Korea police chief resigns...

it looks like they found a fall guy for the deaths of two farmers in the aftermath of November protests.

http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/200512/kt2005122917022610440.htm

also Jamie at Two Koreas seems to have a good understanding on the topic.

coverage in NY Korea Times

사실, 경찰의 '강경진압' 에 관해 기자와 소통이 잘못된것 같습니다...

시위자들과 경찰의 충돌은 경찰들이 (WTO 회의장의로의) 행진을 막았을떼 일어났습니다.

http://ny.koreatimes.com/articleview.asp?id=289281

Mass Arrests!

1:30 AM HK time (12:30 PM NY time)
WTO protesters (too-jeng-dan) seem to be at the foot of the WTO convention center and they are completely surrounded by riot police. There are around 900-1000 with no one allowed in or out. The police are planning to arrest everyone inside the perimeter. The too-jeng-dan have not had food since lunch previous day. They cannot even use the bathroom. But their spirits are as high as can be with non-stop chanting and singing and banging on drums.
Earlier in the day rubber bullets were reported to have been fired and some were hospitalized.
The police are readying buses to transport the 1000 or so too-jeng-dan. They are also preparing tear gas squads for the charge in.

3:00 AM HK time (2:00PM NY time)
Got a call from e. She states calmly that they will all be arrested, but tells me not to worry because there are many of them. They have the power in numbers. The HK police cannot do anything to them!

3:30 AM HK time (2:30PM NY time)
Spoke with E again.
Police are all very young kids, inexperienced. Mostly they seem very frightened.
E was able to translate between the chief of police and the too-jeng-dan. It's strange but the chief of police seems very sympathetic to the farmers’ cause and understands why they are protesting but still explains that he must restore order.
The HK police have no precedent for such violent and mass arrests so they are very procedural and everything is taking a lot of time.
The protesters have agreed to be arrested, but one by one. There are tons of reporters and cameras covering this whole event. The WTO too-jeng-dan have already made their voices heard and will not struggle when taken.
They are being taken one by one and the HK police have promised to be very gentle with them. Largely the HK police are very young, frightened and civil at the same time and it’s chief has so far been cooperative. (who knows how this will really play out though).

The WTO too-jeng-dan has so far been pepper sprayed, tear gassed, beat on with batons, electric batonned, water cannoned (they also mixed in pepper gas formula in the water to burn eyes & skin when sprayed), exposed to chilly HK winter winds, hunger and fatigue…so show a little bit of wear but they are still in strong fighting spirits.

D who went out earlier to the hospital to translate for an injured protester was arrested by the police. Same thing also happened to J when she went to the hospital. Otherwise the rest of the KEEPers are all together inside the perimeter. KEEPers are hungry and tired but are very inspired to be part of this historical struggle. They will never forget this experience.

That’s it for now. If there's more I will let you know.

Toojeng!

WTO Saturday

This is just a brief transcript of a phone call with a KEEPer. You can catch a lot more of what’s happening here:
http://www.gomediaction.net/


E jumping past numerous barricades…heavy breathing
They are almost storming the convention center, congregating in front of the convention center
Helicopter in the air
Police are surrounding the convention center
E at the front (peasants league are taking up the front)

Lot of people flushing eyes w/water but running out of water
Streets are slippery from all the poured water
Wrested away one police shield
In the background can be heard drums and screaming, sound of shield clashing/crashing
Riot police are pushing forward into the crowd.
They pushed up their position so it’s now more difficult for the protesters to get through.
Mixture of protesters & people w/cameras wanting to take picture
Int’l group of around 6 doing a “sit-in” in front of the riot police. They are multi-racial…can’t make out exactly who they are
Some kind of gas coming through the air…looks like tear gas
HK citizens donated goggles/water/juice/food/water yesterday. So a lot of people today are wearing those goggles
Drums beat relentlessly
Korean protesters are split up into two groups. Junnong & kctu. Heard that KCTU are badly hurt.
Protesters are tearing apart railing/fencing. Lots of screeching/klanging noice…with continual drum beats
There are a lot of regular HK citizens out here mixed in with the protesters in the street. So many cameras…
Down down WTO chants to the backdrop of drums and kwengari
Silence…wind howling eerily…
Dynamic Poongmool( 3che) starts up again
Protesters are surrounding the convention center so the delegates cannot leave
Cries of triumph can be heard midst “down down wto” chants. Mixed in with “down down usa”
HK citizens are passing out saran wraps so the farmers can cover their eyes
Most people in the front have saran wraps or goggles. Sitting down and waiting. As a side noteMany farmers have on life jackets from Monday's swim in the bay.
Protesters tried to break through again and got pepper gassed...
--HK will never be a quiet city again—

