Is there no end to your madness?

Apparently there will be another demonstration this Saturday in regard to the American beef controversy. This time, though, in support of the trade deal and in response to all those mad Koreans who've wasted their energy on a pointless cause.

According to the Korean Herald, an online community of 30,000 people are expected to protest in a rally themed, "No, no demo." Over 700 teachers and professors will be in attendance along with over 100 Korean American students and numerous defected North Koreans. Several defected former North Korean military members have pledged to attend the demonstration and protect those in attendance.

The main focus of the campaign, however, is not to support the beef trade but to emphasize the importance of other more pressing issues. One person in the article questions why South Koreans are raising their candles in vigils against beef and not in the name of all their brothers and sisters who daily suffer under North Korean rule? But the real kicker (which I LOVE) is a tentatively planned beef eating contest at the rally! Wish I could go. I want hamburgers!

In other news on the beef issue, some groups within Korea's largest union have threatened to go on strike if the government fails to radically change or halt the beef trade. We're talking thousands of steel and automotive workers going on strike not for work conditions, but for purely political reasons. The government has already declared such actions illegal but some groups don't care. This week, a couple union offices were ransacked by the government and several people were detained for interrogation.

Up until this last week, it seems as though the government has been quite tolerant of the beef protesters but has finally reached it's limit. The crack down is not wholly unprecedented, but in some ways a major surprise. It seems as though the government is stuck in a very difficult position: to either limit the rights of every South Korean by censoring free speech and the right to protest or face dire, self-imposed economic consequences?

I fear the beef issue is far from over.