KoA Newsletter #4

Korean government's repression on the anti-KorUS FTA movement intensified

Police attack and repression on workers and farmers are intensified after the first "Mass People's Resistance against KorUS FTA" on 22nd of November. Up to date over police issued summons and warrants of arrests to more than 170 workers and farmers who joined the first "Mass People's Resistance against KorUS FTA"

After the first rally, police raided nine local KoA and Korean Peasant League offices.  Police even raided relatives' house to find activists and it is known that special teams are made to catch workers and farmers. Workers and farmers under warrants are having sit-ins in churches and temples. A special team for arresting anti-KorUS FTA activists was made and are following up the workers and farmers.

It was also reported that police called peasants home and threatened them not to join the rally. Police even watched them just in front of peasants house on 29th morning. The government ordered police to block highways and railway station to deter peasant joining the rally which would be held in Seoul, the capital of South Korea.

The main target of 29th repression was farmers and peasants' rally. The rally to be held in front of the Seoul railway station was dismissed by police and police arrested 9 peasants crying out against police blockage. Despite the fact, 700 peasant and farmers succeeded to have peasants and farmers' rally.

Voice against KorUS FTA occupied roads on 29th November

The 2nd "Mass People's Resistance against KorUS FTA" continued. The Korean government still didn't allow rallies on the day even it is basic people's rights to have rally given by the Constitutional Law. Korean Alliance against KorUS FTA had no choice but to have rally on the streets on the 29th of November. Even though police blocked streets, 3,000 workers, farmers and social movements activists run and occupied main road of Seoul shouting "Stop the KorUS FTA Right Now". The rally ended with candle light virgil. The 3rd "Mass People's Resistance against KorUS FTA" will be continued on 6th December while the 5th round of talks over KorUS FTA being held from 4th to 8th of Dec. in Montana, US.

In South Korea, the Mass People?셲 Resistance has started.

On November 22nd, in the capital of Seoul and throughout the surrounding Kyung-gi Province, from Choong-chung to Kang-won, from Jun-book to Kwang-ju City in Southern Cholla Province, in 17 places around the country all toll, the Mass People?셲 Resistance against the KorUS FTA began.  November 22nd was only the first of three mass demonstrations, the second and third of which will occur on November 29th and December 6th.  These protests are an organized outcry against the KorUS FTA, a great collective demand for an end to rising social polarization and respect for the basic rights of farmers and laborers be?봞 struggle of all common people in South Korea.  On November 22nd workers, farmers, poor people and other Korean citizens raised their voices in anger, refusing to be silent in the face of the injustices before them.  While in most areas, public buildings became the targets of the people?셲 censure and condemnation for the entire day, administrative offices in Choong-nam, Kang-won and Jun-nam and the city hall in Kwang-ju City were temporarily overtaken by workers and farmers, rightly filled with rage.  

What do the events of November 22nd show us?  They show us clearly that the opening of agricultural markets and other neoliberal policies of the Noh Moohyun administration are crushing lives, and the people of Korea can only but respond with rage and indignation.  They show us that the people of Korea will not tolerate the KorUS FTA, which they know will further destroy basic labor rights and strengthen social polarization.

In a time when people around the world are crying for peace on the Korean peninsula, the Noh administration has responded to the rightful demands of Korean worker and farmers only with violence. 
We have already watched in broad daylight as policemen answer the farmers??cry for their basic right to a livelihood and the workers??cry for their basic labor rights with not words but deadly blows of from their clubs and shields. 

Now again, the Noh administration is turning away from the people?셲 demands, from peace and from democracy and indulging in bloodshed and repression. 
The government, which has always ignored the outcry against the FTA, now claims the farmers and workers are holding ?쐖iolent??protests for no reason at all, as if it is not obvious that the people of Korea have many reasons to protest.  And, while the right to demonstrate is protected by the South Korean constitution, the government has denying permits for further rallies.  What is more, the government has now delivered summons to leadership of the Korean Alliance against KorUS FTA (KOA), the number having reached 80 people around the country.  In a true mockery of democracy, the police have begun raids, targeting regional KOA, and especially Korean Peasant League offices and stealing all kinds of instruments and documents.  The government and the mainstream media together do not report why the farmers and workers are fighting.  Instead they paint a distorted image of those who protest as simply violent criminals.  

This is the government repression that began on November 22nd and is continuing to spread like a forest fire.
However, the people?셲 struggle to block the KorUS FTA will not end here.  On November 29th and December 6th the people?셲 voices will rise again in a great cry of outrage.  Through our united struggle, the workers, farmers and common people of Korea will, without fail, stop the KorUS FTA.

The 3rd Round of Korea-US FTA Talks coming...

  The third round of talks over the Korea-U.S. FTA will be held in Seattle in the United States -a famous battleground of the WTO protests in 1999-from 6th to 9th September.

  The third round of FTA talks is very crucial because the South Korean government and US had almost completed the negotiations of the general framework of the agreement in the last negotiation in Seoul in July and will sort out the details of it in the upcoming negotiation.

