Bush Lands in Seoul, Pandemonium Ensues…

by WangKon936 on August 6, 2008

in ROK-US Issues, South Korean Politics

An estimated 20,000 anti-Bush demonstrators, 30,000 pro-Bush Christian demonstrators, mass prayer vigils, masked avengers, mad cows, riot police and water cannons… Bush gets a decidedly mixed, but certainly active, welcome. Hey, at least Korea’s not boring!

Nice video summary from the BBC.

{ 34 comments… read them below or add one }

1 NewYorkTom August 6, 2008 at 3:50 am

This is what really gets to me. The ultra-liberal fuckwads actually make Bush look good in a strange way. I dont know who I hate more…the ultra-liberals or the neo-cons. Equally despicable.

2 virtual wonderer August 6, 2008 at 4:56 am

Man… No matter how many times I see news like this, I’m always at a loss for words…

3 Surabol August 6, 2008 at 6:31 am

“30,000 Christian pro Bush demonstrators”

That brought a smile to my face. Good for them.

4 Tripod August 6, 2008 at 7:30 am

Most of these ‘protesters’ were probably bored kids who saw it as and opportunity to get the adrenaline going before going out drinking with their friends. Like it or not, that’s what has become of democracy.

5 roboseyo August 6, 2008 at 7:37 am

Was V for Vendetta there? In university, I joked about getting an Imperial Stormtrooper costume (or a Gandalf costume) and going to EVERY movie premiere dressed up. Now I want to do something similar for Korean protests.

Do we have pictures of the protests yet?

6 WangKon936 August 6, 2008 at 7:40 am

Yep. Click the two links I provide. Both will give you some images.

7 Inkevitch August 6, 2008 at 8:38 am

Who is the guy at 2:12 on the BBC video, he looks like he is at every protest.

8 Tomek August 6, 2008 at 8:54 am

Is this a conservative blog? Just wondering, cuz seems like very little sympathy for the anti-Bush protests.

As for me, FUCK BUSH.

9 Anton August 6, 2008 at 9:14 am

Korea never had the Grateful Dead and I suppose these idiots feel they need something else to follow around.

10 Billy August 6, 2008 at 9:18 am

Two of my favorite bits come one after another on the bbc video. From 2:11-2:15

First, comes the largest mass English lesson I’ve ever seen in Korea, where hundreds of “students” from all ages un-enthusiastically mass pronounce the word out.

Immediately following this scene, there is what appears to be a symbolic passion play, where Bush and LMB are driven to their knees and out of Korea by sign waving protesters.

On its own, this is hilarious, but if you pause and look closely, you will see that the giant Bush mask is paper mache’, and actually looks rather well done.

11 user-81 August 6, 2008 at 9:25 am

“Korea never had the Grateful Dead and I suppose these idiots feel they need something else to follow around.”

They’re the ungrateful living.

12 anjinsan August 6, 2008 at 9:40 am

I’m sorry, but I can’t take anyone seriously who cannot correctly pronounce the name of a person they are gathering against.

What is so f’ing difficult about saying the name “Bush”???? Why must it be “Booshiiiiiii”??? (and don’t anyone try to explain the whole hangul spelling system and its inability to accommodate end consonants — that’s a load).

13 Kujo August 6, 2008 at 9:50 am

Just 28 percent in the new Post-ABC poll approve of the way the president is handling his job.

Unpopular at home and abroad.

14 soondae August 6, 2008 at 10:06 am

‘Hey, at least Korea’s not boring!

It certainly isn’t.

15 Anunsaram August 6, 2008 at 10:09 am

Thanks once again to the Korean people for letting Americans know what a bunch of low-life back stabbers you are.

You never let me down.

16 Tony August 6, 2008 at 10:52 am

Kujo,

The same poll numbers show an 18% approval rate for Congress (http://www.ipsos-na.com/news/c.....p;id=4008). So, the president’s 155% more popular than Congress.

