Mass Pro-US rally in Seoul condemns North Korea

AFP ^ | Mar 01, 2004

[Tailgunner Joe]

South Korean conservatives have called for a tougher line on communist North Korea and closer ties with the United States at a pro-US rally that drew more than 20,000 marchers here.

Christian church leaders and decorated war veterans led the rally in downtown Seoul on a national holiday to mark a 1919 uprising against Japanese colonial rule.

Marchers burned a North Korean flag and said President Roh Moo-Hyun's policy of reconciliation with Pyongyang endangered national security.

North Korean sympathisers had gained too much influence inside Roh's left-leaning administration, according to some activists.

"We are very concerned about pro-North Korean leftists who have gained power in our society, threatening security," said Kim Chul-Ho, a 60 year-old ex-marine.

Banners called for a harder line against the communist state and improved ties with the United States.

"Block North Korea's nuclear weapons development through strong ties with the United States," read one banner as demonstrators chanted anti-Pyongyang slogans and waved South Korea's national flag.

President Roh has vowed to pursue better ties with North Korea despite the 16-month-old nuclear crisis and Washington's tougher line against Pyongyang.

In a speech marking the anniversary of the uprising, Roh urged an end to a rift between "left and right-wing" groups in South Korea.

"There should be no more conflict between left and right-wing groups," Roh said

He stressed South Korea should "embrace North Korea with a warm heart" despite its "eccentric" behavior.

Roh's government, elected on a wave on anti-US sentiment in late 2002, has opposed the imposition of sanctions or pressure on North Korea to force the bankrupt regime to scrap its nuclear weapons drive.

Roh's support base is among a younger generation of South Koreans who no longer view the North as a serious security threat to the South and oppose the continued presence of 37,000 US troops in South Korea more than 50 years after the end of the Korean war.

Conservative older generations see North Korea as a continued threat and the US troop presence as a deterrent.

"Our main enemy is Kim Jong-Il's troops in North Korea," said another banner, referring to the North Korean leader's 1.1 million strong army, the fifth largest in the world.

[BenLurkin]

Let's see if this gets the same kind of coverage on the evening news as the pro-communist demonstrations in South Korea.

[Guillermo]

The world is quite a twisted place.

Older Koreans tend to appreciate the US and our sacrifices.

Younger Koreans think North Korea is a paradise, or would be a paradise, if it weren't for the Imperialist Running Dog Americans.

I say give them what they want, once the older folks are gone.

[RS]

"Younger Koreans think North Korea is a paradise, or would be a paradise, if it weren't for the Imperialist Running Dog Americans."

You must be refering to those of college age - They seem to have the same commies teaching over there that we have here. Once they get out in the real world and start making a living, most of them give it up.

[Killborn]

Commie infiltrators stuck in a 60s time warp not only infest the States, they are a global plague.

[freedom44]

BUMP!

[Timocrat]

Just as the Stasi infiltrated the West German Govt before the wall came down I bet the North Koreans have bribed people in the present South Korean "Blue House"

[Walkingfeather]

Sorry you screwed up we are still closing our bases.

[yonif]

bttt

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks, great story.

Not only should the US not negotiate with the illegal regime in Pyongyang, the US should arrange sanctions and erect a wall so tight that the regime finally can't feed its troops anything. Those million howitzers on the border won't fire a shot, the regime will come down, and like the analogously illegal East German "state", North Korea will vote itself out of existence.

Even without sanctions, the regime will collapse eventually. There won't be enough NK's to keep the barrels polished, because the birth rate has fallen off due to starvation. It is not our duty or our job to feed our enemies. It is in our interests and in the interest of the world to kick the carcasses of all such regimes into a common grave.

[Qwinn]

Wow. I constantly hear about Leftist marches in South Korea that number 500 to maybe 2,000. Here's one with 20,000, and this is the only place I hear about it.

Freaking typical.

Qwinn

[FlyVet]

I constantly hear about Leftist marches in South Korea that number 500 to maybe 2,000. Here's one with 20,000, and this is the only place I hear about it.

Don't worry, I'm sure Dan Rather will be all over this like white on rice tomorrow evening, just like last year's huge pro-US rally in S. Korea.

SARCASM OFF

[Killborn]

A scenario repeated many times worldwide, no doubt.