” in the beginning of the same sentence, I am very sure that I won’t run into confusions about whether “republicans” refer to, um, the GOP in United States or the anti-monarchs of Britain and Australia.
For example, if I say “In Japan, the democrats have dominated the political scene for a long time”, it would be implied that “democrats” = “LDP”… surely no one would confuse that democrats with the U.S. Democratic Party?
But apologies if that phrase “Here in the United States” just went below your attention.
No need to apologize, just get it right so I won’t be distracted from my more important work (stringing up gays and Mexicans).
“Most of my Korean students have preferred an “F” to a “D” because the latter stays permanently on one’s record, whereas the former disappears at graduation.”
Yeah, it’s tempting not to fail any of them.
@ Paul
Is it problematic for you that I have attributed the characteristics of “hanging gays and Mexicans” to “republicans”? Because if so, please note that the quotation marks around the word republicans was included to imply that the hard-headed pundits with the loudest voice (literally and metaphorically) often do not coincide with the viewpoints of the political party - at least the intensity of the opinion, anyway.
was i that far off base???
However, despicable generalizations like mcnut’s comments in #11 really should be self-restrained in discussions. I, for one, am not so sure if my genetic logical setup (assuming such laughable concepts can even exist) makes me blame U.S. and Japan for every shortcomings.
come now everyone knows its true how come you dont get it bumfromkorea???
The mere fact that you are linking a specific logical mindset with a supposed inherent characteristics of an entire people is offensive.
“everyone knows its true”… everyone knows that ALL Koreans follow a single logical pathway? I can’t help but wonder how you have come to this conclusion. Isn’t your statement as ridiculous and offensive as any other racist antics, or do you truly believe that generalizing an entire population (with GENETIC terms such as “natural”) is ok?
Koreans are people, not lemmings. But I guess some people here tend to forge that.
*corrections on last sentence* it should read “But I guess some people here tend to forget that.”
I am in fact not ignorant of such voices. I know they are there. As my office and home are each right by City Hall, I get a front-row seat to whatever foolish protest is underway at any given time — and have for the last 10 years.
And I watch television news. My observation is that the “pro-US” (I don’t ask that anyone be “pro-US”, by the way; just stop lying about my country) voices are by far less numerous than the lying, malicious anti-US voices.
Yeah my first question for the bum is how long has he or she lived here and what is your experience in Korea and in Asia for that matter.
I like how people come here for a year and make such limited experience statements towards people who have lived here more than a decade.
It’s comical.
What is quite comical is that you assume that I am an expatriate of non-Korean origin. Sorry to disappoint your rash assumption (again), mcnut, but I’m Korean, and if anything, I’m a Korean expatriate living in United States.
So tell me, how does my genetic makeup make me blame U.S. and Japan for everything again?
Read the papers/watch the news buddy. If it’s not in your face everyday you are blind or ignorant.
I go with the latter.
It’s kind of ironic that you are not living here but seem to think you are some expert or offer some insight that those of us who do live here are not privy to just because you are Korean.
I got some news for you “you don’t”. Hey if you don’t blame the US and Japan every time something happens good for ya but I know most Koreans do.
Most Koreans are conspiracy freaks of how the bad japs and dirty Americans are f’ing them over.
It’s true.
However it’s nice to know that the North Koreans are really cool and friendly brethren.
Re-read your comment on 11, mcnut. You claim that Koreans NATURALLY come to blame U.S. and Japan for everything. You’re not making an observation on Korean society here; you’re making an observation on Koreans themselves. And that, to me, is as despicable as any other race-based generalization.
So the question remains. You claim that Koreans (which would include me) naturally come to blame U.S. and Japan for everything. Then you change your stance to “most” Koreans (a typical back-step one takes when one realizes he or she has made an erroneous generalization), but the issue does not change. How do “most” Koreans NATURALLY arrive to blame U.S. and Japan for everything? Are there sequences of behavioral genes that you have not published in papers yet?
How do you “know” that “most” Koreans do, mcnut? Taken a statistically-sound survey on the topic lately? Or is it that you simply decided to take a ‘convenient’ viewpoint on the matter?
While Korean protest culture is highly developed and frequently involves things like molotov cocktails, shipping containers, and epic clashes with riot police, it’s clear, judging from these photos, that Koreans have no clue how to conduct a proper proto-fascist rally. As far as I can tell: No screaming demagogues. No fatigue-clad militants with shaved heads pumping their fists in the air. No random expats being grabbed and roughed up.
All I see is what looks like a family-oriented affair with plump, little kids giving what looks like a typical cheesy performance that I associate with church youth groups and a punk with a fake Kalashnikov who looks like a bit character from “Scary Movie”.
just accept the truth buddy
Lol, asking me to swallow the ‘convenient’ ‘truth’, mcnut? Sorry, one of the things I absolutely “mega-loathe” (thank you Dr. Cox) is generalization… especially ones based on race.