7월 13일 토픽 : Democracy Dying in South Korea

[ARNOLD(홍진혁)]

After 28 years, the call for democracy still continues

What is happening in South Korea; The media, like the government, refuses to report the truth - the people's desires for democracy and calls for a better future. South Koreans first started a silent candlelight protest on 2nd of May, 2008 against the newly elected president Lee's policies concerning the free trade agreement, privatization, and the Korean ownership of Dok-do. Mothers came with their children. High school and middle school students came with their friends. Workers came after work to hold candles and ask President Lee Myung-Bak to reconsider his policies and live for the people. While more than 20,000 people congregated in the middle of Seoul and some main cities of Korea, their numbers were reduced to a mere 5000 people by Korea's main news stations, KBS and SBS, and newspapers Choseon, Joonang, and Dong-A. On 24th of May, people congregated once again for a peaceful, candle-light protest. Frustrated by the government's ignorance and media's indifference, a group of people stood up and started marching towards the Blue House calling for President Lee's impeachment. Suddenly, the unconcerned government responded with violence. The peaceful protest soon deteriorated with threats and armies of policemen. Harsh lights were forced upon the bewildered people. A watering truck carrying water to spray onto the protesters and disperse the crowd was also thrown in. A woman with a seven-year-old son on her back asked for mercy. Her cry for help was shut out by the police, who pushed her away roughly. Throughout the night people's peaceful protest was trampled upon by the police. 37 people were forcefully arrested, a few of them high school students. Students, children, old men, and women were all physically assaulted with shields, truncheons, and water. The police, who were once the "protectors of the people" have become their oppressors. All of this is currently only known by the people who participated in the protest that night. Korea's main news stations have not reported the unjust physical assaults of the police on the peaceful protesters. Rather they have distorted the truth, lying about the physical actions of the police and the spraying of forceful water onto the civilians, who were only holding candles for protection. What once was a peaceful protest of 50,000 people is being portrayed as a riot of 500 people by the main Korea media. Word is spreading through the Korean internet, and more and more people are assembling in the protest. Now people are not only asking for the president's reconsideration of his policies, but also for his impeachment, freedom of speech, and democracy in South Korea. Already people are referring to the protest as a recurrence of the democratic protest that happened 28 years ago in May in Gwang-Ju, a city in South Korea, against military dictatorship. While the president, the government, and the media remain silent, ignoring the wills of the people, Koreans themselves are collaborating to uphold the first rule of the national constitution, which clearly states that Korea's sovereignty lies in its people, and all state power comes from the people.

Question1. 

What do you think a candlelight protest was caused by?

Question2.

What do you think the best way to solve this problem is?          

Question3.

What do you think whether we should continue to protest or not?

[JASON(박수동)]

아직도 꺼지지 않는 candlelight... 어쨌든 토픽 올린다고 수고했어요 형...

[June(최현경)]

Your topic is a hot issue. I feel it is little bit difficult but useful for us^^ Thank you~

[siron(장영일)]

흠~ 그때의 언쟁때문인듯... 서로 맘상하지 않는 토론이 되었으면... 내가 흥분을 안해야 할텐데...

[Friend(배석우)]

토론을 할 때 흥분하는 사람이 백전백패인것을 알아야지..ㅋㅋ

[siron(장영일)]

다행히 맴버들이 좋아서 많이 흥분 안했다... ㅋㅋ 내가 한 말들을 이해해주니 기분은 좋더군... ㅋㅋ

[skidrow(안희용)]

좋은 주제네...상식 좀 쌓고 까페에 가야겠네..ㅎㅎㅎ..토픽 감사..

[jcsniper(최종찬)]

처음 참석해볼려고 합니다^^ 여기서 참석한다고 하면 되는거 맞죠??^^;

[서주(서주형)]

토픽 감사해요~^^

[김홍재]

내일 뵈용^^

[엘레나(윤미영)]

토픽 감사합니당~^^*

[Friend(배석우)]

열띤 토론의 장이 되겠구만...ㅋㅋ

[Daunte]

뜨거운 감자군요. 오늘 참석합니다.