Back from HK

This post is from an email from a Korean Angelena who was not part of the KEEP delegation but travelled together, and had to come back early:

Hi Everyone,

I just got back from Hong Kong and everyone in the KEEP delegation is doing well and having a lot of fun. I spent my last night with KEEP and the farmers drinking soju, eating anju (dried fish & kotchujang), and singing movement songs. All the farmers & Via Campesina members from Brazil, Mexico, Indonesia, Thailand, & Zimbabwe were practicing the "1,2,3 bow" move for the action today/yesterday. It was amazing to see the solidarity and bond that farmers in Via Campesina have. There were many times this week where I've had to hold my tears back or wipe them from my face. I am and will be continued to be moved by the farmers movement. Last night when I was drinking, singing with a group of farmers... one of the women from the Women Farmers League sang a song that she sang when her husband died during a protest. I was going to lose it right there but I just swigged on some soju and then it was my turn so we sang "We shall not be moved."

Although the HK media is quick to portray the Koreans as violent, the HK people in the streets have been very supportive and happy to see the farmers. KPL has been staging nightly candlelight vigils/educationals at a major HK shopping intersection. The HK people were very supportive and many joined in on the vigil. I have to say that the HK people and media are thouroughly intrigued by every move the Korean farmers make. I heard some of the farmers saying how weird the people/media is with their focus on them. They even have HK media camping outside of where they're staying.

D and Yul San are doing well after their swim protest in the cold Hong Kong bay. Everyone is trying to fight what is now called the "D flu" because he was out the first couple days we were in HK. I think folks are sick of eating the provided Do Shee Rak cuz I heard J wants some Pho!

This experience has inspired me to really try to go on KEEP so hopefully I will get to meet some of you all one day. Until then....my thoughts are with them and the Los Angeles Delegation. Toojeng! WTO Bandae Han Da! Kong Ee Sai Mau!

Peace,

L (Los Angeles)

Photos: marching for our lives

In the march, farmers take three steps and bow, three steps, bow, three steps, bow...
Many of these photos are provided by Junnong, the Korean Peasants League.

