demonstration
Impeach the Impeachment: Older Conservatives "Defend Democracy"
They call their gatherings the “Taegeukgi Rally,” after the South Korean flag. They say their flags represent a growing fire, the true fire of patriotism and democracy, countering the supposedly ill-conceived fire of the candlelight rallies. They say most of the anti-Park protesters are disruptive communists, or naive young people
Weekly Brief: Dec. 5th - 11th
Corruption at heart of Presidential scandal In a rare scene, lawmakers questioned the CEOs of nine major conglomerates on live television. The CEOs represent the largest companies in the country, each suspected of buying favors from the government through Choi Soon-sil, the President’s confidante. The most common answer? “I
Top Five Sightings from the Anti-Park Geun-hye Protests
In the sixth straight weekend of rallies in South Korea, a record number of protesters gathered in Seoul and across the nation Saturday, calling for the ouster of president Park Geun-hye. According to the progressive newspaper Kyunghyang Shinmun, it marked the republic’s largest rally in history with an estimated
Weekly Brief: Nov. 21st - 27th
State-authored textbooks: Another victim of Choi Soon-sil? Today the government gave the public its first look at the new state-authored history textbooks. When announcing it last year, the government held firm on its plans for new textbooks despite strong opposition from historians and academics. Possibly due to the weakened state
Weekly Brief: Nov. 14th - 20th
Protests: Water cannon trucks still on standby Last year on November 14, police water cannons knocked an elderly demonstrator unconscious. Over a year has passed, but water cannon trucks are still being rolled out for every major protest. Last week, a group of NGOs declared November 14, the “Day
In Memory of Farmer Baek Nam-gi: Amnesty International Die-In Flash Mob Held
At 6:56 pm on the drizzly evening of Monday, Nov. 14, some 80 people stepped out in unison onto the pedestrian crossing at the Jongno District Office intersection in white raincoats and acted out the scene of falling to the ground. The white raincoats were reminiscent of those worn
Weekly Brief: Oct. 31st - Nov. 6th
No end in sight for Choi Soon-sil scandal The Choi Soon-sil gate continues to grip South Koreans and the world abroad alike. Choi Soon-sil is president Park Geun-hye’s confidante, accused of abusing her position to intervene in politics and embezzle money from government projects. Last week, prosecutors detained
"Step Down, Park": Anti-Government Protestors Occupy Downtown Seoul
Masses of South Korean protesters took to downtown Seoul Saturday for a candlelight vigil and a march, demanding that President Park Geun-hye step down – with no barricades nor scuffle, in what has been praised as a surprisingly peaceful demonstration. Police estimated the size of the crowd at 45,000. The
Weekly Brief: Sept. 5th - Sept. 11th
“Just take off the mask” Demonstrators wearing masks may soon be subject to sentences of up to 18 months despite an absence of legislation on the matter. The Supreme Court issued sentencing guidelines last week that view masks as aggravating factors on obstruction of justice charges. Following mass demonstrations late