[Editorial] Leftist Forces’ Failed Attempt

One of the confiscated documents from the office of the People’s Association for Measures against Mad Cow Disease revealed that their ultimate objectives were “paralyzing society” and “bringing down the Lee Myung-bak administration.” The dark intention of the leadership responsible for the two-month-long violent protests, which have thrown downtown Seoul into chaos and anarchy, have finally been brought to light.

The document also suggests ways to protest, such as “strategies to take over downtown,” “college-associated strike,” “baby carriage march,” “declarations by religious circles and street marches” and “labor groups’ all-out fight.” Those methods were actually implemented in the name of the public’s expression of their opposition against U.S. beef imports.

If the document’s content and developments in the actual protests are put together, what they meant by “paralyzing society” was undermining the governmental authority in an attempt to paralyze the state administration by premeditated violence. And what they meant by “bringing down the Lee Myung-bak administration” was the ouster of the incumbent administration, even at the cost of breaking into Cheong Wa Dae. Capitalizing on the mad cow disease scare, the left-leaning group attempted to overthrow Korea’s Constitution and democracy by making even school children take to the streets, and attempting to paralyze society and oust the government. Bringing down a government elected legally by the people is an attempt to destroy all the endeavors made for a country’s democracy.

Although they tried to justify the candlelight rallies, saying it was made possible because of direct democracy and the voluntary participation of citizens, the extreme leftist forces were the ones at the core and also behind the protests. One of the association’s member groups even had the guidelines to make the public involved in the protests and fighting against pro-American and conservative forces. According to police investigation, the Alliance for Progressive Movement, which led the People’s Association for Measures against Mad Cow Disease, made banners to be used for candlelight protests and distributed them across the country. Simply put, the leftist groups, which have been seeking the withdrawal of U.S. forces in Korea and promoting pro-North Korean movements, directly and indirectly orchestrated violent candlelight protests.

At the outskirts, television network MBC and Internet portal Daum’s Agora also instigated people by spreading lies. They are still striving to bring back protesters onto the streets for candlelight vigils. The Korea Metal Worker`s Union, which is under the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, is still waging a general strike as planned in the association document.

Police and prosecutors should not be intimidated by the threats of the leftist forces, which argue that the government authorities are oppressing them, and sternly punish them according to the law by disclosing all the plans and the truth about their attempts to bring down the government.