From tongilnews.com

"WTO에 비하면 고통은 아무것도 아니다" 한국민중투쟁단 1500명, 홍콩시민 공감속 '3보 1배' 거행 2005-12-15 오후 9:45:51

홍콩 = 이강호 기자(tongil@tongilnews.com) ▶15일 한국민중투쟁단 등 1,500여 명이 2km에 달하는 거리를 3시간에 걸쳐 '3보 1배'를 거행했다. [사진제공 - 전농] 한국 농민들의 대규모 '3보 1배' 행렬이 홍콩 중심가를 지나 6차 WTO 각료회의가 열리고 있는 홍콩컨벤션센터까지 이르렀다. 15일 전국농민회총연맹(전농)과 민주노총 등 '한국민중투쟁단'과 '비아캄페시나'(농민의길) 등 국제 반세계화 단체 회원 1천 5백여명은 'Down Down WTO'를 홍콩 시내거리에 가득 울려퍼뜨리며 빅토리아 공원에서 홍콩컨벤션센터 인근 빅토리아항 주차장까지 2km에 달하는 거리를 장장 3시간에 걸쳐 '3보 1배'를 거행했다. '3보 1배'를 시작한지 채 5분도 지나지 않아 참가자들의 얼굴은 어느새 붉어지고 땀방울이 맺혀졌다. 20분마다 주어지는 5분간의 휴식시간마다 거리에 눕는 참가자도 있었다. 참가자들의 눈빛에는 '홍콩 각료회의를 저지해야 한다'는 절실함을 넘어 비장함마저 느껴졌다. ▶홍콩 시내 차로에서 5열 종대로 '3보 1배'를 거행하고 있는 반세계화 시위자들. [사진제공 - 전농] '3보 1배' 행렬은 참가단위를 기준으로 1개조 100여명으로 구성됐으며, 각 조마다 1개의 플랭카드만 허용되는 등 홍보물도 최소한으로 제한됐다. 특히, 홍콩 경찰당국의 비협조로 방송차가 허용돼지 않았지만, 특별히 대열지도자가 없어도 구호는 'Down Down WTO', 'Down Down USA', '꽁이 싸이 무'(抗議世貿, WTO 반대한다)로 통일됐다. 참가자들은 5열 종대로 3박자 북소리에 맞춰 1배를 올릴 때마다 이 같은 구호를 외쳤다. 14일 저녁 뒤늦게 홍콩에 입국한 한국민중투쟁단 오종렬 공동단장은 고통을 자처하는 '3보 1배'의 의미에 대해 "WTO가 민중에게 강요하는 고통이 몇 십년동안 지속돼 왔다. 그래서 우리는 WTO를 반대하는 것이다"며 "신자유주의 제국주의 대리자인 WTO를 지구상에서 청산하는 대투쟁이다"고 목소리를 높였다. ▶'3보 1배'에 임하는 한국 농민들에게선 비장함이 묻어났다. [사진제공 - 전농] 이날 '3보 1배'에 임하는 농민들의 각오도 남달랐다. 순천시농민회 채성석 조직교육부장은 "농민들이 죽어가는 현실에 비하면 '3보 1배'의 고통은 아무것도 아니다"며 "WTO 체제가 더 지속된다면 끊긴지 오래된 아기울음 소리뿐만 아니라 아예 사람이 살 수 없는 농촌이 될 수 없다"고 말했다. 또 그는 "농산물은 교역의 대상이 아니며, 농업은 농경사회를 지키는 훌륭한 전통문화로 인정돼야 하고 그에 따라 보존돼야 한다"고 강조했다. 해남군농민회 김영동 회장은 "WTO에서 농업을 제외하라고 하지만 비농산물이나 교육, 지적재산권, 교육 개방문제는 어떻게 해결하라는 말이냐"고 말하며, "WTO 자체를 해체하는 길이 농업 문제뿐만 아니라 전세계 민중을 살려내는 길"이라고 말했다. 그는 또 추곡수매제 폐지 등 '살농정책'에 대해 "결국 우리 농업을 직접 지배하는 것은 WTO"라면서 "3보 1배라는 자기고난을 통해서 WTO에 대한 항의의 뜻과 절절한 심정을 국내 통상관료와 세계에 알리겠다"고 덧붙였다. ▶휴식시간에도 홍콩 언론의 뜨거운 관심이 쏟아졌다 .[사진제공 - 전농] 이날 '3보 1배'는 한국민중투쟁단의 '폭력성'만을 부각시키는 홍콩 언론의 '황색' 저널리즘을 불식시키는 의미도 있었다. 실제로 한국농민들의 위력적인 해상시위 등 13일 세계민중대회를 보도한 대부분의 홍콩 신문들은 특집란을 털어 홍콩 경찰과의 충돌 등 자극적인 사진만을 게재했다. 한국민중투쟁단 주제환 상황실장은 "어려운 길을 자청하는 이유가 있다. 홍콩까지 와서 우리가 왜 투쟁을 해야만 하는 이유에 대해 귀를 기울여 달라"고 호소했다. 