Anti-Bush Protests Fizzle, Pro-U.S. Rallies Sizzle as Bush Visits Korea

(In December 2003, South Korea banned all U.S. beef imports after a case of mad cow disease was confirmed in the country. Protests sometimes break out over the beef issue.)

As President Bush arrived in Seoul, Korea today, the media predicted that Bush’s visit would be met with “large protests”. The “progressives” and anti-U.S. civic groups thought the turn out opposing Bush would be huge: 

“We predict more than 10,000 citizens will participate. We’ll show Korean people’s voice to Bush,”’ one member of the coalition said.

However, 374 conservative groups planned pro-American demonstrations welcoming Bush in Seoul Plaza, just a short distance from the progressive’s rally site.

Turns out, only a couple hundred protesters came out while 15,000 pro-U.S. Koreans came out to welcome Bush into the capital city of Seoul.

This is footage of the event from Korean news:

None of the pro-Bush rallies were government sponsored; they were voluntary rallies by Koreans who appreciate Pres. Bush and the United States.

Reuters corrected it’s headline from:

Bush arrives in Seoul, faces large anti-US protest 

to

Bush arrives in Seoul amid minor protest 

SEOUL (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush arrived in South Korea on Tuesday for talks focused on communist North Korea and was greeted by a minor protest aimed mostly at his host instead of a big anti-U.S. rally that had been expected. 

 

In a surprise boost for Bush, who has largely managed to set aside prickly issues with Seoul, it was a rally in the city centre in support of what is likely to be his last visit to East Asia as president that ended up attracting a huge crowd.

 

“I came to pray for the country to come together and with President Bush coming, for his visit to go smoothly,” Lim Ji-young, 23, said against a background of gospel music at the pro-U.S. prayer rally of an estimated 15,000 people.

 

There was little sign of the widespread anger that had sparked weeks of mass anti-government protests after President Lee Myung-bak agreed to completely end a ban on U.S. beef imports, which had been barred five years earlier over mad cow disease concerns.

Of course, like any good anti-Bush protest, no matter how small, at least a dozen or so progressives were arrested.

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Comments

[Gawfer]

Amy,
Thought I'd share this tid-bit of information with you about South Korea:

http://www.ambassador4christ.org/yoido_church.html

"In our Christianity around the world report this month, I wanted to do a small report on the Yoido Full Gospel Church. Many of us have never been in settings of more than 80 thousand people - and that's at a good football game. But what do you think about a church where every Sunday there is at least 800,000 people in attendance? Yoido is the largest church in the world..."

The media is so lame. They can't even figure out that a country with such a profound Chirstian population as South Korea would consider another Christian country as a friend rather than a foe.

It just dawned on me that being a resident of South Korea, you probably alreay new this, LOL!

[robert verdi]

This will not be reported widely.

[Norm]

Dittos to Robert Verdi, "This will not be reported widely."

But not for the Internet we may not have known at all.

[Pete Dawg]

Well, it's good to know that some of the South Koreans still appreciate President Bush and America in general. If you only watched the MSM you'd thought 90% of South Korea hated America.

This is the m.o. of MSM. I live in the San Francisco bay area, land of the loons. My family and I would attend Support the Troop rallies around the bay with maybe another 400 or 500 people and the local news wouldn't give a crap. But if you had just 5 blame America first anti war people and the local news would trip over themselves to give these people air time. The MSM love to say they unbiased. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

[Johnny]

Pete Dawg, God bless ya, pal. You are a great American and I don't know how you can stand it there in Pelosiville.

Yes, we live in South Korea and while there are virulent anti-American protests at times, the majority of Koreans know that but for their adopted Uncle Sam, that lunatic due north of us would long ago have invaded the South.

Right now, South Korea sends more Christian missionaries out than any country save the USA. And Kim Jong Il's regime is ranked the #1 most hostile regime to Christianity in the world.

Both sides publicly avow the reunification is the goal of their respective governments. Something's got to give, y'know?

I already know what side the SF pinkos are on....

[Amy Proctor]

Left leaning Stars and Stripes here in Korea reported the arrival of the President as being protested by Koreans. Fair and balanced reporting? Not quite.

[Leticia]

This is fantastic! I hope that Fox News will air it or maybe good ole Bill O'Reilly might. This is such great news.

I truly hope this nation will see this wonderful footage.

[Obama the wamma]

Do you know that tires are made of oil products, now if u follow my instructions and inflate over and above the proper pressure so as to save some gas, it will cause accidents and blow up tires. This will help the oil corporations, because they will most definitely sell more tires. I'm confused. Don't forget, as M'ass'iah, I predicted an escalation in violence with bringing in more US. troops to the Iraqi region, was absolute and unequivocaly, a professor taught me that word at Harvard, the trufs. Now vote for me, I will end the Age of Oil. How do I know this? I'm the M'ass'iah.

[toww3i]

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