Tag Archives: Seoul

Ideology + Affiliation

South Korea News | Dissidents

Police turn water cannons and tear gas on protesters as Seoul demonstration turns violent
  • More than 60,000 turned out for a protest in Seoul against President Park Geunt-hye’s policies, which ended abruptly when police clashed with participants attempting to move through barricades.
  • Around 10 protesters were injured and some 50 were arrested in the largest street protest of President Park’s term.
  • The protesters–including 53 labor, agriculture, and other civic groups–were demonstrating against President Park’s labor reforms reducing employee job security and textbook reforms perceived as whitewashing Korea’s authoritarian history.

Read more:
“Police detain 49 protesters” (The Korea Times)
“South Korea vows no tolerance after violent protest in Seoul” (Reuters)
“S Korea protesters clash with police in Seoul” (BBC)

(Image Credit: Choi Won-suk/The Korea Times)

Sexual + Gender Minorities
South Korean court rules LGBT march can proceed as planned following the police’s injunction against the event
  • Police had earlier denied the necessary permits to the Korean Queer Cultural Festival as a result of permit applications filed by conservative Christian activists to block the event.
  • Last year’s march saw conservative activists disrupting the parade through route blockage and protesting.
  • Organizers expect around 20,000 to participate in the march.

“This court’s decision in relation to the police’s unjust notice prohibiting assembly is important. … Within a democratic country, built on civil society, the guarantee that society can use their voice has a deep meaning.”

More on this story at BuzzFeed.

(Image Credit: Simon Williams-Im via Flickr, via BuzzFeed)