17 Inkevitch August 6, 2008 at 10:58 am

Someone commented that if there wasn’t 100,000 protesters at the anti-bush rally this is over. It appears it is over.

Furthermore 30,000 to a pro-bush rally. Unheard of surely. And it puts into perspective the madcow/us/LMB protests. Yes they were stupid and repetitive, but it is easy to get a large group of people together for anything in Korea. I wonder how many pro-bush supporters you could get together in the US?

18 Benicio74 August 6, 2008 at 11:01 am

“Korea never had the Grateful Dead and I suppose these idiots feel they need something else to follow around.”

“They’re the ungrateful living.”

Classic!!!

19 Tripod August 6, 2008 at 11:08 am

#8,

Yes, I concur, fuck Bush…But you’d understand my lack of sympathy for the protesters if you had to deal with teenagers every day like I did.

20 mateomiguel August 6, 2008 at 11:11 am

As for me, FUCK BUSH.

I’m sure he’ll take your commentary under advisement. Make a note of it. Put it on the agenda, if you will.

It’s this kind of constructive exchange of opposing viewpoints that really makes democracy work. I salute you.

21 Tripod August 6, 2008 at 11:31 am

#20,

Either way, Bush will be gone soon enough. Unlike Roh Moo Hyun, he won’t be able to shred all his records.

22 chiamattt August 6, 2008 at 11:43 am

Did a short write-up here: (http://smokehard.com/2008/anti.....udo-media/)

I’ll have more pictures up later tonight I hope.

23 Kujo August 6, 2008 at 1:29 pm

Conservatives have a pathological inability to admit that the Bush is a loser. It must be a required characteristic because they all share it.

24 NES August 6, 2008 at 1:56 pm

@8/19

Do your opinions of Bush come from personal experience, like her:

http://thepeoplescube.com/red/.....1841#31794

and

http://thepeoplescube.com/red/.....1841#32005

I do have many issues with Bush, but they are better articulated than f- Bush.

25 NES August 6, 2008 at 1:58 pm

@23 Kujo

I’m a conservative. Bush is a loser. Hmmm… I guess you were wrong.

26 NES August 6, 2008 at 2:00 pm

Same left, different flavor:

http://www.zombietime.com/hall_of_shame/

Kinda makes the Korean lemmings look tame, doesn’t it?

27 Tripod August 6, 2008 at 2:56 pm

#26,

Not much freakier than some conservatives.

http://video.google.com/videos.....mp;tab=wv#

28 NES August 6, 2008 at 3:50 pm

@27

The “Jesus Camp” people are better described as a radical evangelical minority rather than conservatives, but are they really as freaky as the leftists shown at zombie time?

(I didn’t mean to equate the typical social liberal on the left with leftists like hardcore socialists and communists depicted in the ZT pics.)

29 Michael August 6, 2008 at 7:57 pm

There was a funny editorial in the Chosun Ilbo on Bushiee and the Korean left:

http://english.chosun.com/w21d.....60006.html

And then there was this story about the f*ckwad protesters: “Teaching Children to Hate”

http://english.chosun.com/w21d.....60020.html

It’s true, never a dull moment in Korea, but more than enough stupidity. The protesters are so desperate now they coerce children to write insults against the president. Stay classy, Korean “liberals”!

30 globalvillageidiot August 6, 2008 at 10:28 pm

Lunatics on the left, right and all points in between are equally deranged.

31 chiamattt August 6, 2008 at 10:49 pm

the pictures I snapped at the protests last night can be found at http://www.flickr.com/photos/smokehard/

32 WangKon936 August 7, 2008 at 1:17 am

I like this blog entry:

Bush Gets Tremendous Crowds in S. Korea, US Media Ignores Story

It has another nice video clip, especially of the pro-U.S. rally.

33 WangKon936 August 7, 2008 at 1:19 am

My favorate pic…

http://www.flickr.com/photos/smokehard/2738656908/

If only that ajossi had some idea what those words connotate in the U.S.

34 Janus August 8, 2008 at 8:04 pm

I wish we had the comment rating system like slashdot

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