그러나 우려했던 바와 달리 한국민중투쟁단의 투쟁방식을 이해하고 지지를 보내는 홍콩 시민들도 많았다. 기자가 만나본 홍콩시민들은 홍콩언론의 보도행태에 대해 대개 '미디어의 특성상 경쟁과 헤드라인을 뽑기 위한 것'이라고 입을 모았다. ▶3보 1배 행렬이 컨벤션센터가 건너다 보이는 빅토리아항 인근 주차장까지 이르렀다. [사진제공 - 전농] ▶3보 1배를 마친 참가자들이 환호성을 올리고 있다. [사진제공 - 전농] 홍콩 각료회의와 관련해 반세계화 시위를 총괄하고 있는 홍콩PA(HKPA, 홍콩민중동맹)는 이날 3보 1배와 함께 자원봉사자를 동원해 영어와 함께 광동어로도 홍보전을 벌였다. 홍콩PA 통역원들이 3보 1배에 대해 '한국투쟁단의 평화시위를 위한 의지, 민중들의 고통을 표현해내는 의식'이라고 소개하자 거리에 도열한 홍콩 시민들에게서 박수가 쏟아졌다. 홍콩 시민 Chu wai ping(朱偉平, 40세)씨는 "WTO가 가난한 이들에게 이익이 되지 않았다는 지적에서 감동을 받았다"며 "언론보도와 달리 한국인들이 쓰레기를 줍는 장면도 봤고 매너도 좋았다. 옳은 말을 하고 정당한 투쟁을 벌이고 있다고 생각한다"고 말했다. ▶Lam oi wan 씨가 '지지농민'의 피켓을 들고 응원했다. [사진제공 - 전농] '支持農民(지지농민)'이라는 피켓을 만들어 광동어로 구호를 외쳤던 Lam oi wan(林蓮雲, 30세)씨는 '3보 1배'에 대해 "WTO가 한국 농민들의 삶을 파탄내려는 것을 충분히 느꼈다"면서 "홍콩 시민들이 잘 모르는 WTO를 알려내기 위해 홍콩에 온 것을 고맙게 생각한다"고 말했다. Lam 씨는 이어 자발적으로 3보 1배 행렬에 참가하기도 했다. 이날 3보 1배는 오후 2시 20경부터 시작됐으며 대열선두가 빅토리아항 인근 주차장에 도달한 시간은 5시 20분경이이었다. 이날 행진에는 전농 '원정투쟁단' 전원을 비롯해 민주노총, 한국노총, 다함께, 한총련 한국민중투쟁단 참가단체가 참여했으며, 전국여성농민회연합 회원 100여명의 경우 이날 오전에 열렸던 '세계여성행동'에 참가했다가 빅토리아항 인근 주차장에서 3보 1배 행렬을 맞았다. 한때 농민 참가자 3명이 행진을 마치고 빅토리아항에 뛰어 들어 'Down Down WTO'라는 구호를 외치기도 했다. 한국민중투쟁단 대표단막灌?오종렬, 정광훈 공동단장을 비롯해 전농 서정길 단장, 민주노동당 강기갑 의원, 강병기 단장 등이 대열 선두에서 3보 1배를 소화했다. ▶한국민중투쟁단은 빅토리아공원 중앙무대에서 정부의 기조연설 초안을 규탄하는 기자회견을 가졌다. [사진제공 - 전농] 한편, 3보 1배에 앞서 빅토리아공원 중앙무대에서 한국민중투쟁단이 외교부 김현종 통상교섭본부장의 기조연설 초안에 관한 규탄기자회견을 가졌다. 김현종 통상교섭본부장은 14일 오후에 있을 홍콩 각료회의 기조연설에 앞서 기자단에 배포한 연설문 초안에서 협상이 진전될 수 있도록 농업부문 등 민감품목에 대해서도 신축적일 용의가 있다고 밝혔다가 실제 연설에서는 문제의 문구를 삭제한 바 있다. 오종렬 공동단장은 김현종 본부장의 기조연설문 초안에 대해 "WTO에 의해 가장 혹심하게 피해받는 한국농업이지만 협상 진전을 위해 희생시킬 용의가 있으니 다른 나라들도 한국의 모범따라 협상을 조속히 타결해 달라는 말"로 해석하며 "제 나라 민중을 팔아서 자기 영달을 꾀하려는 작태를 당장 중단하길 바란다"고 전했다. ▶3보 1배에 앞서 참가자들이 구호를 외치고 있다. [사진제공 - 전농] ▶첫날 해상시위에 이어 한국민중투쟁단은 3보 1배로 또다시 뜨거운 관심을 모았다. [사진제공 - 전농] ▶3보 1배가 진행되자 홍콩시민들이 깊은 관심을 보였다. [사진제공 - 전농] ▶3보 1배는 매우 고통스러운 자기성찰 의식이다. 휴식시간에 길거리에 드러누운 채 휴식을 취하고 있는 한 참가자. [사진제공 - 전농] ▶한 3보 1배 참가자가 생수를 마시며 갈증을 풀고 있다. [사진제공 - 전농] ▶3보 1배를 마친 뒤 한총련 학생들의 율동을 즐겁게 감상하고 있는 시위대. [사진제공 - 전농]

