Cheong Wa Dae has had enough of “violent” rallies that “challenge the national identity.” I have no idea what that means, but my guess is he’s not talking about this. This after threatening to go after activists targeting advertisers in Korea’s conservative mainstream daily newspapers.
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I’m not sure what this guy is talking about. Lawless, ritualized violence and the forceful imposition of one’s opinion onto others defines the Korean national identity.
The ajumma in the Hankyoreh story Robert linked was beaten by a preacher! A preacher!
I have to agree. Koreans think that is they act unruly, someone will listen and kowtow to their demands. This is all going according to plan. There is a contraversy on the Korean media outlets, people get enraged, take to the streets in violent protest, the government is embarrassed, the cabinet is re-shuffled, people offer resignations, the people calm down and go home until the next thing to come over the airwaves. This cycle happens everytime.
As per the Chosun Ilbo article:
Does the prosecutor mean to say that Chinese nationals or the Chinese Government is behind some of this sabotage of mainstream media in South Korea? This would confirm some rumors, regarding the role of Chinese interference in South Korean politics that I have heard.
Saw a video clip of the confrontation and it certainly looked like the progressives were doing the attacking not vice-versa — and the scuffle was not with sticks but pushing & shoving. Then there was a cut to the lady being helped away.
From seeing that small portion of the clip, I would agree with the police that there was no “attack.”
I wonder who she’s going to sue? The standard neck brace of any hospital stay seems like a suit is coming up…like the tons of other insurance fraud cases. BTW I have seen two “over-acting” awards so far from progressives falling down when confronted by OLD, OLD men seemingly knocked out. Either the old men are REALLY strong, or the protestors are a bunch of REALLY bad actors.
This is not to say there weren’t some injuries when about a 100 protestors from Seoul Plaza rushed over to confront 50 conservatives at KBS. I believe three went to the hospital including the woman.
But speaking of the “attack.” The protestors held a news conference the next day where they displayed the sticks (from the signs), three jerry cans for kerosene and tent posts. The question is that they admit taking a truck from the conservative group and driving it to the police station to show the police their “evidence.” Didn’t that constitute auto-theft??? Police did nothing.
Then the protestors held a news conference where they displayed their “evidence.” Admittedly it belonged to the conservative group. Wasn’t that theft of private property — from a stolen car no less?
Bottomline: I view the “attack” simply for its entertainment value.
#3 I’d say it was Nork agents behind it:
http://rokdrop.com/2006/10/28/.....-movement/
North Korean agents are working in conjunction with the various anti-American groups to:
-erode public confidence in the government.
-damage/destroy the ROK-US alliance.
-tarnish the USFK.
-portray North Korea as friends and the US as the enemy.
So far, this covert campaign is working very well to win the hearts and minds of the general public.
*I know I keep talking about this subject, but it is important that everyone knows about it and make the sabotage campaign not ‘covert’ anymore. The people need to know they are being duped and used!
I hope that a multitude of civil suits ensue against the people who have incited the protests.
This is an amazing turn of events. The attack on media is a dead giveaway that Communist sympathizers are behind this entire fake crisis. They always feel threatened by free speech.
#4, “From seeing that small portion of the clip, I would agree with the police that there was no “attack.”
I’m certainly no expert, but having watched most of the three flavors of CSI, I am inclined to ask “where are the defensive wounds on her arms?”
i love how SK wants to be treated like a 1st world country.
These wild animals numbering around 5000, are trying to get to the Blue House as of this moment. Scroll down the link below, to see what the riot cops have to deal with.
http://news.chosun.com/site/da.....01605.html
Meanwhile, MBC apologizes for the misinformation that they spread, about the American woman dying of mad cow, and showing pictures of downer cows as Mad cow infected cows. The only thing is though, they blame the English to Korean translations for the ‘misunderstanding’.
