Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Real Reality]

university students and civic group members were drawn to the demonstration.
JoongAng Daily
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200505/15/200505152200430979900090409041.html

주한미군범죄근절운동본부
National Campaign for Eradication of Crime by U.S. Troops in Korea
http://usacrime.or.kr/

현장의 감동 살아있는 뉴스 민중의소리
http://voiceofpeople.org/

http://www.spark946.org/bugsboard/index.php?BBS=s_news&action=viewForm&uid=785&page=1

[darrin312]

I wish the US would just go. Let the Koreans defend their own country.

[Derrek]

[Guri Guy]

All I can say is "Don't bite the hand that feeds you." Or if you like, "Be careful what you wish for Korea, you might get it."
Korea is acting like a petulant little child. According to the apologists, I guess that makes me a Korea hater. Actually I want the best for Korea and I firmly believe this current course of action would be extremely detrimental to the countries future. Let Korea find out though if they really want to find out who their friends are. They sure aren't North Korea or China. *sigh*

[Real Reality]

http://eyenews.hankooki.com/gisa_view.php?gisa_id=00017432


http://www.vop.co.kr/news/upload/23553IMG_8786.jpg
http://www.voiceofpeople.org/new/news_view.html?serial=23553
The VoiceofPeople

[lastat06513]

I'm not a korea-hater
And I am certainly not a korea-lover either
I am just loafing around {hey!}


Seriously...Kwangju?....honestly, this comes as no surprise to me.


I think alot of people are completely unaware of the event that shaped Korean democracy that occurred in Kwangju.
I'll tell you the story.

Ok, this stuff happened right after the death of Gen. Park and the military coup in 1980. The students there decided to rise up and start a "People's Revolution" there. But the military gov't in Seoul was not so keen on the idea, so they sent troops to "supervise the whole shananigans there. Things were ok, until some "genius" got the idea to throw molotov cocktails at them. A few soldiers got "burnt" and the officers got scared, so thats when the shooting started. When it was over, over 200 people were dead and marshal law was declared around Korea.

Now, how does the US come into play in all this....

1. People saw the US as the main backers of the military regime and they were the ones truly hampering democracy in Korea at the time.

2. There were alot of US troops (mostly airforce) in Gwangju and the people thought the US had a moral obligation to rein in their South Korean "puppet" government from doing harm to the people. But the US didn't do that, so people started to think the US was actually condoning the actions in Gwangju then.

This is also the thinking of the current government in power. Alot of people, Roh included, were in Gwangju either during and/or after the massacre and they carry the sentiment with them when they came to office.
They think that by coming to office, they can finally "settle old scores" by finally doing things they only dreamed of before.

And one of them is to get the US to withdraw from Korea.

I say, like the rest of the people here, let them go.


1. When I was home, part of my tax money was spent to maintain the soldiers here.
2. Now part of my KOREAN tax money is spent to maintain the soldiers here.

Either way you look at it, if you are American, you are paying for some soldier to sit on his buttocks and drink soju and talk to some juicy girl in some dive in Bummble upcake, Korea.

I think they would do more good in Iraq or Afghanistan, send them there. Believe it or not, alot of people there do appreciate their presence there.

Why keep them in a place they are not needed or wanted.
especially by these good-for-nothings in office in Youido and Chong-hwa-dae

[hogwonguy1979]

I read a book by the US Ambassador in Korea at the time. Apparently the US HAD NO IDEA what was going to happen in Gwangju at the time. The Korean gov't kept the US totally in the dark at the time even the CINC didn't have a clue.

Carter was an idiot for not pulling out the troops then and W is for not doing it now.

Do you realize how much money Korea has made off of copying and selling US weapons systems? Its a staggering amount

Also what would happen to the lifestyle most Koreans lead because the gov't doesn't have to spend a huge amount of GDP on defense that they would if the US wasn't here?

[ulsanchris]

On top of what lastat06513 wrote. Shortly after the massacre President Regan received the korean president as the first foreign leader guest duing his first presidency. Most koreans felt that this supported the idea that the US condoned what happened in Kwangju. What most koreans don't know is that the Korean President was about to have Kim dae Jung executed, and only the intenvention of Regan prevented it. The reward of not killing KDJ was to be the first official to visit the Whitehouse.

[Ya-ta Boy]

There are two more elements to the story.

First, the US 'should' have stopped Chun from seizing power. Then, when the stuff was going on down in Kwangju, the rumor went around that US ships were off the coast and were coming to help the students. When that didn't happen the students felt betrayed. In both cases, the US is guilty for not interfering with internal affairs. If you look at it that way, it's a refreshing change from the usual charge.

[hellofaniceguy]

[Gwangjuboy]

[Wangja]

[Gwangjuboy]

[dogbert]

[Dispatched]