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Public Demonstrations; one-man rallies
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Anyone who didn't know better and who relied solely on the images of Korea that they saw on their TV screens could easily get the impression that life here was nothing more than round-the-clock street battles between riot police and protesters throwing rocks and firebombs at them.
President was on to something when he said the violent street demonstrations were doing great damage to Korea's image abroad. To many foreigners, it seems that all news is bad news when it comes to Korea.
In the early 90's, when the era of military dictators finally came to an end, most people in Korea were hoping that the days of violent street demonstrations were over, but that was not to be the case. The scene was the same, only the players changed. If it wasn't college students bearing steel pipes and firebombs, it was an army of factory workers, environmentalists, or a group of monks. Demonstrating in the streets has almost become a national pastime in Korea.
After a never ending series of warnings and crackdowns against people who participate in these public displays of rage, the government in 2001 had finally had enough. New laws were passed calling for prison sentences for anyone involved in the production, transfer, or use of firebombs, or of causing damage to public property or harm to another person.
The police resorted to using wiretaps and surveillance of the Internet to track down perpetrators. Emails sent by persons suspected of involvement were intercepted and scrutinized. Gatherings of two or more demonstrators became illegal.
As a result of the stricter measures, a new form of protest was born in Korea-the "one-man rally". This type of rally consists of just one person carrying a placard standing or sitting in a prominent location, such as in front of a government building or foreign embassy. Sometimes the rallies are relays, whereby protesters work in shifts, relieving one another in turn. One-man rallies have become a popular from of social resistance in Korea.
Although one-man rallies don't attract the same amount of attention that violent mass rallies do, they are legal and therefore cannot be prevented or stopped by the police. One-man rallies are also more likely to gain public support for their causes than violent demonstrations, which have just the opposite effect.
Both police and the general public prefer this new form of protest much better than the other one. The only thing police worry about is that too many different, unrelated one-man rallies could be held in the same place, such as in front of a foreign embassy, at the same time. They're afraid that such a scene could have a negative effect on diplomatic relations. However, since one-man rallies are legal, there is nothing they can do about them.
Q1) Which of these statements do you agree with and why?
a. Violent demonstrations should never be allowed.
b. Sometimes violent demonstrations are necessary to make the government change certain policies.
Q2) If you chose answer a, do you think that Chun Doo Hwan would have left office if there had not been violent demonstrations? Would peaceful protests have had the same effect? Explain your opinion.
Q3) Have you ever watched or taken part in a violent street demonstration? If so, when, and how did you feel while it was going on?
Q4) Do you think there will always be violent street battles in Korea, or will the police succeed in stopping them completely? Tell why you think so.
이 글은「대학연합영어토론동아리」www.pioneerclub.com에서 제공하는 영어토론 정보입니다.
President was on to something when he said the violent street demonstrations were doing great damage to Korea's image abroad. To many foreigners, it seems that all news is bad news when it comes to Korea.
In the early 90's, when the era of military dictators finally came to an end, most people in Korea were hoping that the days of violent street demonstrations were over, but that was not to be the case. The scene was the same, only the players changed. If it wasn't college students bearing steel pipes and firebombs, it was an army of factory workers, environmentalists, or a group of monks. Demonstrating in the streets has almost become a national pastime in Korea.
After a never ending series of warnings and crackdowns against people who participate in these public displays of rage, the government in 2001 had finally had enough. New laws were passed calling for prison sentences for anyone involved in the production, transfer, or use of firebombs, or of causing damage to public property or harm to another person.
The police resorted to using wiretaps and surveillance of the Internet to track down perpetrators. Emails sent by persons suspected of involvement were intercepted and scrutinized. Gatherings of two or more demonstrators became illegal.
As a result of the stricter measures, a new form of protest was born in Korea-the "one-man rally". This type of rally consists of just one person carrying a placard standing or sitting in a prominent location, such as in front of a government building or foreign embassy. Sometimes the rallies are relays, whereby protesters work in shifts, relieving one another in turn. One-man rallies have become a popular from of social resistance in Korea.
Although one-man rallies don't attract the same amount of attention that violent mass rallies do, they are legal and therefore cannot be prevented or stopped by the police. One-man rallies are also more likely to gain public support for their causes than violent demonstrations, which have just the opposite effect.
Both police and the general public prefer this new form of protest much better than the other one. The only thing police worry about is that too many different, unrelated one-man rallies could be held in the same place, such as in front of a foreign embassy, at the same time. They're afraid that such a scene could have a negative effect on diplomatic relations. However, since one-man rallies are legal, there is nothing they can do about them.
Q1) Which of these statements do you agree with and why?
a. Violent demonstrations should never be allowed.
b. Sometimes violent demonstrations are necessary to make the government change certain policies.
Q2) If you chose answer a, do you think that Chun Doo Hwan would have left office if there had not been violent demonstrations? Would peaceful protests have had the same effect? Explain your opinion.
Q3) Have you ever watched or taken part in a violent street demonstration? If so, when, and how did you feel while it was going on?
Q4) Do you think there will always be violent street battles in Korea, or will the police succeed in stopping them completely? Tell why you think so.
이 글은「대학연합영어토론동아리」www.pioneerclub.com에서 제공하는 영어토론 정보입니다.
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