APEC: mass protests and political tension in South Korea

The protests began a week before the APEC meeting. On November 13, 18,000 people protested outside the US embassy in Seoul against US President Bush’s visit and to call for a fair treatment of South Korea’s growing number of low-pay temporary workers.

At the same time, a 38-year-old farmer, Chung Yong-pum, committed suicide by drinking herbicide in protest against Seoul’s agreement with the US and China to double rice imports by 2014. His suicide note read: “The government should set realistic agricultural policies so that farmers can live well.” On November 15, 12,000 angry farmers clashed with police in Seoul over the issue.

O Jong-Ryul, a leader of the People’s Action against APEC, an umbrella organisation of 80 groups, including trade unions, farmers’ associations and other bodies, told AFP: “APEC is playing the vanguard role of spreading new liberalism in trade, which makes the rich richer and the poor poorer.” The group denounced Bush as a “war criminal” and distributed leaflets calling for workers to protest against his visit.

South Korean authorities deployed 46,000 police and plainclothes agents to maintain security and keep protestors outside a 1.5-kilometre perimeter around the meeting venues. Seoul also blacklisted 1,000 foreigners for participating in the rallies. Many protestors travelling by bus from all over the country were stopped by police before they could enter Busan.

Despite these measures, at least 20,000 people turned up in Busan on November 18. A group of 4,000 demonstrators were stopped at a road blockade of shipping containers established by police near the convention centre where APEC summit was being held. Chanting slogans such as “No APEC, No Bush” and “Terrorist Bush go home”, they used a rope to dislodge the containers and break through the barrier. South Korean police used water cannons to disperse the demonstration as around 300 protestors threw rocks and fought back with bamboo sticks or steel bars.

Another group of 3,000 farmers, some dressed in traditional white funeral clothes, held a memorial ceremony for one of two farmers who committed suicide. Lee Byung-kwan, a 72-year-old farmer from Jinju, told CNN: “The government is trying to kill the farmers. If we open the rice market, all farmers are going to die.” Holding signs that read “Get rid of APEC” and “Let’s get Bush”, they blocked a traffic intersection and were surrounded by police. Protests continued the next day with at least 20 people injured.

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http://wsws.org/articles/2005/nov2005/apec-n25.shtml