.jpg)
Objections to U.S. beef imports: Opponents of U.S. beef imports meet at the Korea Press Center in central Seoul, Tuesday. They included members of opposition parties, netizens and civil group members. Citing the public concern over the safety of U.S. beef, they have called for renegotiations of the agreement. The U.S. government said the American beef is among the safest in the world. The nation will resume U.S. beef imports May 15. / Korea Times |
By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
Teenagers are venting their frustrations and complaints through candlelit vigils against imports of American beef and a market-oriented education policy.
Students who should be stuck in front of their desks reading books are now on the streets calling for their social right not to eat the meat.
More than 12,000 people participated in candlelit vigils on Friday and Saturday ― an estimated 60 percent of the participants were middle and high school students.
The youngsters expressed their ideas on leaflets, paper masks and other protest tools. They led the rally calmly with no physical or verbal violence.
Despite police warnings that they will crackdown on ``political'' candlelit vigils the teenagers say they will be wearing masks with an ``X'' mark in a silent protest at Yeouido and Cheonggye Plaza.
Under the law, any one aged above 19 is given the right to vote in elections. Last December, 54.2 percent of those voted in the presidential election.
Many observers said this generation cares about problems such as getting jobs or having fun than more serious matters. But these days the underage students are leading the online world to vent their anger against U.S. beef imports. Their rationale is that they will be forced to eat American beef at school cafeterias. Their latest target is President Lee Myung-bak. More than 1.2 million Internet users joined in a signature collection campaign to impeach the President ― a high school student led the initiative.
Their criticism of President Lee reached a peak when the government gave full autonomy to schools to allow grouping of students according to their ability and level differentiated classes. His ambitious English immersion program also infuriated many, who are already under severe academic stress. The students are gearing up for their own political action.
A Seoul high-school student said, ``Adults set policies at their own whim without gathering opinions from students, who are the consumers of education. This make us angry and frustrated.''
Experts said beef was a very personal issue for them, and they thought they would be the first to be affected by the policy.
``The students thought if no ordinary customer want the U.S. beef, it will come straight to school cafeteria,'' said Prof. Kim Ho-ki of Yonsei University, adding that teenagers played a key role in the weekend candlelit vigils in Seoul.
According to the education ministry, seven schools in Gyeonggi Province, Incheon and Ulsan have used 3,105 kilograms of U.S. beef for school meals between January and July 2007.
Conservative politicians criticized liberals for goading students into joining the candlelit vigils against American beef.
Progressive professor Jin Jung-kwon of Chung Ang University said the teenagers were perceiving politics more as ``fun'' than a ``struggle.'' He said that they are changing. ``They enjoy discussions, expressions of their ideas but try to make it fun. I think this is very positive.''
bjs@koreatimes.co.kr
|
yistory@koreatimes.co.kr