And more photos...

Photos courtesy of Guy Taylor.

Compilation of images from last two days of resistance against the WTO in Hong Kong

from UK indymedia

Farmers and Police Dec 13, 2005

More photos...by Handle and Puck, sfbay indymedia

Photos: Korean Farmers in HK December 13, 2005

Some photos...

dscn1787.jpg, image/jpeg, 640x480
[Handle, SFBAY indymedia]

Then delegates from the Korean Peasants’ League stripped to shorts, strapped on bright orange life vests and pushed through the crowd to the edge of the water.--

dscn1791.jpg, image/jpeg, 640x480
[Handle, SFBAY indymedia]

dscn1792.jpg, image/jpeg, 640x480
[Handle, SFBAY indymedia]


dscn1793.jpg, image/jpeg, 640x480
[Handle, SFBAY indymedia]


dscn1794.jpg, image/jpeg, 640x480
[Handle, SFBAY indymedia]

Sahmbo-ilbe

...But many bystanders have also lined the streets to watch the marches and on Thursday some found themselves choked up as hundreds of South Korean farmers made their way slowly down city streets taking three steps, denouncing the WTO, then kneeling down and bowing.
"I want to cry. It's so sad," said Angel Ng, working at a shop selling fruit drinks. "There should be a better way, a more equitable way."
K.S. Ho, a civil servant, gave a thumbs up to the protesters from South Korea, who say opening their country's market to imported rice will put them out of business.
"I am very, very sympathetic to them. They have a just cause," said Ho. "Hong Kong has been on a free trade course, but Hong Kong should support them because they suffer from the WTO."
..reuters.. to see the full article

You can see a video here

--sent in by Am--

HMC just called (12 midnight HK time) and we spoke hardly five minutes. She and the others are well and in good spirits. She and several others have been having colds on and off. Where they are staying is like a compound and the KEEP HK group is in a house all to itself. In another house nearby are the Korean farmers.
Apparently they have been getting sick, too, but they came prepared with a medical team. She said the Korean food in HK is bad that even the Korean farmer contingent asked folks back home to ship kimchee immediately. It just arrived today. She described where they are staying as out in the boondocks. No telephone, no television, and of course no internet access. So she/they may be unable to e-mail between now and departure. As for internet cafes, they are just too busy to look for one.
She said the march route tomorrow is short, so in order to lengthen it, they plan to take three steps forward then kneel and repeat until they reach the end of the route. The weather is expected to be 44 degrees, unusually cold in HK at this time of the year.
I let her know that we got news of the 300 farmers who jumped in the water, including Yulsan and D and told her about the interview on Asia Pacific Forum with Yulsan and the Korean farmer (no offense for leaving him nameless; I just can't remember or spell his name!) and Ppori the translator (yeah!).