Still, it didn’t stop the TV station from broadcasting their daily news report on the ‘weaknesses’ of the American quality check system that guarantees only beef from cows of under 30 months of age will be shipped to Korea. Oh well, at least they stopped showing undercover videos of downer US cows, linking them to Mad Cow.
The stroller brigade with moms toting their children in strollers are battling the police with water cannons right now…
only in Korea can we see such idiocy… unbelievable, yet not surprising.
Maybe the police should just disband, and let the animals have their way into the Blue House. If those clowns end up trashing and burning down the Blue House, it will give strength to the government to give the authority to the police to shoot in self defense, and also, may even turn the tide of public opinion.
Here’s a thought: arm the police with Texas baby back ribs. When the protesters get too rowdy, they get beaten back with “Mad Cow-tainted” Texas beef. Can you imagine the carnage? Protesters would almost certainly immediately die from the highly contagious nature of the illness.
#10 Thanks for the clip.
Man, I think the police were well contained.
The protesters are cowards, feigning bravido because the cameras are
rolling. They act like little yappy lap dogs barking and nipping at the heals of passers by when their “owner” is around, but run hiding for cover from their own shadows when caught alone.
The police should have let the violent protester gain a bit of ground by pulling back, then cut them off away from the cameras, and then “help” the
cowards come to their senses.
Mao sent the overzealous youth into the Chinese countryside. Let’s send these ones into North Korea where they can bask in freedom from eating US products.
And freedom from eating, period.
“The police should have let the violent protester gain a bit of ground by pulling back, then cut them off away from the cameras, and then “help” the
cowards come to their senses”
Are you actually advocating the state use violence against its citizens?
Because you disagree with certain aspects of the beef import issue?
The ignorance and arrogance of you foreigners is staggering.
Lets see where your sympathy lies if people in your own country cared enough to be enfranchised in the machinations of a democracy, and the state broke its social contract. Sorry Hitest, your not alone as a commenter, but please people, keep things in perspective. Few of you have anything at stake here apart from imperialist pride.
More than anything, these clips and the pro government nature of your responses to the protests illustrate what a media war this is. Foreigners read almost exclusively progovernment dailies (English Chosun, Korea Times, Korea Herald all very connected to the GNP) and naturally espouse disdain for these, what is it one of you called these people, animals? The chosun shows their scary clips, ohmynews shows their scary clips, and teams are chosen. It’s comedy. Apparently, the blue teams hires thugs to beat buses and make protesters appear unruly, and for their part, the red team shows clips from 20 years ago and passes it off as police brutality yesterday. Perhaps, you imagine you are immune from the subterfuge, but it seems to me, that if your viewpoint is consistent with the media you engage, you are not much different from the animals.
Hey, R. Elgin.
The answer is no.
Possibilities:
1. Posts in North Korea. North Korea uses Chinese IP addresses.
2. Use of Chinese proxy servers.
3. Posts in REAL china which was asked by people in Koreas.
The commenter may have thought of 1.
The above 2nd method is dangerous.
You see one example: http://law4u.net/wiki/index.ph.....5%EC%B1%85
Someone tried to log in as Administrator at PC center for law college graduate students of Seoul National University through a computer in the United Kingdom. I think the one at SNU may have been frightened. Hahaha.
#15 swlee It was the protesters that got violent first. They were the ones who tore up much of downtown Seoul spray painting and acting riotous. They tore up government property trying to march on the blue house and they were the ones who engaged police first. Just keeping it in perspective like you said. If they stayed peaceable, that’s another story. Actually, I’m surprised the police commanders on the scene kept it as civil as they did. Police would have been cracking skulls if that happened elsewhere, like Germany for instance.
@18 Yes, Germany would have packed them off on trains. Nobody fucks with Germans. Thats a nation to admire. That and Rwanda, which successfully developed a model for the privatisation of democratic policy support structures, known commonly by the acronym for its official title Mutual Assistance Community: Human Empowerment, Training, Education
@16 Well said Knox
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