[토론주제] 2nd topic of 5/24

[MATTHEW]

I'm so sorry to all of you, and michelle,

I'm so late.

 

Conflicts Between Seoul City, Street Vendors Resurface

Men reenact an assault on a street vender by a young private security guard in front of Seoul City Hall, Tuesday. The Self-Employed Workers’ Association organized the performance to slam the city government for ignoring habitual assaults on street venders. / Korea Times

By Park Si-soo
Staff Reporter

Seoul city's plan to clear the streets of venders hit a snag after video clips of the brutal beating of a female vender in her 60s, by a young security guard hired by the city, were released on the Internet.

The street vender of ``kimbab,'' or rice rolled with dry seaweed, was brutally beaten. She is seen barely able to sit up, wiping blood from her lips in a UCC posted on Web sites. It is titled ``Violence Against Grandmother Selling kimbab.''

The incident took place last Saturday in central Seoul where tens of thousands of citizens flocked to oppose the controversial U.S. beef import.

Police later learned that the assailant was one of the security guards mobilized by Seoul city government to run the candlelit vigil smoothly. Police summoned the 23-year-old to question him over his motivation for the attack.

The Self-Employed Workers' Association, an association for street venders, Tuesday urged the government to clamp down on still rampant security guards' assaults against them. ``The assault on the kimbap grandma is just the tip of the iceberg,'' it said in a statement.

In fact, the conflict between street retailers and mobilized guards is not new. Such violence has long been witnessed on kiosk-packed streets. The government and police are also well aware of the existence of violence in the ``clean-up'' campaign. But the problem is the authorities even plot and wink at such violent incidents in many cases, the association said.

According to the association, 400 security guards hired by Gwangmyeong city government forcibly dismantled numerous street shops in the city's downtown on April 3. Most affected shops were run by those in their 60s or older. Though it was conceived that the shop runners were feeble enough, the guards pushed them down and even kicked them, leaving two with bone fractures.

``Most guards are gangsters or convicted criminals,'' said Shin Hee-chul, 32, a kiosk runner in northern Seoul. ``They are paid around 50,000 won up to 100,000 won in exchange for clearing a requested district.'' Police are too lenient toward them. ``Some of them are arrested on charges of doing overdue violence but they are soon freed,'' Shin said.

A police officer said ``Of course, we question them when the need arises. Most of them committed only minor violations.''

Shin stressed this conflict between street venders and security guards would continue unless the government legalize street shops.

pss@koreatimes.co.kr

Q1. If you are the woman, will you show up your face on newspaper, clarify your view or standpoint, or explain the specific situation?

Q2. Some reporters said This happening was caused by not only the attitude of the man but also Seoul's extreme policy about its image. Do you agree? If you disagree, then, who should take this blame or responsibility on?

Q3. If you were the man of the happening, How would you have reacted to the woman?

Q4. Do you have any experience of being upset or angry because of adults?

Q5. We read the article about Seoul's endeavour to refix its image last saturday,

and now we read somewhat different article. What's your opinion about Seoul's policy?

(if you think it is bad, how should they change?)

Q6. The article said policemen hire gangsters to clear the street, and the policeman recognized it as if it was not a problem. What do you think of it?

[MATTHEW]

늦게 올려서 ㅈㅅ