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the People’s Countermeasure Council against Mad Cow Disease holds its rally in front of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts. On the right

On August 5, with U.S. President George W. Bush arriving in Korea, there was a series of demonstrations in downtown Seoul and in several places nationwide both opposing the president’s visit and welcoming it.

The People’s Countermeasure Council against Mad Cow Disease held a candlelight demonstration opposing Bush’s visit that evening on Cheonggyecheon Plaza, its 90th such candlelight event. It also held a march downtown. Prior to this, representatives from civic groups affiliated with the council held a press conference in front of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts and called on the government to begin a total renegotiation of what it called a “haphazardly negotiated U.S. beef import deal,” and demanded Bush withdraw the “unjust demand” that Korea send troops to Iraq and Afghanistan.

A student group, too, held an afternoon press conference in front of the U.S. Embassy in Gwanghwamun in which it demanded a renegotiation of the U.S. beef import deal, while another civic group opposed to the KORUS FTA held a demonstration from 5:00 p.m. in front of Jongno’s Bosingak in which it slammed the Korea-U.S. summit. After the demonstration, the civic group marched to Cheonggyecheon Plaza.

At Seoul Airport in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, where Bush was to arrive that afternoon, civic groups including Solidarity for Peace and Reunification of Korea, university students and laborers gathered to shout their opposition to the U.S. president’s visit.

On the same day, a provincial committee opposed to U.S. beef imports held simultaneous press conferences in Gwangju, Daegu, Busan, Ulsan, Changwon and Gunsan at 11:00 a.m., after which they held regional candlelight demonstrations.

Meanwhile, the Patriotic Citizens Alliance Welcoming Bush’s Visit to Korea, composed of conservative groups like the New Right National Union and Korean Veterans Association, held a welcoming event at Cheonggyecheon Plaza before the candlelight protest held by the People’s Countermeasure Council.

The Christian Council of Korea, too, held a special prayer session in the afternoon at Seoul Plaza to pray for national reconciliation, Dokdo and the strengthening of the Korea-U.S. alliance.

Police went on high alert from 9:00 a.m. at downtown police stations, deploying 225 companies of police (24,000 men) to protect the U.S. president and cope with the demonstrations.

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]