Rhetoric from Conservative and Progressive Groups Filled the Independence Day

Conservative forces` gathering for the U.S.-Korea alliance and progressive forces` anti-America protests were held in Seoul on the Independence Day. Tensions were high in the city where the two sides were arguing for the starkly conflicting opinions. But severe physical confrontations did not occur due to the police’s strong action.

This is the third time when different forces within South Korea collided with each other on the Independence since such an incidence in 2001.

Conservative Forces

5000 members from conservative civic groups such as Free Citizens` Alliance of Korea, Korea Veterans Association gathered in front of Seoul City Hall at around 4 p.m. to protest against North Korea’s nuclear program and its leader Kim Jong-il. Then they marched to Seoul Station. The gathering was attended by the chairman of the Grand National Party Choi Byeong-ryeol and the chairman of the National Congress of Freedom and Democracy Lee Cheol-seung. Chairman Lee said in his speech that “the former president Kim Dae-jung destroyed the nation by denying the founding spirit and the legitimacy of this nation and followed the will of the North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.”

German doctor Norbert Vollertsen, who helped North Korean refugees, criticized Kim Jeong-il, saying that North Korea people’s famine was caused by Kim Jong-il`s misuse of food to maintain his dictatorship. During their event, people from conservative groups dismantled the monument of Kim Jong-il and burned a North Korean flag and a portrait of the North Korean leader. They flew a big ad-balloon which was written as “Let`s fight against forces that restrain the relationship between South Korea and the U.S.”

Progressive Forces

6200 people from progressive groups such as Federation of Korean University student Councils and Unification Network gathered at Maronier Park at Daehakro Street to protest against the U.S. and war. They marched to Jonro Street. Carrying anti-war or anti–U.S. placards or pickets, they shouted “the withdrawing of the U.S. troops stationed in Korea.” They also argued that unification should be achieved by the cooperation between South and North Korea by implementing the June 15 joint declaration. In the leaflets distributed to citizens, they argued that the U.S. move is escalating the tension on the Korean Peninsula. They commemorated the Independence Day around Jonggak Station with 9000 people including the chairman of Democratic Labor party Kwon Yeong-gil and the head of the Unification Network Na Chang-sun. An event remembering the two middle school girls killed by the U.S. soldiers’ armored vehicle was held at around 8 p.m.

Police Response and Inconvenience of Citizens

The police mobilized 12,000 policemen and police vehicles to inspect cars passing the roads that connect City Hall, Jonggak Station and Gwanghwamun, blocking the possible confrontation of the two groups. The police also prevented materials such as a model of the U.S. president George W. Bush from being carried into the gathering site. In this process, there were conflicts between the police and participants. There was heavy traffic jam until late at night due to the gatherings.