L.A. Times on the Pyongtaek protests

The Los Angeles Times has a piece on Sunday's protests against converting farmland into a military base so that most of Yongsan Garrison can become a huge park. According to the article, more than 4,000 anti-US chinbo "progressive" activists went against police near the site in Pyongtaek, about 60 kilometers south of Seoul, but couldn't break through a barricade blocking the road to the base.


I'm not a violent person, but this person's wilful ignorance and goofy smile makes me want to grab that guitar and smash it, possibly over his head. If this man were to get his wish for North Korea-led reunification, he could entertain the other prisoners of conscience in Re-education Camp #248 before he is shot.

These pro-Pyongyang true believers were shouting "Withdraw U.S. troops!" while remembering to also cry, "Let's guard our farmland!" lest the seventy households they've duped think that the "progressives" aren't really there primarily because of the farmers.

On Friday, Prime Minister (and future president) Han Myung-sook had some wise words as she stressed the importance of the planned relocation of the USFK bases to Pyongtaek in her appeal for "legitimate and peaceful" protests:

Maintaining the South Korea-U.S. alliance solidly is absolutely necessary for the stability and development of our society and country.

If only the rest of the Roh administration understood the importance of making that clear.



About thirty protesters were detained for throwing dirt and stones at police, and three demonstrators and two police officers suffered mild injuries. We'll have to see if they really end up in a military court.

A fleeing protester falls into an aqueduct as a policeman chases to detain him at Taechuri Village near a USFK military base in Pyongtaek, about 80 km (50 miles) south of Seoul. For my journalistically unprofessional reaction to this photo, move your cursor over the picture to see what name I gave the photo file.