"US-Korean Relations" a Seoul Travel Page by genki44

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Collecting Surveys at the Pro-US rally March1,2003

March 1st Independence Movement Day Rallies

While in Seoul collecting primary research for my thesis in March, I realized that I was there on a very important day in the history of Korea: National Independence Movement Day, (when Korea attempted to gain independence from Japanese colonial rule in 1909). There were many rallies occuring that day in Seoul, some Pro-US and some Anti. I headed to the Pro-US rally in the morning (as it started before the anti-US rally), with the intention on going to the afternoon anti-US rally, however, individuals I had met at the pro-US rally accompanied my friend and I to lunch following the rally, as they were interested in being interviewed for my research and had great connections for me to interview others. So, in the end, I was not able to get to the anti-US rally. However, since the sentiment which assumedly was expressed there is the same as many of the university students in Korea, (since they make up a majority of the anti-US camp), I was able to fully understand the anti-US side, (from visiting three major universities in Seoul and collecting surveys there).

One might ask, what would National Independence Movement Day, an attempt at idependence from Japanese rule almost a century ago have to do with both pro and anti-US rallies now? The answer, put simply from the anti-US side of things it is an issue of sovereignty or autonomy. From the pro-US side: the rally organized was a political move to appeal to those in the current US administration who had been discussing pulling US troops out of Korea, (something the pro-US group is against).
Overall those in attendane of the pro-US rally were older Koreans who had lived through the Korean war and remain fearful of a North Korean attack. Newspapers estimated the crowds, (gathered at City hall) at the Pro-US rally to be at 100,000. The crowd sang the US national anthem and chanted "We love America."
The anti-US protests were attended by about 2,000 people.

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Picture from the Pro-US rally

This man had a lot to say, as you can imagine from the sign he carried to the rally, (English on the front, Korean on the back). He repeatedly shouted emphatically to me, "US TROOPS IN KOREA, FOREVER!!" and other such statements.

Surprisingly I was the one of the few foreigners there (I saw two others). I heard that CNN was there, I did not see them.