South Korea’s Brummagem Civil Society
by Richardson ~ June 18th, 2008. Filed under: Korean Culture, Korean Politics, Propaganda. 
A good number of South Koreans seem to confuse democracy with truly mindless mass protesting based on blatantly false information that could easily be debunked but rarely is, at least by South Koreans themselves. The uproar, this time, ostensibly began over bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), better known as Mad Cow Disease, which causes a variant form of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD), a rare, incurable, and fatal degenerative neurological disorder.
South Korea’s new president, Lee Myung-bak, made a deal to accept American beef over 30 months old, which is commonly used in the U.S. But South Korean’s went mad over this, and misinformation about the safety of U.S. beef. After cases of Mad Cow disease in the U.S. in 2003, South Korea banned American beef.
Is U.S. beef a danger? There have been three cases of vCJD in humans in the U.S., two of which are belived to have originated in the UK, the third from other European countries; none are thought to have contracted the disease in the U.S. None of the one million plus Koreans living in the U.S. has contracted the disease, even after untold tons of “L.A. kalbi.” In short, the fears behind what started these protests was entirely lacking any scientific reasoning.
Those who initiated the protests, however, are showing their true colors as anti-Lee, anti-U.S. leftists, according to the Chosun Ilbo:
In reality, over this time, the forces leading the candlelight vigils have changed from housewives and other ordinary citizens who came out to express genuine fears over the health of their family members to the usual suspects representing Korea’s far-left, who appear at every anti-American event from those demanding the dismantling of the MacArthur statue in Incheon to the ouster of U.S. troops in Korea. Also leading the candlelight vigils now is the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, especially members working in state-run companies, who have vowed to protest until their country collapses. Some inexperienced university students who are the descendents of Hanchongryon, the militant student group, have also come to lead the protests.
Unfortunately, rather than providing the facts about the beef, the South Korean president offered an apology. But that’s the Korean way. Rather than noting that an extremely loud minority but a minority none the less is making this an issue, he apologized. North that it mattered much, since the phony mad cow business was merely the pretext offered by leftist to attack President Lee’s other policies.
It really does come down to nationalism, although for many the irrational mad cow fears were genuine. But the Lee administration should have still addressed the false pretense. His presidency should have been the best thing for the U.S.-ROK alliance in ten long years. It still could be, though I’m more skeptical of South Korea’s ability to embrace rationality now than anytime since 2002.
June 19th, 2008 at 12:06 pm
Thank You for speaking on behalf of the same frustration I have felt recently with all these demonstrations. I couldn’t have summed it and concluded any better.
June 20th, 2008 at 12:25 am
This has got to be the most ridiculously funny S. Korean protest I’ve ever seen. Candle light vigils over the importation of beef…… One would associate this kind of protest with perceived rigged elections or hyperinflation of food or energy or a territorial dispute with China or Japan….. but no… this is about the importation of beef. hahaha oh my god…..
I’d kind of like to see an impasse continue because I’m just guessing/hoping that enough people in S. Korea are educated enough to eventually recognize how stupid this is and it will rightly damage the credibility of the protesters and their leadership. People will get sick of their drama and want them to just go away. The New York Times just broke the news of a compromise restricting the imported beef to cows younger than 30 months old because that substantially reduces risk of MCD. I’m hoping this will placate the concerns of those who’s legitimate concern was mad cow disease, yet keep the opportunistic leftist extremists still screaming, as to alienate themselves.
June 20th, 2008 at 7:58 am
Thank you so much for your post! As a Korean-American working in South Korea this summer, I have been feeling isolated amidst all the irrational talk and protests behind the beef issue. And when I am asked for my opinion since I am from the States, the reaction I get back is far from friendly. This is my first time in Korea and I honestly feel disappointed that a country can be swept away by sensationalists lacking logic, evidence, and a sense of priorities.
June 24th, 2008 at 3:32 am
The outrage here in Korea over the importation of U.S. beef has been the most frustrating nonsense I’ve experienced here during my 4+ year tour (damn AIP!). It’s pretty much non-stop on talk radio, and anyone who tries to refute the ‘dangers’ is beat down by the people perpetuating this lunacy.
The funniest thing about it is, the only thing that interrupts the non-stop wave of mad-cow tainted U.S. beef propaganda is the occasional, intermittent radio commercial insuring the public that Korean poultry, ducks, and eggs are completely safe from bird flu and they have nothing to worry about…some people just can’t be helped.
June 24th, 2008 at 6:47 pm
I like American steaks. I make them all the time and never gotten sick. Time for another BBQ. Maybe a side of kimchi.
June 24th, 2008 at 7:13 pm
Just make sure the kimchi isn’t from China!
June 26th, 2008 at 4:02 pm
Also interesting to note that Korea’s testing regime for BSE in its own beef has been essentially non-existent. A slapdash attempt at providing some sort of inspection process was thrown together by only as these protests gained momentum. Ah well, maybe a protest against imported bedroom fans will be next…
June 26th, 2008 at 4:10 pm
I was quite taken with LMB’s first response “You don’t have to buy American beef if you don’t like it.”
But sadly he demonstrated subsequently that he is, indeed, a politician.
More interestingly, the latest episode showed yet again that the left in Korea, as in many other places, is the master of mass mobilization and protest.
Conservatives are distressingly bad at or, worse, ignorant of mass mobilization, organization and protest tactics. Although some supporters of LMB received an education about it in the recent past, this episode demonstrated yet again that their ability in this regard pales in comparison to that of the left.