Hello everyone. I'm a citizen in South Korea who is also a film director. I feel desperate while writing this letter that calls for an international solidarity to save an innocent worker and my fellow actress.
It is a part of cruel reality in Korea where the owner of Samsung, Mr. Lee Gun-hee, with his asset as great as
\ 9.6 trillion ($ 88.4B ), takes his private jet (on vacation?) whereas an ordinary worker finds no choice but to commit suicide because of surmounting debt in spite of his/her arduous and incessant work to pay them off.
Another worker testified in public that he had to powerlessly watch his daughter go near to death because he had no financial means to have a simple appendectonomy.
Only a few weeks ago, the workers of Yousung Co. went on strike to humbly demand, "we need sleep at night". The amassed workers in the factory were suddenly hit by rushing jeeps driven by unknown gangsters, which was suspected to be directed by the company. The police ignored the private massacre in front of their eyes, and immediately quelled the labor strike under the pretext that the illegal strike caused serious economic damage to the country.
We have experienced this kind of blood-shedding experience enough already. When the police brutally quelled protesting workers and left them no choice to live on, 15 of them committed suicides. When this happened, elite media groups in Korea published articles emphasizing, "When the strikes are suppressed, the stocks values are going to rise.time for the buying over”
A few days ago, an actress and about 1000 citizens climbed ladders and moved into a shipyard over brick walls and container barricades, because we have already witnessed a number of times how innocent and powerless people could be gone down by inhumane violence under this regime. We say, no more. ‘Cause we believe all citizens deserve dignity regardless of wealth and power. We hope this common sense could be circulated and supported by the international community.
Please read the following press release material carefully and thoroughly. Your simple press coverage, just a simple article can save a life of an innocent worker and her 200 union colleagues that have been deserted by their own media and their own government. Your shared concern will save the conscience of my fellow Korean actress and the countless Korean citizens who dared to face the menacing reality and speak out what is right or wrong.
I really appreciate your attention.
‘Please save this worker’ – Korean citizens appeal to the international community via SNS
Korean actress, Kim Yeo-jin from ‘A Jewel in the Palace', arrested while helping works … cause Korean citizens angry
Korean actress, Kim Yeo-jin from ‘Peppermint Candy’arrested while helping workers … cause Korean citizens angry
The police decided to take legal action against over 1,000 Korean citizens who were involved in the action.
On June 12, 2011, Korean actress Yeo-Jin Kim, who acted as palace female physician ‘Jang-Duck’ in ‘A Jewel in the Palace', (and the film of Lee Chang dong, 'Peppermint Candy' ) was arrested by police when she went to support an isolated worker’s lonely protest.
Jin-Suk Kim, who who used to be a the female welder of Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction(HHIC) and has been protesting for over 160 days in a 35m tower crane #85.
Yoe-Jin Kim had visited the disputed site on June 11 with over 1,000 ordinary citizens on hearing the tragic story of Jin-Suk Kim. The police blocked the site and arrested Yeo-Jin Kim for trespassing the private property. She was detained for a while and then let off with a warning, but the police implicated summons later on. Moreover, the police announced that they would take legal actions against the citizens who were involved on the day’s event.
In a recent press conference, Yeo-Jin Kim appealed with tears and said “Please protect my friend. I may not be able to live if something terrible happens to her”. The top of the gigantic crane #85 where her friend Jin-Suk Kim is currently undergoing protest is the exact spot the other worker took his own life after 129 days of lonely protest in 2003. 15 days after the incident, another laborer threw himself from the dock, then HHIC reinstate laid-off worker. A temporary settlement was exchanged with the two laborers’ precious life. However, the company betrayed its promise and carried out a restructuring scheme, that is, sacking around 170 workers in 2010. With this, labors who worked for this company for over 26 years also lost their job. To represent these workers’ call for reinstatement, Jin-Suk climbed into the crane #85 that reminded the sacrifice of her coworker only a while ago. She had declared not to come down from the crane until the laid-off workers return to their work place.
The crane #85 and Kim Jin suk
On the 10th of June, 2011, the ‘Hope Bus’ was organized voluntarily by SNS messages, taking more than 1,000 willing citizens to visit Jin-Suk Kim. When the HHIC heard this news, they sent private security guards to drag workers out and seal off the shipyard. However, the citizens taking the ‘Hope Bus’ had succeed to get inside and met Jin-Suk Kim. They exchanged heartened messages with Jin-Suk Kim, and demonstrated peaceful protest to support her with singing and dancing.
The HHIC accused it as transgression of law and demanded legal action against Yoh-Jin Kim and the 1,000 citizens who participated in the gathering. It also looks like the government will put SWAT team into the shipyard anytime soon. Unfortunately, Korea’s major medias ignore the motives of the citizens and unilaterally emphasize the aspect of ‘illegal act’ and color it as ’violent protest’. Yet, people in the twitter space are severely criticizing the distorted media and trying to convey the factual truth to the world via SNS.
Last winter, Yoh-Jin Kim and her twitter friends supported the protest of cleaners, and the dispute was settled peacefully for the both sides. It was an accomplishment of voluntary movement through SNS. This gave a jump-start for her and she became the Korea’s celebrity as a ‘Social-tainer(Social Network + Entertainer) who support and represent the suppressed and ignored. Jin-Suk Kim, who is currently carrying out an aerial sitting protest at the top of the crane, is also the symbol of a labor movement and numerous citizens are support her in the Twitter. These twitterians are now trying to circulate the fact and ask for help to the UN commission on Human Rights and world media out of desperation.
(Additional Information) HHIC carried out a restructuring of shipyard in Youngdo, Busan, in order to move the factory to Philippines for cheaper labor cost, and manipulated the number of commercial orders for Busan zero(0) for two(2) years in a row by sending all of the orders to Philippines. Therefore, the HHIC was able to make the layoff and voluntary retirement, by officially claiming the zero(0) orders and financial problems. In fact, the HHIC is a ‘blue chip” company who has made a steady gain in the prevailing market.
(Addition) Currently, voluntary protests, such as ‘Candle protest for the Half Tuition’ in Gwanghwamun, Seoul, are spreading out throughout the country via SNS. However, the police has been demonstrating an anachronistic face of dictatorial government in the 1980s of Korea by not allowing the rally and brutally arresting college students. The violent intervention of government into labor strike had happened for Yousung Industry(유성기업), the parts supplier for the Hyundai Motor, in last May. Voluntary civic movements through SNS and suppression from police and government ignorant of basic civil rights have become a sharp issue in Korean Society.
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| ▲ 6월 11일, 김진숙에게로 향한 1차 희망버스, 사진은 노동과세계의 이명익 기자 |
This article has been written by Sung-mi Park, movie director, based on the interviews of the actress Yoh-Jin Kim (@yohjini), letters from the protesting worker Jin-Suk Kim(@JINSUK_85), and articles from both progressive and conservative sides in regard to the issue.
(Tradiction : @eummybear @@@
video : The violence of the hired gangs of Hanjin http://youtu.be/aWW0SMNHteE
video: The 1000 citizens climed over the brick wall http://youtu.be/-F6NDYiPoig
Impressive Photos: http://blog.naver.com/kenny666/20130447857
