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This is not a direct answer to Kirk's question, which has already been dealt with, but rather a comment on the article by Choe Sang-hun. I usually read his pieces in the NYT and IHT enthusiastically and enjoy the interesting stories he digs up from Korea, but this one is so far off the mark it's like he's been at completely different protests to the ones I saw when I was in Seoul recently. In fact one almost gets the feeling that commentators and journalists (particularly those writing for US or European outlets) see any mass demonstration in South Korea and immediately reach for the label 'nationalist' so as to dismiss its significance with an almost orientalist nod toward those 'irrational, emotional Koreans'. Far from being mainly about nationalism these protests are essentially about democracy and how much control people can have over basic aspects of their lives, whether that's the food they eat or various basic services that Lee Myung-bak is planning to privatise. <BR>
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When I participated in a couple of the demos the most common song I heard (in fact to the point of near irritation) was 'Taehan minguk un minju konghwagugida', while one of the favourite chants (after 'Yi Myongbak un mullonara') was 'Minju simin hamkke haeyo'. Of course nationalism is mixed up in this movement, as it always is in politics on the Korean peninsula for historical and geopolitical reasons. But to be simply emphasising nationalism when such a broad, creative and fascinating movement is taking shape on the streets of Seoul and other Korean cities seems rather narrow minded. In my opinion we are witnessing not a return to the supposed 'immature nationalism' of the Korean people (not that such a thing ever existed) but the development of a whole new culture of protest in South Korea that appears to have swept away the traditional ritualised confrontations between students/workers and riot police and replaced it with still confusing mass movement of creative slogans, new forms of protest and a widespread adherence to principles of non-violence. It would be nice if what I saw in the English-language media reflected that a little bit.<BR>
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Best wishes,<BR>
Owen Miller<BR>
SOAS<BR>
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On Wed, 2008-06-11 at 15:07 -0400, Kirk Larsen wrote:
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<FONT COLOR="#000000">Dear KS List,</FONT>
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<FONT COLOR="#000000">A recent article on the anti-beef protests in the ROK <A HREF="http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/06/11/asia/seoul.php?page=1">http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/06/11/asia/seoul.php?page=1</A>) includes this tantalizing tidbit: </FONT>
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<FONT COLOR="#000000">"People felt their national pride hurt. Protesters, some weeping, were singing a popular song about, not American beef, but an ancient Korean kingdom that extended into what become Manchuria, now northeast China. </FONT><BR>
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<FONT COLOR="#000000">"How can we stop here, when the vast expanse of Manchuria awaits us?" the lyrics go."</FONT><BR>
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<FONT COLOR="#000000">Does anyone on the list know more about this song, its provenance, popularity etc.? </FONT><BR>
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<FONT COLOR="#000000">Cheers, </FONT><BR>
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<FONT COLOR="#000000">-- </FONT><BR>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">Kirk W. Larsen </FONT><BR>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">Korea Foundation Associate Professor of History and International Affairs </FONT><BR>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">Director, Sigur Center for Asian Studies </FONT><BR>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">1957 E Street 503 </FONT><BR>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">The George Washington University </FONT><BR>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">Washington DC, 20052 </FONT><BR>
<FONT COLOR="#000000">(202) 994-5253</FONT><BR>
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