  Drug pricing system and import of US beef, which is NOT proved to be free from mad cow disease, are being expected as halting points of the next talks. Both of them were preliminaries of opening the Korea-US FTA.

  But Korean people have suspicion that both governments have done on the draft of the FTA.

  There is much possibility to reach an agreement in the meeting with the US side over the drug pricing system just before third Korea-US FTA negotiation. Meeting over drug-pricing system will be held in Singapore, 21st-22nd August.

As for the beef issues, 31 US senators sent a letter to President Rho Moo-hyun in early August, which urged Korean government to open the beef Market as soon as possible. They threatened that the US would not continue the FTA talks if the ban was not lifted. The government is planning to import US beef when some Korean experts finish inspection of US beef processing facilities despite rising people's anger against the US beef imports.

  If these process are done, the proposed FTA and especially the 3rd round talks will get the momentum to finalize.

  The Korean Alliance against Korea-U.S. FTA(KoA) is planning to send a delegation of around 100 people to represent the various social, student, worker, intellectual and farmer movements against Korea-U.S. FTA and will work in solidarity with American social and labor movement.

President Roh  being increasingly critisized for KorUS FTA

  "Regardless of fierce nation-wide protests, I will dedicate my remaining time in office to realizing the FTA." These words encapsulate the attitude that has seen South Korean President Roh Mu-Hyun and his government become increasingly defensive and isolated in power.

  An editorial in the July 8th Hangyoreh newspaper argued: "The government cannot persuade the people with abstract rhetoric that the nation's social systems and international competitivness will be enhanced, nor can it persudae them by gathering data favorable to its stance. The government did not publicly disclose the results of the first and second round of negotiations. Under such circumstances, it would be public deception for the government to say that it would "collect opinions from every walk of life" and reflect those opinions at the negotiation table."

The President who was once seen as a progressive independent leader by many had been able to forge a legitimacy amonst wide sectors of population, social movements, civil society, intellectuals and the media. However, these forces are becoming increasingly distant towards the regime and its various policies as the concensus that it attempted to build between various social forces is being ripped apart from the deepening social polarisation of South Korean neo-liberalism.

Recently on July 12th, 50 000 demonstrators gathered in front of Seoul City Hall Plaza in an anti-FTA rally organised by the Korean Alliance against the KorUS FTA. The "participatory" regime of Roh Mu-Hyun which had earlier promised to only precede with theFTA after consulting with all sectors of society answered the dissent by sending in riot police to beat protestors and block them from staging a press release voicing their opinions.

  However, the decreasing popularity of the proposed FTA with the US government has even seen many former advisors and high profile intellectuals who had given public support to or even serve in various government positions, desert the President.

Kim Yon-oak, a well known social commentator and oriental philospher in South Korea, who led the public opposition campaign to the Grand National Party's attempted inditement of the  President attacked the President's persistence with the FTA negotiations arguing he didn't "understand why South Korea has to seek the FTA while there is nothing it can from it."  Even openly pro-government intellectuals such as Jung Tae-in and Lee Joung-woo, a former presidential secretary for economic affairs and special advisor to President Roh respectively have become harsh critics of the President and have publicly thrown their support behind the anti-FTA campaign.

  The government has also been coming into a confrontation with layers of the media over their critical reporting of the FTA. When Roh first came to office he publicly thanked the role of the media in his rise to power wondering " Could I have become the President without the help of the press" while attending a Korean Broadcasting Service reception.

  However more recently his opinions have changed, claiming that "These days, egoism in broadcasting companies, employees and labour unions is at the core and there is no suitable way to remedy it."  President Roh and a number of his advisors were also very critical of documentaries that MBC and KBS television stations had broadcasted on the FTA issue. He also threatened to legally sanction other media sources over thier reporting of the issue especially when they reported Roh's remarks that the FTA was needed to maintain the strong political and military alliance between the US and South Korea.

  However as the growing polarisation continues to deepen in South Korean society so will the legitimacy of this once very popular President continue to crumble as did his predecessors who also implemented the neo-liberalism in South Korea.

Alianza Coreana en contra del Tratado de Libre Comercio (TLC) U.S.-Corea.

M찼s de 50,000 se movilizaron en
contra del TLC U.S.-Corea.

Al mismo tiempo que el tif처n ?쏣winia??entraba a la pen챠nsula Coreana, la lucha en contra de la segunda ronda de negociaciones tambi챕n se iniciaba.
La segunda reuni처n del TLC entre U.S. y Corea se inicio el 10 de Julio. A pesar de que la opini처n publica esta en contra del TLC, el gobierno coreano no deja de abogar por el tratado de libre comercio; solo el 27% de la poblaci처n opina que va a ser beneficioso para el pueblo coreano.
El 10 de Julio, primer d챠a de negociaciones del TLC, se inicio con la provocaci처n de m찼s de 3,000 polic챠as antimotines. Los representantes de la Alianza Coreana en contra del TLC,  KoA por sus siglas en ingl챕s, trataron de realizar una conferencia de prensa frente al hotel Shilla, lugar donde se llevaban a cabo las negociaciones; pero la polic챠a utilizando la  fuerza ocupo el 찼rea, y trato de decomisar el cami처n que  los manifestantes utilizaban como escenario para el evento.

