By Ha Su-a and Hong Seung-hee
Since President Lee Myung-bak announced that Korea would fully open its beef market to the United States, many people have started candlelit vigils to protest the unilateral decision.
According to police, about 6,000 out of 10,000 people were teenagers on the first night of candlelit vigils in central Seoul.
Considering teenagers tend to pursue their own fun and excitement, it's a really interesting phenomenon. They are usually supposed to be indifferent to ``boring'' political issues. Instead, most of them are only concerned with their personal problems such as test scores, entering a ``good'' university, friends, pop idols, computer games, and keeping in good shape.
What makes the difference? Have teenagers suddenly decided to care about what politicians do? What brings students to Cheonggyecheon? Here are some possible reasons for their enthusiasm for candlelit vigils.
Korean society used to deprive teenagers of the right to participate in social and political issues. They were considered passive targets, just being taught. But this phenomenon shows an improved aspect of democratic education. Today's teenagers were born in the 1990s, when democracy was rooted after the end of military rule.
With democracy, they've learned that all people can have their own opinion, even if it's against the policy of the government. They also learned they have the human right to express their opinion. Now teenagers have the opposite opinion from the government on U.S. beef imports, so they are taking action to fix it up in the way they want, according to the theories they've learned, not just to stay silent.
The issue about American beef and mad cow disease is deeply connected to teenagers' own lives. They think it's not just a political issue far from their lives, but a matter of their human rights.
First of all, they are worried that they will be the biggest victims. One of the students Kwon Hee-ju(17) said, ``If U.S. beef is imported, it will definitely be provided to the school meal service. We don't want to eat what is not verified. So I'm here to stop it.''
This plea seems to be reasonable because teenagers will be the biggest consumers for the longest time.
They are already used to the Western diet. According to recent surveys by the Korea Nutritional Association, they consume more and more meat. Besides the flesh and bones, we take beef through unimaginable routes such as seasoning and processing.
We even put on cosmetics containing materials extracted from cows. So it's not a simple problem like President Lee's logic: Don't-eat-it-then. That's why they come to the street, holding the post, ``Will we be fated to die? We're too young to die.''
Internet has helped teenagers to be at the center of the U.S. beef problem. It was known that the first broacher who conducted a campaign to obtain signatures for the impeachment of President Lee was a second grade student of a high school in Gyeonggi province.
It was online that the broacher, known as 'andante,' started this movement on April 6. Teenagers are really involved in cyberspace.
This generation plays, communicates and shares their feelings with Internet as if it were alive. They're communicating with the Internet constantly because the Internet is the closest friend they can always contact easily.
That's why the news about the vigil and the same text message circulated so quickly. But the instant reaction also has a side-effect.
Unfortunately, it has also spread pseudo-scientific and exaggerated rumors in a flash. It causes groundless panic and makes students' approach the issue with more emotion. For example, we can observe all kinds of slang and extremely sensational expressions online. Anyway, it turned out the teenagers have the power to lead public opinion through the Internet.
Some aspects of candlelit vigils are similar to those of a festival or a concert. Lots of people, celebrities' speeches, and famous singers are attractive enough to draw teenagers, like the 2002 World Cup.
One of the teenage participants said, ``I came here to see Yun Do-hyun and, just for fun!'' The students always want to escape from the pressure of the exam and the vigil can be one of the exits.
Besides students feel they play an important role from the fact that they are just there, which can be a nice excuse to skip the after-school activity or cut class. Some students are curious about the candlelit vigil itself. ``I'm just curious about what it is like and who comes here,'' a high school student said. The point is that they forget the stress of exams and get entertained there.
Many teenagers come around the street for different reasons. Some people, including the Ministry of Education, criticize them, considering their behaviors as a temporary, useless, and illegal movement.
Others, especially Internet media, seem to support them. We can't judge them by only one standard. But the most important thing is they are playing a leading role in forming public opinion as well as having a chance to express their opinion outside the classroom.
They proved their potential and ability to influence society. It's far beyond the adults' expectations. It can be another big historical event for the cultural stream if their behavior or words are supported by more accurate facts and proper manners. According to a socialist, young people who take part in social issues actively, can respect themselves better and establish their confidence to achieve something. Whether the U.S. beef import deal is renegotiated or not, our teenagers will grow through this unusual experience.
The writers are teachers in Korea. They can be reached through sooaga@hanmail.net