Stories about South Korea from February, 2011
South Korea:Protest Against Foreign Finance's Encroachment
KEB(Korea Exchange Bank)'s employees and civil rights groups held a protest in Seoul today against Hana Financial Group's final decision to takeover KEB. The protesters, explaining the U.S. buyout fund Lone Star's involvement with Hana, accused it of foreign finances’ encroachment on Korean turf. South Korea's influential Tweeter @Barunsori6 posted a photo of...
South Korea: Photos of Protest in Seoul
South Koreans held a protest in Seoul against the current administration yesterday, criticizing the government's unmet promises and its failures in several issues, such as high unemployment rate and the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak. Prolific Twitter and Blogger @givenjoy posted about 15 photos of the protest in his blog.
South Korea: Libyan Protest in Seoul
South Korean, Arabian and Libyan activists held a protest near the Libyan Embassy in Seoul today demanding the removal of Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, South Korean photographer @photo0301 posted photos of today's protest.
South Korea: Taxi Drivers Protesting Against High Gasoline Price
Twitter @ekctu posted a dramatic photo of hundreds of taxis occupying the road. The taxi drivers parked their cars on the road today in Seoul as a sign of protest against the government's decision to raise LPG gas price.
South Korea: Amnesty International Condemns Korean Government's Censorship.
Amnesty International has condemned the convictionof eight South Koreans who are members of the Socialist Workers League. All eight men were found guilty under the National Security Law for “propagating or instigating a rebellion against the State’. Amnesty International criticized the law has been used to justify a form of censorship.
South Korea: Botched Spying Attempt Embarrasses Citizens
South Korea’s intelligence agency has made the headlines after its agents allegedly broke into an Indonesian delegation’s hotel room last week in Seoul, in an attempt to steal classified information on Indonesia’s arms trade plans. The three intruders - two men and a woman - fled after they were caught copying files onto a USB stick by a delegate.
North Korea: Kim Jung-un Holding a Pair of Binoculars Upside down
North Korea's heir apparent, Kim Jong-un's photo of him holding a pair of binoculars upside down has been widely tweeted in South Korean Tweetosphere. This photo of Kim was aired by North Korea's official television station.
Youtube Video Mocking Kim Jong-il's Commemorative Stamp
A South Korean user uploaded a Youtube video[ko] mocking North Korea's latest commemorative stamp which was made to celebrate Kim Jong-il's birthday. The video claims that the three monkeys from the stamp which all sit on a same tree branch (appears on the video around 2 min 10 sec) refer...
South Korea: Dead livestock draws a flocks of vultures
South Korea's citizen media, Wiki Tree posted Twitter @Photomaker79's image of a flocks of vultures circling over a burial ground in Kyunggi Province, where dead livestock have been dumped. To slow down the country's worst foot-and-mouth disease outbreak, the government culled near a quarter of its herd and buried them...
North and South Korea Mark Kim Jong-il's 69th Birthday
Whilst North Korea celebrates its leader, Kim Jong-il's 69th birthday today, South Korean human rights activists sent a rather unconventional birthday gift to Kim: gigantic balloons carrying leaflets lambasting the regime. South Koreans net users took the opportunity to speculate how to ignite social changes in North Korea.
South Korea: Blood exuding from the ground where culled animals are buried.
South Korea had lost a quarter of the herd from its worst foot-and-mouth disease outbreak. Fears among Koreans grow as experts anticipated the blood from culled animals may contaminate nearby underground water and soil. Twitterer @Hyeyounga posted a gruesome photo of blood exuding from the burial ground and running over...
Korean Tweeters Created A New Word, ‘Mubaraktic’, to Describe Someone Who Can't Take a Hint.
South Korean net users, many of whom experienced military regime's rule back in 1980, have expressed great interest to Mubarak's address today. Korean Tweeters, such as @brokerlee, introduced a new urban slang ‘Mubaraktic'(rough translation)[ko], to describe someone who ‘cant take a hint’ and ‘tightly clings to chair(:power)’.
South Korea: A Protest Against Mubarak Held in Seoul
Korean activists and Egyptians living in South Korea held a protest in front of the Egyptian Embassy in Seoul today, urging quick withdrawal of Mubarak, South Korea's influential blogger/Twitter @mediamongu tweeted[ko].
South Korea: Backlash After '30 Minute’ Pizza Delivery Death
A popular Domino's Pizza marketing strategy promising pizza delivery within 30 minutes of an order has met with a public backlash in South Korea, following the deaths of several young delivery personnel.
S.Korean net users mourn over the death of a struggling movie writer
South Korean net users commemorated the death of Choi Go-eun, a movie writer who died from chronic disease after battling with the poverty and huger with earning less than minimum wage, around 600 USD a year. The Federation of Movie Worker’s Union defined her death[ko] a ‘social murder’ and criticized...
South Korea: Protests Against 30 Minutes Pizza Delivery System
Korean net users have filed an online petition[ko] urging big pizza chains to halt their 30 minutes delivery system which have cost several young lives and injured numerous delivery people, especially during snowy season.
North Korea: Another Sign of Small Revolt? Burning Picture of Kim Family
A video burning Kim Jung-il and his mother's portrait got leaked from North Korea, Daily NK reported[en]. The report analyzed the act may have been carried out by a North Korean high-ranking official.
‘You're next, Kim Jong-il!’ Korean Peninsula Watches Egypt
News of the Egyptian revolt has reached the Korean peninsula, and speculations are rising in South Korea about whether it could spark mass protests in North Korea. South Koreans overthrew their own military regime in the 1980's with mass public protest, and are voicing their support for the Egyptian protesters.
An Egyptian Activist's Letter Reached to S.Koreans
An Egyptian activist's touching letter explaining the reason of the protest and the fact that protesters are falsely accused as mobs was translated into Korean by Nanum Munhwa, a non-profit social organization promoting peace for global community. It is spreading via Wiki Tree site[ko], a South Korea's citizem media.