El d챠a 12, el d챠a m찼s intenso de la lucha, se inicio con la lucha de los trabajadores irregulares los cuales demandaban el paro a las negociaciones del TLC (Corea-U.S.) Campesinos, trabajadores, y vendedores ambulantes, y gente de escasos recursos tuvieron m챠tines en diferentes sectores alrededor de Se첬l, la capital Coreana. La Federaci처n Coreana de Sindicatos (KCTU) organiz처 un mitin en la estaci처n de Se첬l, antes de la protesta nacional en contra del TLC,  para tambi챕n demandar el paro a las negociaciones del TLC (Corea-U.S.), retirar los planes para modernizar las relaciones industriales, y alcanzar 3 Derechos B찼sicos para los Trabajadores 

Aun cuando mas de 50,000 personas participaron en la demostraci처n enfrente del Palacio Municipal de Se첬l, KoA declar처 que continuara su lucha para acabar con el proceso de negociaciones y para demandar la renuncia del Presidente Rho Mu-hyun, si el gobierno no para las negaciones del TLC. En su marcha hacia la residencia presidencial, los protestantes se enfrentaron a la polic챠a  a la misma vez que gritaban consignas en contra del TLC y la Globalizaci처n. La tensi처n creci처 mas cuando la polic챠a comenz처 a atacar a los manifestantes con ca챰ones de agua; adem찼s, la polic챠a bloqueo diversas calles principales al igual que varias estaciones del metro subterr찼neo. Los manifestantes terminaron la jornada con un mitin enfrente a la embajada de los Estados Unidos. La lucha contin첬o durante todo el tiempo que duraron las negociaciones. En d챠a 13, 2000 campesinos y activistas en contra de la globalizaci처n realizaron un funeral a la misma vez que marchaban al centro de las negociaciones. La lucha en contra de la 2짧. Ronda de negociaciones finalizo al mismo tiempo que la ronda de negociaciones.

Nuestra lucha aun no ha terminado. La Alianza Coreana en contra del TLC (U.S.- Corea) esta organizando muchas campa챰as y movilizaciones en contra del mismo. Nosotros estamos prepar찼ndonos para la 3짧. Ronda de Negaciones que se llevaran a cabo en los Estados Unidos; y adem찼s, Nosotros continuaremos luchando en solidaridad con nuestros compa챰eros en la uni처n americana y alrededor del mundo para terminar con el TLC (U.S. Corea) y la Globalizaci처n Neoliberal.  KoA

Korean Alliance against the KorUS FTA Newsletter #1

More than 50,000 people mobilized against Korea-US FTA

As the typhoon "Ewinia" hit the Korean peninsula, the struggle against the 2nd round talks started.  The 2nd meeting of the Korea-US FTA started on 10th of July. Despite the fact that public opinion turns against the FTA dramatically, the Korean government doesn't stop pushing the FTA. Only 27 percent say they believe it would be more beneficial than harmful.

The first day of the FTA meeting on 10th July started with provocation from 3,000 riot police. When Korean Alliance of the KorUS FTA(KoA) representatives tried to have a conference in front of Hotel Shilla where the FTA meeting was being held, riot police rushed into the site of the press conference. Riot police was even trying to pull and took away a truck that was being used as a stage for the event.

On 12th which was the peak of the struggle opened with irregular workers' struggle demanding Stop Korea-US FTA with irregular workers's issue. Farmers, Workers, Street Venders and the poor had rallies by sectors around the central part of Seoul. Korean Confederation of Trade Unions(KCTU) held a rally demanding 'Stop the Korea-US FTA, Withdraw a Roadmap for modernizing Industrial Relationship, Achieve Basic 3 Rights for Disguised Workers" at Seoul Station before the National Rally against Korea-US FTA.

While more than 50,000 people joined the national rally in front of Seoul City Hall, KoA declared to continue its struggle to end the negotiation process and to demand step down of president Rho Mu-hyun unless the government stop the FTA negotiation. Crshing with riot police when the demonstrators tried to march toward presidential residence, they was chanting anti-globaliztion and anti-Korea-US FTA slogans. Tension rose when the riot police suppressed demonstrators with water canon. Police blocked main street and shut down several subway station as well. At the end of the day, demonstrators had closing rally for the day in front of the US embassy.

Struggle were continued during the talks over the FTA. On 13th 2,000 farmers and anti-globalization activists had a Korea-US FTA funeral marching to the meeting place. The struggle against the 2nd round talks ended with the end of the talks. Our struggle, however, is net ended yet. We, the Korean Alliance against the Korea-US FTA, is organizing many campaigns and mobilization against it. We are planning to the US in time of the 3rd round of the Korea-US FTA meeting and We will keep fighting in solidarity with people in the US and all over the world to end the Korea-US FTA and Neoliberal globalization. KoA