President Bush's apology produced predictable results. It only added to the outrage. It would have done less so if it had been a televised apology, but it still would have done little to quiet the anger. Apologies and actions by USFK and the U.S. government in Korea are most often dismissed as simply "insincere".Twenty Roman Catholic priests began a weeklong hunger strike Monday to protest the acquittals of two American soldiers whose vehicle struck and killed two South Korean girls.
"The deaths were not only the deaths of two girls, but the death of the nation!" the Rev. Mun Kyu-hyun said Monday as hundreds of police with shields and helmets stood nearby. (Washington Post 2 Dec 2002)
"We didn't have much difficulty other than with the cold night dew," said one protester, Rev. Rah Seung-goo, wrapping his body in a blanket."For me, this is like a national independence movement."
(Washington Post 3 Dec 2002)
In fact, what you can see in the process is that concessions by USFK and the U.S. government often make the civic groups more bold and produce a greater willingness in the Korean masses to support the activists.
Below, I will
mostly let the Korean society speak for itself.
"Bush's apology is only natural thing to do, but it is too late and not enough," said 28-year-old Kim Mee-kyong, an office worker in Seoul. "The United States must make more sincere efforts and make fundamental changes if it really wants to improve relations with South Korea." (Washington Post 27 Nov 2002)(On the cross burning image - most Koreans, at least most educated Koreans, are familiar with the history of racism in the United States, and they have a general understanding of what a burning cross was used for in America against blacks. Also in Korean society, righteous anger becomes a justification for itself and even for the most vile displays. The average Korean would not (and did not in 2002) think to resort to using a disgusting image like the burning of a cross to express their anger, but, the problem is, that when such things are used by civic groups or other people, average Koreans not only do not mind the display, they agree with it and it helps stoke their pride and sense of righteous indignation.
There are exceptions. Occasionally when children have been used, it has caused a backlash, but at other times, promotion of hatred in children and examples of children being coached to display hatred has not been rebuked. The most shocking and detestable for an American would be how Korea used 9/11 to strike at the arrogant Americans in 2002 and 2003.)
"Bush must apologize personally and publicly, not through his ambassador," 300 activists chanted in a rally on Wednesday near the main U.S. military base in central Seoul. "Let's bring the murderous U.S. soldiers to our court!"
(Korean language press refers to "the murdering soldiers" or "killer soldiers")
At least 3,000 students and activists marched with candles and burned an American flag Saturday to protest the acquittals of two U.S. soldiers in a traffic accident that killed two Korean girls.
"Punish American GIs! Go away American GIs!" they chanted, occupying four lanes of an eight-lane boulevard a block away from the U.S. Embassy in central Seoul.
Several protesters were bleeding from their faces and several policemen were sprawled on the pavement or rushed to the hospital after being beaten and stomped on. (Washington Post 30 Nov 2002)
A total of about 100,000 citizens were estimated to have taken part in the Saturday rallies in 17 cities, such as Seoul, Chonju, Taegu, Pusan and Cheju, police said.
No major injuries or damages were reported as the protesters tried to remain peaceful and keep order, they explained. Some 500 joined a protest rally in Inchon yesterday. Smaller rallies and marches also took place on Saturday in at least five provincial cities, according to the national news agency Yonhap.
At the U.S. Navy base in Chinhae on the south coast, demonstrators wrote slogans in their own blood calling for U.S. troops to withdraw from South Korea. They also tore open part of the U.S. military installation's wire fence before police repelled them. (Korea Times)
With another large-scale anti-American protest planned in Seoul for Saturday, hundreds of politicians, entertainers and religious leaders have expressed their intention to join forces with citizens to demand aretrial of the two U.S. soldiers found innocent last month in the deaths of two South Korean girls.
Hundreds of entertainers, including pop singers Lee Jung-hyun, Psy and the Yoon Do-hyun Band along with movie star Song Kang-ho declared in a joint statement that they will take part in the anti-U.S. protests until their demands for the nullification of the verdict are met. (Korea Times)
During all of this time, the Korean press and some politicians in the National Assemply kept saying to the public that USFK was not "taking responsibility" for the death of the two girls. It was saying the US was "escaping justice" which is a common thought on "GI crimes" in general.The Korean press did not report that a monetary settlement of over $100,000 had been reached between USFK, the South Korean government, and the 2 families of the dead girls. The settlement was reached within a month of the accident.
The Korean media also did not report or make references to the large candlelight vigil held by USFK on base one week after the accident. It was the first memorial and the first candlelight memorial for months until Korea decided to use them to promote the hate.
At the USFK memorial, elements of US and Korean mourning culture were used, hundreds of US soldiers were in attendance, along with VIPs from the US military and Embassy and the Korean government. It also included a helicopter fly over tribute.
And it was ignored. And it is no where in Korea's collective memory.
The families of the two girls had agreed to come, but they backed out at the last minute -- after the anti-US NGOs got in their earss.
Americans Banned from Using 'Hanok' Stay Program
Following a recent entry ban imposed by some nightclub owners in Seoul against U.S. soldiers, a tourist site in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, posted a "No Americans" sign at its main gate Wednesday.The sign posted at "Saehwagwan," a private facility built to provide foreigners as well as Koreans with a chance to stay in a traditional Korean-style house, says, "No Americans Allowed, as a sign of mourning for the two girls." (Yonhap News)