By Michael Ha
Staff Reporter
Participants in the candlelit vigils in Seoul are not only protesting the U.S. beef import agreement, they are also gunning for other ``policies'' they think the government is pursuing.
Many protestors held up signs criticizing a whole range of issues, including what they described as plans to privatize some public medical facilities, educational institutions and public services entities.
Some participants also held up signs criticizing President Lee' Myung-bak's ``Great Waterway'' project.
At the Seoul Plaza protest site, police redirected traffic throughout Thursday night and early Friday morning around a sea of hundreds of colorful flags indicating the participating groups.
There were flags for the Seoul National University Student Council, the Yonsei University Student Association, and the Korea University Student Association, representing three of the most prominent universities in the country.
There were also flags from various unions, companies and public-sector entities where workers may face layoffs under President Lee's privatization plan. There were also groups representing civil rights activists and Korean lawyers, who were actively monitoring the scene to make sure there were no violent clashes.
Throughout Thursday night and early Friday morning, protesters chanted anti-Lee and anti-U.S. beef import slogans. There were signs that read ``Impeach Lee Myung-bak!'' ``The Tone-Deaf President,'' ``President Won't Talk with the Public'' and ``Out With the Lee Administration.''
On President Lee's policies, there were signs that read, ``Nullify the Beef Agreement,'' ``Mad Cow, You Eat It'' and ``Our Family Opposes U.S. Beef Imports.''
Many were holding signs like ``President Lee is Public Enemy. We Oppose Privatization of Medical Facilities and Public Entities.''
One protester told The Korea Times that he has a medical disability and that he was worried about what would happen if public medical facilities are privatized. ``Does that mean I would have to pay more money when I go to get treatments? I just don't think President Lee cares about the working class,'' he said.
One student protester said: ``I am a high school student. I've been watching candlelight vigils on the Web but tonight I decided to come and see it in person.'' He said: ``I don't claim to know much about politics. But someone told me that President Lee wants to establish more elite, private schools. Is that right? I don't think that would be fair to a lot of students.''
``I took the train from Daegu to come to this candlelight vigil,'' said another protester. ``The working class is having a really tough time. Prices are going up and people are suffering. We are not just talking about the beef import.''
Many protesters also took swipe at U.S. Ambassador to Korea Alexander Vershbow who has lately gained notoriety for allegedly making rude and undiplomatic comments. One sign read ``Stop Meddling in Internal Politics!'' and another read ``Vershbow, Go Home!''
Some protesters turned to singing, with lyrics poking fun at President Lee and the establishment. ``When politicians ask us, when conservative dailies Chosun Ilbo, Chungang Ilbo, Donga Ilbo ask us: who's behind candlelight vigils? We answer, the people are behind the candlelight vigils,'' a group of Yonsei University students sang.
Tens of thousands of protesters denouncing the beef import agreement are taking part in a marathon 72-hour candlelit vigil in Seoul this weekend.
The massive demonstration began Thursday night in front of the City Hall and at the nearby Seoul Plaza and is expected to continue through Saturday. On the first night, the vigil drew more than 10,000 participants, with some protesters making the journey from other parts of the country.
Students, corporate employees, union members, retirees and even whole families took part, chanting anti-U.S. beef imports and anti-Lee slogans. The high turnout and the diverse range of people in attendance suggest opposition to President Lee's policies may be widespread among the Korean population. The latest poll says that Lee's support has fallen to the 16 percent range.
The candlelit protests are unique in a number of ways. Organizers used the Internet to prepare for these events and there are no major organizers. In fact, teenagers were the first group to organize the protests, which have now gained supporters in universities and other institutions. The Web has been a major part of this development, with millions of Koreans tuning into Internet news to watch the protests in real-time.