By In the below Korea Times article it lays out who some of the groups are that are participating in the Occupy Seoul protests:
Despite the organizers’ pledge to continue their struggle for social and economic justice, it is unclear whether the Korean movement will continue to gain momentum, as unlike the U.S. protest, demonstrators here are comprised of various civic groups calling for their own demands.
Despite torrential rain, more than 600 citizens and members of 42 civic and students’ groups attempted to hold the rally at Seoul Plaza at 6 p.m. Saturday, but police blocked them from approaching the site. They instead gathered in front of Deoksu Palace across the street, holding a candlelit protest.
“The problem on Wall Street is not different from Korea’s. We want a fundamental change in the greedy financial system,” Heo Young-koo, head of Spec Watch Korea, which led the protest, said.
Will rally gain momentum?
A member of Korea Youth Solidarity said during a free speech session, “I think the financial system is wrong, as only a handful of people get richer while the majority of others are sacrificed. I came here because I’m one of the 99 percent.”
They were joined by some 200 people who rallied in front of the Financial Services Commission headquarters in Yeouido, dubbed Korea’s Wall Street, earlier in the afternoon. They called for the government to strengthen regulations on financial institutions, criticizing the corruption scandal involving savings banks.
Some foreigners participated, with five Spanish men holding a placard that read, “United for Global Change.”
A director of Korean People’s Solidarity against Poverty said the action is worldwide, saying they received a message from organizers of the Tokyo protest for solidarity. “In the next rally on Oct. 22, we’ll occupy Seoul Plaza. The 99 percent will keep acting,” he said. [Korea Times]
You can read more at the link, but the author of this article is wrong to state that the Occupy Wall Street people are a singular unit; they are composed of various groups as well with an overarching anti-capitalism and big business theme with no coherent message of how to make things better. Judging by the pictures of the Occupy Wall Street crowd they appear to mostly be the usual suspects that show up at any WTO or G-8 meeting. At least they haven’t turned violent yet. The Occupy Seoul protest appears to be the usual suspects in Korea that show up for these type of events as well. However, by getting only 600 people to show up that is not an impressive size protest for one being held in Seoul. I have been to weddings in Seoul with more people than this.
However, lets look at the people who did show up. You have the usual anti-US SOFA and KORUS FTA folks, so there is no surprise there. Then there is the Korea Youth Solidarity group that has protested before against anti-US issues as well as been a major group protesting the tuition costs in Korean universities. So no surprise they are at this protest. Then there is the Korean People’s Solidarity Against Poverty which was active in protesting against Lee Myung-bak and last year’s G-20 summit held in Korea. Next up is SPEC Watch Korea which is just another off shoot of the major labor groups in Korea. The co-founder of the group Heo Young-koo was the former President of the Korea Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU). It should come as no surprise that in their founding statement they are out to fight what they call the “Washington Consensus” and foreign capital in Korea.
Of these groups if you look who else participated in their past activities you will see they are linked to the bigger players on the Korean left such as the before mentioned KCTU, People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy (PSPD), Green Korea United, the Democratic Labor Party, etc. From what I have read so far, these larger groups haven’t joined the Occupy Seoul protests that their smaller activist allies have started. If they decide to mobilize then expect the number of protesters to increase dramatically, however I think they will only mobilize if they feel these protests can be advantageous to them in helping the Korean left capture the Blue House next year. I would be surprised if this turns into a massive protest, but what the US beef protests of 2008 has taught us is that the Korean left is very skilled in manipulating public opinion and have been searching for another issue to bash Korean President Lee Myung-bak with and this may be it.
4:02 am on October 17th, 2011 1
What would foreigners know about Koreans… Just by living couple of years and few Koreans girls under their belt they think they know Koreans…
Well, ..
1. Korean left has mobilized and they will take advantage of FTA / USFK rape cases
2. Much like the candle light protests of the past, SNS will be extensively used to bring together anti-Myung Bak (MB) forces.
3. MB made a mistake in his U.S. visit by making it look like he is Obama’s poodle. (Which was exactly what MB was)
4. MB made further mistake by working for the American interests as opposed to Korean interests.
5. South Korean Parliament hasn’t passed the FTA but MB and Obama celebrated as if FTA was all but ratified by both countries.
