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[그렉의 한국 엿보기] Far from the Maddened Cows
Rain couldn't dampen the spirits of anyone. Despite light drizzle and looming final exams a large crowd united in a main artery in Seomyeon to protest the importation of American beef into Korean homes and restaurants. Armed with candles and white donated rain ponchos they sat on the pavement, physically obstructing traffic and symbolically blocking President Lee Myeong Bak's new trade agreement. Up above, perched on a dry stool in a McDonalds desperate to reassure customers of the Australian origin of its meat, I could overlook the entire demonstration.
Protests, in my experience, are serious and fiery affairs. Recent anti-Iraq war marches in the university area where I used to live sent massive throngs of impassioned citizens into the streets to chant slogans and listen to local leaders' tirades. Rallies would be held at nearby churches or public facilities and processions would tramp along the roads towards a meeting place where more speeches would occur. No one for blocks away could avoid the sound that came drifting up like smoke from each activist's mouth, strained from not smiling.
In contrast to the raw aggression I'd expected, the vigil in downtown Busan felt more like a family festival. Flags denouncing education and labor policies cut through air thick with concern over food health safety but below, the sea of white plastic raincoats and resilient candlelight looked like a blanket of peace. Everyone from children to grandparents seemed to welcome the live hip-hop and scheduled guest speakers. Surprisingly there were no firebrand orators or angry rants and from where I sat it seemed as if the illuminated faces though sober were also calm.
 [그렉의 한국 엿보기] Far from the Maddened Cows 청취
Prior to President Lee Myeong Bak's renegotiations, protests in Seoul and Busan had been more vast and different in tone, perhaps closer to what I'd witnessed back home. It's hard to say which style is more effective, though in every case the hope for change remains the same. When the gathering I was watching rose up and began their short trek around the block, my friends and I scrambled down to follow. The pace was brisk and it took a while to catch up. Alongside the accompanying police I could see up ahead the bobbing bright lights shining in the darkness like a myriad of minor suns.
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 / 입력시간: 2008. 07.01. 15:18
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