Korean Job Discussion Forums

New Balance · Joined: 15 Jan 2007

There are major protests right now and there is no single live coverage on any networks. Do you really think there is no suppression of media coverage under the current government?

Captain Corea · Joined: 28 Feb 2005 Location: Seoul

The Floating World · Joined: 01 Oct 2011 Location: Here

MAJOR would be the polititian throwing tear gas at the opposition in parliament no?

Captain Corea · Joined: 28 Feb 2005 Location: Seoul

I already addressed that in an earlier post, and there's been coverage of that.

New Balance seems to be saying something different "There are major protests right now and there is no single live coverage on any networks."

New Balance · Joined: 15 Jan 2007

Captain Corea · Joined: 28 Feb 2005 Location: Seoul

1. If it was at midnight, what do you expect the networks to do? Generally speaking, news runs at certain times....Mornings and Evenings. 10,000 people is a decent amount in my opinion, but let's be realistic here, that's no where out of the ordinary or "large" by Korean protest standards.

2. As well, you seem to be focusing on the English newspapers as "the major newspapers". One thing you may want to keep in mind is printing/translation time. If you haven't noticed by now, you soon will, English Dailies are often a day behind on breaking news. Also, I've never worked for a paper, but I imagine that they have their articles set well before the AM to get them printed out and distributed.

3. There have been more articles on the FTA's passing/controversy than the one you are posting. You're cherry picking.

jvalmer · Joined: 06 Jun 2003

Only reason some people are so opposed to this FTA is because it's with the US. Interesting how the EU-FTA hasn't generated such opposition.

New Balance · Joined: 15 Jan 2007

Captain Corea · Joined: 28 Feb 2005 Location: Seoul

The Hanky has it, but there doesn't seem to be 10,000 people there - it says half that.

I don't think I'd call that a "major protest", and as far as I can tell, it's one protest - where's your plural coming from?

Personally, I'd be more miffed at police using water cannons on seated protestors (if that is in fact true), than on the protest not getting publicized.

Just like I'm chocked at that lawmaker setting off a tear gas canister in the assembly, i'd also be pissed at police abuse.

Saying that though, out of all the protests I've witnessed in Korea, ALL of them had the protestors as aggressors. I don't know if that's the case here, but it sure has been my experience that protestors have little reservations against using violence.

NohopeSeriously · Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2011 10:15 pm Post subject:

It's simple.

New Balance is right. The Kapitan is wrong. End of discussion.

Captain Corea · Joined: 28 Feb 2005 Location: Seoul

Captain Corea · Joined: 28 Feb 2005 Location: Seoul

agentX · Joined: 12 Oct 2007 Location: Jeolla province

I was so disappointed that I missed the big fight! I thought for sure I was going to see at least 1 chair-shot and 1 off-the-top-rope jump-into-pile of people! DAMN GNP for moving the passage up one day!

Ah well...

I was always confused as to why the opposition (other than those following NK orders) always pressed the issue based on the ISD when Korea has the ISD in other trade deals and it's not a problem in those FTA deals. If they were really worried about the deal, they could have pursued the protect-the-farmers angle, but they did not for some reason. Though at best that angle is tentative because those farmers down here in Jeolla took a lot of hits from floods and typhoons this year, and it's not exactly an easy thing to feed 50+ million people on small farms alone.

Of course, if they were really worried they should have spoke up louder during the KOR-EU deal that opens the market more than the US deal does. But... they didn't.

Stout · Joined: 28 May 2011

A fairly large turnout considering the weather

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C90cGR6_7e0&feature=related

Ya-ta Boy · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Established in 1994

In a rough sense, this pretty much explains public attitude on the US-ROK fta, and much of South Korean foreign affairs in general:

A recent Gallup poll shows that Koreans support the leadership of the United States on the global stage more than that of China, which is rising as a superpower to compete with the U.S.

The poll was conducted on people in nine East Asia Summit countries including six ASEAN member nations.

Some 57 percent of Koreans responded that they support Washington's global role, up 2 percent from last year, while 30 percent said they support Beijing.
http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2011/11/21/2011112101147.html

While it doesn't speak directly to the issue, it accounts for the opposition to a trade deal that the left itself negotiated when they were in power.