When you compare this editorial from the Hani and this article that was prominently displayed on the front page of the Chosun Ilbo’s website—both of which concern Seoul mayor Park Won-soon’s petition to President Lee to pardon the eight evictees imprisoned after the deadly 2009 Yongsan fire—it’s like you’re living in two different worlds.
My own personal opinion is that the men shouldn’t be pardoned—six people were killed in that fire—but then again, the corporate and political scumbags shouldn’t be getting pardoned, either.
{ 20 comments… read them below or add one }
Completely agree with your second paragraph.
Ditto that.
Yes, chaebol executives shouldn’t be pardoned.
The red herrings in the first article are so transparent, I have to wonder about the educational level of the average reader of that newspaper. After all, one writes for an audience.
It’s got to be tough to translate that Hanky drivel. I feel for ya.
It would be cool to see rule of law tried here for a little while to see how it would work. Hey, a guy can dream…
Park Won-Soong may want to make a request of himself and his son pardoned first:
http://www.newdaily.co.kr/news/article.html?no=105694
Wedge, you are not the only one who is dreaming of the same thing.
“The red herrings in the first article are so transparent, I have to wonder about the educational level of the average reader of that newspaper”.
I would say the higher the education level, the more likely they will agree with that editorial. These people still think they’re fighting against the “dictatorship”, so who cares if one or two coppers get burned and die.
They may not have to wait long before they get their wish. If the opposition gets in power in the soon to be election, they’ll free all the freedom fighters and turn them into heroes.
South Korea’s NCAAP – the DUP.
The editorial is discussing the proper standards for a presidential pardon, exercised by a single person. That is not a red herring — it is a legitimate point to make.
First, it is NAACP. Second, NAACP protects you also, colored American.
It would be cool to see the government not bulldoze everything in sight while ignoring the people getting crushed in its tracks. And that is going to happen soon.
What you talkin bout willis? The NAACP is a racial shakedown/rent seeking organization run by blacks for blacks. It doesn’t protect anything except the fat salaries of the mulatto elite and the occassional guilty as sh*t hood rat. I almost forgot that this is black alternate history month. Thanks for reminding me.
These people were forcibly evicted from their homes… in the Winter. I can’t begin to think what that must be like.
Agree with thekorean… would be nice.
#11 – I’m not trying to sarcastic here but those who were “evicted from their homes in the winter” were probably professional protestors who were hired to protest because the owners of those homes were holding out for more money from the government. lol.
“These people were forcibly evicted from their homes… in the Winter.”
Uh…not exactly.
1. They were renters(with some semi-pro protesters) and their leases were not re-newed. They were given ample time to move and were even offered cash to move quickly. They were not forced from their homes, they were forced from someone else’s property. Someone with rights to develop the property.
2. They used gasoline bombs and highpowered slingshots shooting marble sized ball bearings at police and people standing by. Ultimately they torched their own people and the police. They alone are responsible for the deaths and the destruction of property.
3. It was winter. You got one point right. They should have taken it to court but seeing point #1 they had no legal right to stay.
“I can’t begin to think what that must be like.”
I can’t either but I won’t be throwing fire bombs at the police so that’s where my sympathy ends.
I am a fan of peaceful protest; however, Korea has a different history; one that often involves overzealous police pounding civilians. I can understand why a protester might feel the need to come with a slingshot.
Has anyone ever officially concluded how the fire started? I thought it was inconclusive.
I don’t understand why everyone is so concerned with the “professional” or “semi-professional” protesters. Organizations help people. In order to help people, organizations must hire people. When I worked in politics, I protested many times for different issues. Most of the time I was organizing people to come to protests, but I also joined in when the protests began.
#9,
Argumentum ad lazarum.
I thought cm was canadian?
Maybe you should catch up on that history!
In recent history its the people who bully the police, because the police are derided and unwilling to act forcibly as a result of the collective shame of the past events to which you refer.
“Has anyone ever officially concluded how the fire started? I thought it was inconclusive.”
Yes and Yes. There are plenty of pictures of the protestors throwing molotov cocktails, sometimes with flaming ones in both hands and dozens more scattered around full of paint thinner. The protestors are responsible.
But…..it’s inconclusive in this world that demands absolute proof of everthing. There is no footage of the actual accident that set off the blaze so the protestors will always blame the police. See below for the official account of why they decided to forcibly evict the squatters.
“The ralliers fired 700 marbles and golf balls with slingshots and threw 150 Molotov cocktails, 40 bottles of hydrochloric acid and 1,000 bricks at police and nearby buildings, causing fires and destroying passing cars. ”
Zero sympathy for the squatters, total sympathy for the police officer killed.
#14-”I don’t understand why everyone is so concerned with the “professional” or “semi-professional” protesters. Organizations help people. In order to help people, organizations must hire people. When I worked in politics, I protested many times for different issues. Most of the time I was organizing people to come to protests, but I also joined in when the protests began.”
Did these protests involve shooting/throwing marbles, golf balls, slingshots, Molotov cocktails, bottles of hydrochloric acid and bricks?
#19- haha… you have me there… we did leave those molotov cocktails at home; however, we also were allowed to protest without having water poured on us in January.
I was mainly commenting on how some commenters are discrediting the protesters because they may have been paid (or professional protesters), which in my experience is not that big of a deal.
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