Activists stage a rally in front of a court in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, 200 kilometers south of Seoul, on Aug. 16, 2018, denouncing a Seoul court ruling that found former South Chungcheong Province Gov. An Hee-jung not guilty of sexually abusing his former secretary Kim Ji-eun. The 54-year-old politician was indicted in April on charges of forcing Kim to have sex with him four times and molesting her multiple times between the middle of last year and early this year in Seoul and while on overseas business trips. The Seoul court said that there was not sufficient evidence to prove An used his position to have sexual relations with the plaintiff. (Yonhap)
I find it interesting that at a smaller level South Korea is going through the same refugee issue that the United States is:
Supporters, right, of Yemeni asylum seekers in Korea stage a rally in front of Sejongno Police Box in central Seoul, Saturday, urging the government to allow the refugees to stay, while protesters, left, in Gwanghwamun Plaza call for the law to be changed to block “fake asylum seekers.” Yonhap
Two rallies with clashing views on refugees were held over the weekend, in the latest development in the ongoing controversy concerning Yemeni asylum seekers, an increasing number of whom came to Jeju Island over the past few months to escape the ongoing civil war that began in 2015.
Hundreds of protesters varying in age from teenagers to over 50 gathered at Gwanghwamun in central Seoul, demanding the government abolish a visa waiver program under which foreigners can stay for up to 30 days being given a visa on entry. Nationals from all but 11 countries suspected of being sponsors of terrorism are eligible for the program implemented in 2002 to promote the economy and attract foreign spending on the resort island.
Protesters chanted slogans including “Korean people’s safety first,” “We want safety,” “Abolish no-visa policy” and “Who is this country for?”
The seemingly harsh sentiment was met by a more compassionate group nearby, where about same number of rally participants demanded Korea be more embracing towards the displaced. “Protests organized by anti-asylum seekers claim they want safety all the while fanning hatred and bigotry,” the group said. “If they really want safety, they should remain open to foreigners, rather than forcing them to take 3D jobs ― labor-intensive work characterized as dirty, difficult and dangerous ― helping them achieve goals and encouraging them to contribute to Korean society.” [Korea Times]
You can read more at the link, but what makes this issue different than from the US is that there is not a political party in South Korea that gains potential voters by allowing in people claiming to be refugees. The political implications is why this issue is burning so hot right now in the US before the mid-term elections.
I don’t think these protesters are going to find too many objections from men in regards to their demands towards Facebook:
A group of female protesters went topless in a rally against Facebook, Saturday, protesting its “discrimination,” based on a policy that bans posts showing women’s breasts but allows men’s naked torsos. Ten women wearing masks and sunglasses carried signs that read, “Why do you delete posts in which I willingly showed my breasts?” and “Set me free from what is virtually a modern corset,” near company headquarters in Gangnam, Seoul.
Soon after photographers and police arrived, the protesters lined up and took off their T-shirts to show a Korean character drawn on their chests to deliver the message “My body is not pornographic material.”
Police forcibly covered the women with blankets despite fierce protests, with some women shouting, “Why are police officers covering us? Why do they keep suppressing us?”
The highly “liberal” move came about a week after Facebook unilaterally deleted an account that posted a message with a photo of a topless woman, slapping the account holder with a one-month suspension. Facebook said the post violated company policy on uploading photos containing naked body parts and sexual acts. “Facebook is used by all age groups, which is why we need to create an environment where a majority of people feel safe,” the company was quoted as saying. “We understand the women’s group and where they are coming from. We must delete the topless photos for now.” [Korea Times]
Protesters stage a rally in front of the Government Building in downtown Seoul on May 24, 2018, to demand the government introduce measures to fully display the ingredients of genetically modified organism (GMO) food products. (Yonhap)
Members of a pro-choice civic body rally in front of the Constitutional Court in Seoul on May 24, 2018, to demand that the criminal status of abortion be abolished, with the court to hold the first hearing on a petition filed last year by a doctor who was convicted of carrying out an abortion. The doctor requested the court review the constitutionality of the current anti-abortion law. (Yonhap)
A group of people stages a rally in front of the Foreign Ministry in downtown Seoul on May 21, 2018, calling for revision of the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) and denouncing U.S. forces for the environmental contamination of U.S. bases in South Korea. (Yonhap)
Trailers enter a THAAD base in the country’s southeastern rural county of Seongju on April 12, 2018, to bring excavators, bulldozers and forklifts out of the base in accordance with an agreement between villagers and the defense ministry. The equipment was introduced in November to build the THAAD base, which the villagers strongly oppose. (Yonhap)
