You’re Now An Enemy of the Korean State

It’s always chilling to know that your president wants you to shut up, so that he can get his yes-minions elected. Is there something authoritarian about today’s Korea?

…polls showed Lee’s uncompromising stand against the North has helped keep support ratings for him near the 50 percent mark in recent weeks.

…”We are not going to tolerate activities that harm public interest and undermine national integrity through the spread of false information,” Seoul police commissioner Cho Hyun-oh said in a message to officers, vowing to punish offenders.

The crackdown on Internet rumor mongering is likely to resurrect a frequent opposition complaint that the government is trampling on democracy and free speech.

Police are on their highest security alert ahead of Wednesday’s voting to choose nearly 4,000 mayors, governors and local representatives, seen as a gauge of support for Lee and his ruling Grand National Party.

Lee is trying to avoid a repeat of massive protests that consumed the first months of his term in 2008 when he failed to contain the spread of information on television and the Internet that experts said hugely exaggerated the health risks of eating U.S. beef amid a mad cow disease scare.

At least, we can enjoy the burlesque outside as the candidates’ trucks go by. So, here’s some subversive fun and a video from the Coalition of Concerned Koreans and Organizations in the U.S.:

Our Demands:

    South Korean government should reveal the complete TOD visual record of the Cheonan sinking.

    South Korean government should release all communication and navigation records of the Cheonan.

    South Korean government should reveal the complete ship wreck to independent inspectors and allow independent investigations of the incident by experts.

    North and South Korea should not engage in any militray provocation or activity that will impair peace on the Korean Peninsula.

    The U.S. should stop antagonistic policy towards North Korea based on confrontation and pursue a policy of engagement and co-existence.


Filed under: East Asia, Korea, Maritime, Military, Politics, USA, YouTube Tagged: cheonan, Coalition of Concerned Koreans and Organizations in the U.S., dprk, lee myung bak, nort korea, rok