By Kim Rahn
Staff Reporter
Citizens are pouring out into streets in central Seoul day after day to protest the lifting of a ban on American beef imports. But the rallies are heightening the level of fatigue of not only riot policemen but also owners of shops and restaurants near the demonstration sites.
On the other hand, some industries, such as candle making and leaflet printing, have seen a stronger demand. In the meantime, teenagers have emerged as a new opinion-leading generation.
Candles Not Lucrative Business
One of the best selling items over the last month has obviously been candles, however, despite soaring demand candle makers say they have not enjoyed the strong earnings they expected.
Some protestors bring their own candles, but in most cases, civic groups organizing the demonstrations purchase the candles with funds raised through donations, and distribute them to protestors.
According to a coalition of civic groups, 300,000 candles were given to protestors by Monday, while 100,000 were given away at the largest rally, Tuesday.
However, candle makers do not see large profits and some have even given up making candles for protests, as the candles used are the cheapest ones available _ 110 won each.
``We post about 1.5 million won ($1,500) in sales for 10,000 candles. Moreover, the price of paraffin, the main material for candles, has almost doubled since last year,’’ a candle making company executive said. ``Given that, our business is far from lucrative.’’
Downtown hotels
Hotels in downtown are taking the brunt of the candlelit protests, with falling numbers of guests and diners.
The Plaza, Westin Chosun Seoul and Lotte hotels, which were beneficiaries of the World Cup cheering that took place at the same location as the protests, have seen reservations for rooms and restaurants cancelled.
Hardest hit is the Plaza Hotel, located directly in front of Seoul Plaza. With protestors entering the hotel to use its restrooms, guests have complained about the crowds in the lobby. It is have three to four cancellations daily, as customers cannot approach the hotel due to congested traffic and closed roads as a result of the massive gatherings.
Gap in Calculation
Which figure is right; 80,000 or 700,000? The gap between tallies by police and organizers of the rallies is getting increasingly wider.
The two sides always seem to come up with different numbers, with police understating the numbers and civic groups overstating them.
Organizers said the number surely reached 700,000, as demonstrators occupied all roads from Sejongno intersection to Namdaemun as well as those near Cheonggye Plaza.
It said the number surpassed the figure at the candlelit protest in March 2004 in protest of the National Assembly’s passage of a bill to impeach then President Roh Moo-hyun. ``At that time, newspapers said 300,000 people were gathered. Considering this was a smaller area, we are sure that 700,000 citizens participated this time,’’ a member of the coalition said.
However, police counted the number by calculating that 3.3 square meters of land can accommodate eight people, saying the number of people attending looks larger when people light candles at night.
Teenage power
Middle and high school students were the main participants of the gatherings at the beginning. They claimed American beef, which they believe is unsafe, would be used for their school meals.
A lot of students made speeches at a makeshift podium at the rally site, and many expressed their opinions without hesitation.
Experts say that teenagers have been taught to express their opinions and pay attention to social issues, as they have had to prepare for essay-type exams since they were elementary schoolchildren. They have been trained to read editorial pages of newspapers for homework. Experts also said that students had been influenced by their parents, who led pro-democracy movements in the 1980s.
rahnita@koreatimes.co.kr