PROTESTS IN SEOUL BECOME MORE FLUID

C O N F I D E N T I A L SEOUL 001122 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: AFTER KOREAN REUNIFICATION TAGS: PGOV PREL ETRD EAGR KS SUBJECT: PROTESTS IN SEOUL BECOME MORE FLUID Classified By: Amb. Alexander Vershbow. Reasons 1.4(b/d) ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Protestors turned out in force over the weekend following the announcement by the Agriculture Minister on the evening of May 29 that Korea would shortly resume quarantine inspections on U.S. beef as a first step to reopening the market. Although there had been a string of candlelight vigils in Seoul beginning in early May, after the beef agreement was reached in April on the eve of President Lee's visit to Camp David, the vigils have shifted to active protests, fueled by police crackdowns and arrests of "illegal" protestors. As the focus of the protests expanded beyond concerns about U.S. beef to include general resentment for President Lee and his perceived method of "bulldozing" policies into action, the public responded with calls for the President's impeachment and demanded the resignation of several cabinet ministers. Images and video captured at the scene of confrontation between police and protestors were quickly posted on the Internet, thereby adding more fuel to the fire of growing discontent among Koreans. Groups of varying size are likely to continue to organize in the coming days despite the fact that President Lee is expected any day to fire several ministers at the core of the policies in question. Meanwhile, the President's support continues to erode as his poll numbers are down to 21 percent. End Summary. -------------- -------------- PROTESTORS FACE WATER CANNONS AS TENSIONS ELEVATE -------------- -------------- ¶2. (SBU) After almost four weeks of candlelight vigils to protest the reopening of Korea to U.S. beef imports, the once peaceful protests have taken a turn toward violence and aggression. On May 24, police began arresting protestors after the government declared the protests "illegal." As reports of the arrests spread via mobile phone text messages and were splashed across Korean web sites, public resentment of President Lee and his "bulldozer" style flared up. On the evening of May 31, the Korea National Police (KNP) estimated that 40,000 protestors (organizers claimed up to 100,000 participated) rallied at Seoul Plaza to protest not just the reopening of the Korean market to American beef, but President Lee and his perceived lack of concern for public opinion. ¶3. (SBU) The large group of protestors represented a cross-section of Korean society including college students, middle-aged office workers, and even young families with children in tow. As the night wore on, several groups of protestors broke off from the rally at Seoul Plaza and made their way toward the Blue House, located about four blocks away. The KNP's force of young riot police repelled the groups of protestors using their batons and shields. Additionally, police used water cannons to turn away the crowds for the first time since the beef protests began in early May. (Note: The media reported that this was the 24th vigil since the beef deal was concluded on April 18. End Note). The police were effective in preventing the crowds from getting too close to the Blue House, but the public was further outraged at the reported injuries resulting from the more aggressive police tactics. Reports indicate that about 100 demonstrators and 40 riot police were injured during the clashes. In total, 516 people were arrested (15 were released, 25 received a preliminary judgment, 399 were booked without physical detention and 77 people are under investigation) over the weekend the majority during Saturday night's rally. -------------- ANTI-U.S. OR ANTI-MB? -------------- ¶4. (SBU) The string of rallies against the importation of U.S. beef appear to have morphed into a broader rally against the new ROKG Administration and its way of doing business. Although beef safety is still the main thrust of concern, additional issues have surfaced as Koreans demonstrate their pent-up emotion and general lack of satisfaction with the direction of the new government. Protestors carried a variety of signs during the protest on Saturday, including signs with references to the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI),the Grand Canal project, education reform, privatization of electric companies, and the gap between rich and poor. There were larger numbers of professionally-printed signs that simply said "Lee Myung-bak OUT," with similar signs portraying the President as a rat and calling for his impeachment. Others portrayed a shift from mad cow disease to other issues such as "Mad Cow, Mad Education" or "Cows are Mad. MB is Mad." There was also a large group of protestors who donned flame-shaped hats (Note: The flame is a symbol of anger in Korea) that said "I am angry because of MB." These hats were provided by the progressive NGO People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy (PSPD),a group that was active in protesting OPCON transfer, KORUS FTA, relocation of USFK to Pyeongtaek, and other key U.S. initiatives in Korea. ¶5. (SBU) Online blogs and news sites follow a similar tack. An article posted on OhMy News said that "Koreans are not portraying the United States as the culprit of the dispute. Instead, all fingers are pointing at one man: President Lee." A related article posted on one of Korea's largest Internet portal sites under the title "It is no longer just about beef" said that Koreans are protesting President Lee's efforts to turn Korea into a "hyper-capitalist state" in a short period of time, citing the Grand Canal project and the privatization of key infrastructure as some of the areas of concern. -------------- LATEST POLLS -------------- ¶6. (U) In a Gallup poll released on June 3 (100 days into Lee's presidency),results showed that 68.9 percent disapproved of the President with 3.8 percent saying his performance was average and only 21.2 percent approved of his performance. On the brighter side, 51 percent said they expect the President Lee to do better in the future. 21.3 percent of respondents identified the root of their discontent as President Lee's lack of attention to public opinion and 16.2 percent cited rising prices. The survey was conducted on May 31 before the latest round of violent protests. -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶7. (C) Despite earlier hopes that the vigils and demonstrations would subside with the conclusion of the 17th National Assembly on May 24, an aggressive crackdown on the protestors has only stirred more anger among Koreans. While it appears that beef is no longer the only reason for the vigils and protests, it remains the central example of President Lee's perceived lack of attention to his constituents and therefore the Korean public will continue to demand action to resolve the beef issue. Even if President Lee moves forward with his expected cabinet shuffle, protests against U.S. beef are likely to continue until Koreans feel that their President hears their concerns and addresses their demand not to import beef from cattle aged more than 30 months. VERSHBOW