'Like' button cannot change world

Posters are put up on the wire mesh at the Cheonggye Stream in central Seoul, Dec. 28. They include slips reading, "How have you been doing in 2013?" and "Sorry for failing to prevent the government from issuing a license for a new KTX bullet train line." Citizens posted comments to express their opinions on major social issues such as the just-ended rail strike.
/ Korea Times photo by Nam Hyun-woo

Poster activism re-emerges with youth engaging in social issues

By Baek Byung-yeul, Park Ji-won, Nam Hyun-woo

The voices of the youth, replying to the question "How are you doing?" roared out. Though it was the coldest day of 2013, young generations holding banners that read, "We are not doing well," were passionate.

In part of a poster "activism", calling on the youth to actively engage in social issues, some 300 students and citizens gathered at Cheonggye Stream in Seoul on Dec. 28 and voiced out various reasons why they are not doing well.

The youth generation, often interpreted as Social Networking Service generations, armed with smartphones and other tech devices, stood there using analogue methods of posters and banners, to express their uproars more sincerely.

Wire meshes installed there were filled with banners of their wishes and dissatisfaction on the society.

The gathering, titled "Passionate Farewell," was held by Ju Hyun-woo, an undergraduate at Korea University who first put up the poster on Dec. 10, and other students who have joined the activism. Citizens and students supporting the move raised funds for the gathering.

Various calls

Hwang Hee-jung, one of the speakers made speeches at the gathering, was a 19-year-old who has finished her college entrance exam in November.

"I'm not doing well because of the Korean society which forces students to confine themselves in studying and be blind at social issues," she said. She urged, "Hey guys, you should pay more attention to politics and other social issues."

Yang Hyo-young, 22 said she was apprehended while protesting at police's Dec. 22 raid on the Korean Confederations of Trade Unions (KCTU) building to arrest the leaders of Korea Railroad Corp. (KORAIL) labor union for staging an "illegal" strike against the state monopoly's plan to create a subsidiary for a new KTX bullet train line.

A university student holds a poster at the Cheonggye Stream in central Seoul, Dec. 28. In the poster, he lamented that he has 20 million won in college loans. / Korea Times photo by Park Ji-won

"President Park Geun-hye pledged that she will make citizens happy. Are you really happy now?" she said.

Yoon Chae-young, a 20-year-old university student who also had put up a poster, said, "Until now, we, the youth, were obsessed from a belief that we had to get permission from our parents."

"But we came here today with a belief that there would be others who will come out and act with us. We came outside to deliver our messages and support KCTU's all-out strike," she said.

KCTU launched a walkout Saturday in a show of solidarity with striking KORAIL workers. KORAIL workers decided Monday to return to their workplace, after the 22-day-long strike.

Jung Seo-hyun, a 12-year-old student at Jiseok Elementary School, said he hopes Korea could be the country where children could have fun and eat well without worrying about the politics in front of participants of the gathering. He was the youngest speaker there.

"We are kids and we are supposed to focus on pursuing happy childhood rather than having concerns over society. But I cannot help paying attention to social issues," Jung said.

"Many elementary students also know there are the problems that we are facing in the country and they were mainly caused by so-called ‘adults with power.' We also see the news through the Internet," she added.

Seo Jung-woo, a 22-year-old university student, said he has a strong curiosity to see what action other young people would take in the gathering.

"I haven't paid great attention to this issue. But I was surprised that many young people in my age can go out on the street, and say something for themselves. It intrigued me to go out on the street as well."

Joo Hyun-sik, 20, a college student, said what moved him was the vague notion that he should do something while the majority of people shuts their mouth or fiddling with keyboards online, while some are acting in the real world.

"Some 260,000 people hit ‘Like' on the Facebook page of ‘How are you doing?' But only few came out to the street to do something that they can do now," Joo said
"I don't think I would actively participate in the gathering but I will continue to do something that I can do for the pending social issues. I think it is meaningful for me to get out of my room and move forward."

Sim Ye-goo, a 20-year-old man, says he respects the people who organized the gathering, but he doubts the movement could last long as he saw many failures in the past.

"I think the people who voice out loud are very brave but I am skeptical about the movement could keep working as we didn't continue to act in the past," Sim said.
"However, I will continue joining the gathering and pay attention to the social issues as an individual. That's important."

Other participants also made speeches and posters expressing their ideas on pricy college tuition and minimum wages for part-time workers.

Why posters?

Ju Hyun-woo said, "There are approximately 1,000 ‘How are you doing?' posters across the country. Posters are not enough. As I mentioned in my poster, we should evolve from online pundits to people engaging in social issues physically and actively."

Kang Hoon-gu, 23, one of the students organized the gathering, said that the poster activism went viral because many still believe hand-written materials have more sincerity than writings posted online.

"Conventionally, posters have been accepted as a means of communication. But they have suddenly paved their ways to disposable Internet postings," he said.

He said that "Like" buttons of Facebook will not change the world. "Though it will cost courage, coming out street and facing the real world will give you broader view in the society."

Meanwhile, high school students are also meddling in this mood of offering suggestions.

Seoul's Gaepo High School junior surnamed park last Thursday put up a poster, titled "Gaepo High School students! How are you all doing?" on his school's message board.

The poster criticized adults for forcing the teens to obey what they persist to follow. It also carried critical views on Korea's grim job market situation.

As expected, the poster was removed from teachers next day. Park was summoned by them and had to listen scolding.

"The teachers sarcastically lashed me over the poster. I asked them who was the person to take it off, but the returning word I received was ‘why? Are you planning to raise a rebellion?'" Park said.

Park called on the school to admit that their action to remove the poster was wrong and demanded them to post a letter of apology on the same message board where he posted his poster for a week.

"This is a clear example that the school downplayed the basic constitutional rights," he said.

"We, the youth, are the subject who are living the present like other adult citizens. I strongly claim that the school needs to prepare a stage for us to exercise our right to speak about socially sensitive issues," he added.

Instead of presenting a wise solution, the school decided to refer Park in the near future to the specially organized committee for talking about disciplinary action on him.

"We are acknowledged that Park was scolded by teachers over posting a poster and will be brought to a petition committee," another student's human rights group called "How Are You Doing, Youth" told to the reporters.

"Freedom of expression is a statutory right, enshrined in the Constitutional. We will spare no effort until this case gets corrected," they added.

Keeping the pace with Park's action, Asunaro, a human rights group for youth, comprised of students, announced on Friday that they also sent a petition to the National Human Rights Commission.