KEEP trip

I took this photo at rally for E-Land irregular workers on 8.15.07 (liberation day) in Seoul. The protest took place on a street in front of a 24-hour McDonalds and a Starbucks.

Here's one news piece about the struggle, and the police suppression:

E.Land workers' human rights were violated by police - 37 civic organisations have launched joint complaint - Park Sung-soo remains silent

Korean police violated E.Land workers' human rights when they forcibly ended sit-in strikes in the Korean capital last month. According to leading English-language newspaper Korea Times, 37 human rights groups have filed a joint petition with the National Human Rights Commission.

The  petition points at human rights violations on several occasions when the police went to attack against striking shop workers at the Seoul World Cup Stadium Homever store on 20 July, and the Kangnam New Core Outlet department store on 31 July.

24 August 2007 Full story

* * *

For those who are interested, here was the itinerary for KEEP (Korea Education and Exposure Program) (August 2007). There were some changes; for instance it was too thundery for Bukhansan (and people had been killed by lightning during recent storms) and the 8.15 mass rally moved from Busan to Seoul at the last minute.

                                                       

Sun	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thur	Fri	Sat
5       Orientation,   part 1       Check-in   @ Motel Sarangbang (Time TBD)       Hiking @   Bukhansan       Get to   know each other, review objectives, expectations, itinerary	6       Orientation,   part 2       Guest   speakers       · Lee Chang-geun (KCTU)   · Kim Dong-kyu (KOA/Jinbo Yondae)   ·  Korea International Network – struggle   of overseas Koreans	7       Duraebang   (military camptown)                   FTA   action	8       Comfort   women rally @ Japanese embassy                   Pyeongtaek	9       Donginryon   (LGBT)           Migrant   Trade Union               (If time   – Mingahyup rally – mothers of political prisoners)	10       Irregular   workers               Urban   poor sector                   (If time   - Munhwa yondae – people’s art)	11       March   along DMZ with tongil sunbongdae women’s sector
12       March   along DMZ with tongil sunbongdae women’s sector	13       Travel   thru Gangwondo en route to Busan with tongil sunbongdae           (Alternative   option: split off from tongil sunbongdae and visit Nogunri)	14       8.14   activities with tongil sunbongdae in Busan                           8.15 eve   mass rally @ Busan with women’s sector	15       8.15 march   with Naju farmers                               Travel to   Naju with Naju farmers	16       Nonghwal   @ Naju	17       Nonghwal   @ Naju	18       Kwangju tour with Sangwook-hyung                               Final   program evaluation @ Jirisan
19       Leave   early morning for Seoul