Nationwide Anti-FTA Demonstrations Kick Off in Seoul

On March 30, the last day of the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (FTA) talks, anti-FTA demonstrations were held in all over the country, including the capital, Seoul.

The Korean Alliance Against a Korea-U.S. FTA, a coalition of civic groups, held a candlelight vigil at Seoul Plaza in front of City Hall at 7:00 p.m. on Friday and around 10,000 people joined the vigil. Smaller rallies were held in major cities including Daegu, Gwangju, and Jeonju.

In a press conference in front of its office in Seoul, the media department of the alliance urged the government to stop the negotiation, saying, “The government intends to take advantage of other sectors by sacrificing the cultural sector.” The progressive Lawyers for a Democratic Society submitted a report on the unconstitutionality of the investor-state claims to the Presidential Secretariat.

The police deployed dozens of riot police buses to main roads leading to the Cheong Wa Dae, creating traffic chaos in the area.

“The Jeonbuk Alliance against the FTA” consists of 94 civic groups in the area and held a rally and a candlelight vigil in front of a sports complex in Jeonju.

Eighty farmers from the Korean Advanced Farmers Federation held a protest against the FTA in front of the Jeonbuk headquarters of the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation (Nonghyup), which supported the FTA deal.

The Gangwon Alliance against the Korea-U.S. FTA urged the government to stop the talks, holding a protest in front of the Gangwon provincial office.

Protesters tried to burn three rice bags in the demonstration, but were stopped by police.

In Jinju in Gyeongnam Province, a city council member, a representative of women, and a representative of the disabled community staged a hunger strike in front of City Hall.

In Sacheon, one member of the regional alliance branch staged a protest alone in front of the Nonghyup building, and 100 members of the Jinju branch alliance held a candlelight vigil against the FTA talks in front of City Hall at 6:30 p.m.

The police mobilized 18,000 riot police officers for the anti-FTA protests and rallies against high tuition among college students.

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