Day1 w/Farmers (12/12)

Hello everyone,
mamakim called with some updates:

This was their first day of action WITH the farmers. It was very eventful. Their day began waking up at 5am or so and it was 10:30 at night when I received the call and it seemed like most of them were just starting to head back to lodging. They haven’t had a bite to eat since lunch and have been on their feet all day long.

300 farmers decided to jump into the water to go around the WTO police barricade. Yulsan and D joined the action. Yulsan succeeded(congratulations!) in crossing the harbor with many of the farmers but D I heard didn’t make it. I was very shocked because having fished with him I know that he can’t swim at all! But it’s all good, they wore life-jackets! I can’t wait to hear from them directly what it was like to jump into the icy December HK water. You can also click here to see some of it.

The day’s actions were very successful and non-violent. Everywhere the people and media are clamoring/expecting for the Korean farmers to “do something”. Even before their arrival the media had painted them as 'violent' and 'instigators'. The Korean farmers are pretty upset! The KCTU [Korean Confederation of Trade Unions--the unions that are independent of the government] contingent did clash with the police and some were hospitalized.

The KEEP participants are taking on a more significant role than planned. This first day KEEP requested to stay together with one group of farmers but starting tomorrow they will be separated by teams to different Jun-nong contingents to provide translation. Mamakim asked me to say that EVERYONE is doing well and adrenaline is on full-pump mode!

They moved lodging so internet is scarce but will keep on writing and will post whenever possible.

99.5 FM WBAI Interview w/Yul-san & Korean Farmer

The entire Asia Pacific Forum program can be heard by clicking here . Our part of the interview begins around 23 minutes into the playback...but the first 23 minutes is pretty kool too!

'See' what's going down in WTO-Hong Kong!

http://www.gomediaction.net/

Three Hundred Korean Peasants Swim Across Hong Kong Bay - Shouting "Down Down WTO!"

For Immediate Release

December 13, 2005

Contact - Hyun Lee, 347 242 6801 or 718-335-0419

Three Hundred Korean Peasants Swim Across Hong Kong Bay - Shouting "Down Down WTO!"

As trade ministers from around the globe gathered at the sixth WTO ministerial, which opened on December 13^th at the Wanchai Convention Center in Hong Kong, three hundred Korean peasants swam across Hong Kong Bay to reach the convention center, blocked off to protesters by heavily armed police barricades.

Yulsan Liem, a New York City-based artist and activist who joined the action with the peasants, reported from Hong Kong, "The Korean peasants are 1500 strong in Hong Kong and we are here to say, 'WTO kills farmers!' We are joined by protesters from all over the global south, and the world is saying NO! to the WTO and U.S.-led neoliberalism!"

Since its inception in 1995, the World Trade Organization (WTO) has been imposing trade liberalization around the globe, and its neoliberal policies on agriculture have been met with resistance from peasants in developing nations. Agriculture will be among the major contentious issues for negotiation at the ministerial.

After ten years of implementation of the WTO Agreement on Agriculture, the number of peasants in south Korea has drastically shrunk from six million to three million. Many peasants, unable to remain competitive with the introduction of U.S. rice - produced with U.S. government subsidies and sold at low cost in developing nations through the controversial practice of "dumping" - have lost their land and livelihood, and are forced to migrate to cities or abroad in search of work.

Leading up to the Hong Kong ministerial, peasants in Korea mounted a nationwide campaign to protest the South Korean national assembly's recent decision to open further its rice market to U.S. imports. Rice is a staple in Korean diet and 75% of Korean farmers produce rice. Liberalization of its rice market would cripple the nation's food self-sufficiency by destroying the local agricultural industry.

Ten U.S.-based Korean activists - part of Korea Exposure and Education Program (www.keep.org) - are in Hong Kong this week to provide English-Korean translation for the Korean Peasants League, and are reporting daily on their activities on the ground. The KEEP delegation consists of workers, mothers, artists, scholars, and journalists.