In conclusion, FTA may pass Korean Parliament but MB and his party may take a beating at the end of October.
Notably, conservatives in their 30′s and 40′s are increasingly turned off by antics of MB and his cronies.
I just wish MB’s term is over with and we get a new President who doesn’t act like a poodle for the U.S. — it’s really embarrasing.
4:07 am on October 17th, 2011 2
I think someone mentioned about Obama and MB that really hit the mark –
The commenter wrote that MB and Obama in Detroit reminded him of a pair of actors in an American movie called “Gung-Ho”.
MB was Gedde Watanabe and Obama was Michael Keaton of “Gung Ho”… a 1980′s comedy film about Japanese automaker in the States.
Or may Obama was Batman and MB was Robin – in Batman and Robin.
Tonto…you’ve done well.
이명박은 병신 새끼야.. 빨리 임기가 끝나야 되는데… 씹팔…
5:44 am on October 17th, 2011 3
It’s Roh Moo-Hyun’s fault.
7:25 am on October 17th, 2011 4
#2,
Oh, cut the BS act. You curse in Korean like a 22 year-old American who’s 3 months into his stint at a kindi-hagwon.
7:27 am on October 17th, 2011 5
…That or you’re a 15 year-old Korean-American who’s semi-fluent in his parents’ first language.
9:54 am on October 17th, 2011 6
Bashing the US just as the FTA is coming up… What a coincidence…
9:57 am on October 17th, 2011 7
Homeboy = amateur marxist, draft-dodger, rapstar wannabee, living with his parents in LA, kicked out of Dominguez Hills JC?
11:46 am on October 17th, 2011 8
Koreans love to protest….the local market stop selling instant coffie mocha….LETS PROTEST
4:58 pm on October 17th, 2011 9
The Korean left negotiated the FTA and now they oppose it. Does that make any sense?
6:03 pm on October 17th, 2011 10
is King Kitty a wapanese, Nyan? =^o^=
7:21 pm on October 17th, 2011 11
I have been saying on this blog, the car portion of the FTA was a sop to US auto unions. The US automaker’s senior mgt. knows its a sop to their unions, not them. It is impossible to sell as many US made cars as on on the quota agreement unless the US dollar goes to 1500 won or something. (wait, is that a plan?) Obama even bragged about the “auto changes to the FTA” at the Detroit photo op: not a wise political move relative to his guest, Lee, as no matter what the truth about the car portion of the FTA is, Lee’s enemies can use Obama’s braggadocio as fodder against him. So, yes, if Lee knew what Obama was setting up in Detroit he was follish to go along with the celebration.
8:31 pm on October 18th, 2011 12
#11,
They keep throwing ridiculous numbers around about how so few American cars are sold in South Korea when I just have to look out the window and into the parking lot to know that isn’t true. By their standards, Korean cars assembled in the US are considered Korean but American cars (GM) assembled in Korea are also considered Korean…Double standard, eh?
8:47 pm on October 18th, 2011 13
You are correct. That is the way they calculate the numbers. The FTA revisions that Pres. Obana is so proud of are provisions to sell up to 30,000 un-modified, US built cars in Korea (not US made KIA’s though). Unmodified means things like specific safety regs, lights, emmissions, etc. do not need to meet Korean standards which are more or less EU standards. Smaller engine cars are much more attractive in Korea because of engine size taxes and fuel prices, hence so many 2 Liter mid size Benzes in Korea that are not even offered in the US market and also why a 3.5 Liter Ford Taurus is going to be a tough sell in Korea.
3:27 am on October 19th, 2011 14
Michael Greenberg describes Occupy Wall Street, on the ground, in Zuccotti Park. He seems pretty optimistic, but I’m not sure it will amount to much. Anyway, here’s what he says at NyBooks.
1:24 am on October 20th, 2011 15
http://sultanknish.blogspot.com/2011/10/age-of-accounting.html
I liked Daniel Greenfield better…seems more realistic.