Authorities on alert as high school student protest grows nationwide

Update: Well, I just so happened to be in Gwanghamun on saturday night and got the chance to witness a little bit of student democracy in action. The truth of it is, there were only about 100 high school students (it rose to around 500 by 9:00), about 100 camera men, and about 300 police officers. It seemed peaceful enough and the only altercations I could see was between student (they looked University age actually) organizers and the camera men trying to take shots of demonstators faces.

http://english.yna.co.kr/Engnews/20050506/610000000020050506202204E5.html

Authorities on alert as high school student protest grows nationwide
SEOUL, May 6 (Yonhap) -- A high school students' protest planned for Saturday was gaining alarming momentum, with organizers using cell phone messages to call for a nationwide demonstration, school authorities said Friday.

Thousands of students, mostly in the first year of high school and facing dramatic changes in the nation's college admission system, plan to gather in downtown Seoul for a candlelight vigil Saturday evening.

The protest was quickly spreading to other cities, with students receiving cell phone text messages telling them to hold separate demonstrations, authorities said."We are not guinea pigs, we are not samples for the new admission system" said one message sent in the southern city of Ulsan."To the park, everyone, at 7 p.m.," said another message seen in another major city, Gwangju.Similar messages were seen in most other big cities, including Busan, Daejeon and Daegu.The Seoul Metropolitan Police said the will apply the law and principles as with any other protests, and appealed to education officials to discourage the students."We are ready to deal with any unforeseen circumstances," a police official said. "We will disallow protesters' occupation of roads," he said, referring to sit-ins, which are common during demonstrations downtown.The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education said that it would take punitive measures against students who instigate or participate in illegal protests."Punishment against students participating in collective action is clearly stipulated in regulations at local high schools," an official said.Education officials have been placed on a state of alert ahead of the rally.Students say Saturday's candlelight vigil is to remember those who killed themselves, overcome by cutthroat competition to get into college.

The rally was initiated in protest against a government-proposed new college admission system in which universities will give more weight to applicants' high school grades than to admissions tests.The controversial system will go into effect in 2008, affecting those who are now first-year high schoolers, most of whom were born in 1989. They have described themselves as a "cursed" generation, arguing that they will come under far heavier pressure than previous ones since every exam in the middle or at the end of a semester will decide their future in the already highly competitive country when it comes to the college entrance exam.

Now, I am no fan of massive rallies. Nor do I usually support student complaints. But I feel in this case they just might be justified. In the few years Noh has been in office it seems that the turnover of ministers in his cabinate has been appauling. Serously, how can anyone hope to accomplish something given the quick direction changes that happen accross the board. I think the students are scared of their future, and they should be.