KEEP coordinator Hyunsook Kim said, "Korea was a farming country with rich soil, and the ruling elites want to pave over every last inch of soil and dirt with concrete and cement," and added, " Small farmers everywhere are getting crushed by Cargill and ConAgra!"

The Korean Peasants League and KEEP say they will fight the WTO as long as its neoliberal policies continue to ruin the environment and threaten local subsistence economies around the world.

arrived in Hong Kong... it seems like the contradictions of the hyper-urbanized Asian cities is more extreme here than I remebered from Seoul. Buildings seem to be both older and newer, and the air is the worst of any city I remember. yet when I was walking through the city streets, on Sat. night after two hours of jet-lagged sleep, the neon lights that gave the cityits life also gave me energy and a second wind. Right until i got to my rest...

sothatis the contradiction that is urban development- cities are more economically and environmentally viable than suburbs, but we don't make them. My relationship to food is also shaped by my upbringing in an urban poor community in Seoul, another hyper-urbanized Asian city. Food is harder to grow in the city, and the food we consume becomes that more removed from us, for me this meant that i didn't like eating anything that wasn't processed. After a while this diet becomes a part of you, like bleached hair and english becomes a part of your culture.

So how does this relate to anything? the process of urbanization has been tilted so unevenly. On one hand is producing for need, and another for economic expansion, and for excessive consumption. The result of this is what we see in seoul and hong kong. So what'sup?

quickly, because ppl haven't heeded my call to write about the practice of dumping-

Developed nations subsidzie their agriculture, and enable its agricutlre giants to sell crops at below market, or as a nation gives its crops as food aid. This destroys the local agriculture, at which point it becomes dependent on the developed nations' big agriculture for food. at their mercy.

gotta go gotta go more pies to break up...

bagel, granola with yogurt, fancy preserves

Because I was late to work, I figured I would share some things...

I was at Asia Society's annual debriefing on APEC. It was the business community folks there, and the frame of discussion is entirely different than what I'm used to. A state dept. official to APEC was there, as well as ppl from APEC's business consortium. A dignitary from Vietnam, site of next year's APEC meetings, were also present, as well as a business professor from Columbia.

The content was what you'd expect from the APEC insiders- APEC is a catalyst for bringing about a new day in Asia! Free and fair trade will alleviate poverty and spread prosperity! etc. And disparaging remarks about the French.

Intellectual Property Rights seem to be one of the major issues on people's minds. This is where Korea shows its status as a global player, and naturally sides with the US. But this still is the biggest contradiction, to me, for the free trade agenada. But I guess that's why they come up with ideas like 'intellectual property.' Hey, how about a group of ppl claiming 'cultural property' and start collecting royalties for appropriation of cultures? Like, McDonald's would have to consult black and latino ppl before they commission someone to do a hip hop jingle. (doesn' that sound horrible? hiphop jingle?)

on a more serious tip, I did learn more about the tension between the EU (meaning, the French) and the US on agriculture. On the issue of subsidies, apprarently, US is willing to make a lot of concessions. (which, I would only assume, would disproportionately affect family farms more so than the Cargills and ConAgras, who will get their tax breaks and what have you elsewhere.) But the EU isn't budging on its subsidies, and this gives more leeway to Korea and Japan, who don't want to liberalize their markets. (obviously, there is a discrepancy b/w 'want' and willingness, in Korea's case.)

Another thing that was glossed over, was the issue of 'dumping' or 'food aid.' Which has serious consequences. I'm hoping someone else could comment on this.

Other things I've noticed:

it's not free trade that's going to save us, it's free and fair trade. There, wasn't that easy? If ppl want fair trade, that's all really the business community has to do, just add the word 'fair' after 'free.' Like R and Jay, we got the best of both worlds.

The vietnamese dignitary speaking the same language, (we ready to grind, just put up the start-up and everyone will get this money) but with a dialect that emphasized 'sustainability' and 'microenterprising.'

that I was having breakfast with someone that had just bought a bank in Korea. Korea First (jaeil)

I really need to step my business/economics game up. I'm barely keeping up...