http://www.democracykorea.org/blog Thu, 13 Nov 2008 07:47:03 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en All eyes are now on the economy, in Korea as well as everywhere else. Even without the recent Wall Street mayhem, the South Korean Won has already suffered a massive depreciation this year; since February, the Won has lost 40% of its value against most of the world's major currencies. ... http://www.democracykorea.org/blog/2008/11/04/news-updates-from-october/ Sorry, I'm still working on this article. Please check back in a few days. In the meantime, I hope you'll enjoy this video. The title is "Most Beautiful Country", and it's a collection of photographs from last summer's demonstrations. It's so beautiful... and at the same time, so sad. The music is ... http://www.democracykorea.org/blog/2008/11/01/issues-in-depth-pd-notebook-part-two/ No, this blog has NOT been abandoned. I've been a little busy lately... that's all. The "Issues in Depth" series that I promised in August is also still going on! I actually like the fact that now I'm writing on a largely outdated issue. Since the fervor is no longer ... http://www.democracykorea.org/blog/2008/10/28/issues-in-depth-pd-notebook-part-one/ The Chinese baby milk scandal has reached Korea too. Hundreds of products containing Chinese dairy, ranging from baby milk to chocolate bars to crackers to potato chips, have been recalled. Import of dairy products from China has been banned, and the issue of food safety is once again at the ... http://www.democracykorea.org/blog/2008/10/04/mad-cow-and-melamine/ I'm late in reporting this incident which took place about three weeks ago. Around 2:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 9, three members of an anti-government group were brutally stabbed by a man with whom they had just had an argument over the issue of U.S. beef. One of the victims, known ... http://www.democracykorea.org/blog/2008/09/29/a-hideous-act-of-terrorism/ As I reported in Part One, the Korean government has been under constant pressure from U.S. beef producers to open up the domestic market as much as possible. Until April 18, we had successfully warded off their excessive demands, choosing instead to import only those parts which scientists believe are ... http://www.democracykorea.org/blog/2008/09/25/issues-in-depth-us-beef-imports-part-three/ In the evening of May 2, 2008, a group of high school students gathered in Cheonggyecheon Plaza in downtown Seoul. Each of them held a small candle, housed in a paper cup. Their message to the grown-ups was simple and straightforward: "Renegotiate the beef deal with the United States." Above: The ... http://www.democracykorea.org/blog/2008/09/19/issues-in-depth-us-beef-imports-part-two/ Okay, the Korean People have been demonstrating almost non-stop for the last four months... all because the government decided to import American beef, if you believe what your local news tells you. According to what you may have heard, Koreans are scared -- almost to the degree of hysteria -- ... http://www.democracykorea.org/blog/2008/09/06/issues-in-depth-us-beef-imports-part-one/ The "Issues in Depth" series might take a little longer for me to prepare... In the meantime, here are some more pictures of the brutal clash between demonstrators and the police on August 15. Thanks to those who made these pictures available on the net. Demonstrators face the police. The "815 Peace ... http://www.democracykorea.org/blog/2008/08/23/more-pictures/ Beginning next week, I will post a series of articles detailing some of today's most controversial political issues in South Korea. It has been nearly three months since the events in late May prompted me to start this blog. In essence, not much has changed; we're still trying to make ... http://www.democracykorea.org/blog/2008/08/18/preview-issues-in-depth-series/