NEW YORK, Feb. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2018 Winter
Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, South
Korea, is one reason why this country is making headlines.
Known for its economic growth in the years following the Korean
War, South Korea has since become
a country producing cultural phenomena including K-Pop, dramas and
social reform. While foreigners spectate the games, citizens hit
the streets to protest recent human rights violations. According to
a Cheon-ji News article released on 29 January, protests started
about a month ago with over 140,000 participants from all across
South Korea calling for justice
for the hundreds of victims of Coercive Conversion Education.
On 30 December, 25-year-old woman Ms. Ji-in Goo was found dead
at a lodging in Hwasun. The Hwasun Police Department confirmed an
investigation is underway. The woman's parents are being questioned
about their involvement in the confinement and death of their
daughter. During a call with Cheon-ji Newspaper, the police stated
the autopsy showed they "cannot exclude the possibility of
suffocation and a high possibility of cardiopulmonary arrest due to
oxygen deprivation." Koreans are now doing what they do best:
protesting.
The South Korean people historically have held large-scale
demonstrations demanding change. During The Great Workers' Struggle
in 1987, 1.2 million laborers fought for democratization and
unionization.
From October to December 2016,
hundreds of thousands of people gathered for candlelight vigils
weekly to demand the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye.
In the last month, another wave of mass protests emerged. The
people are petitioning for the protection of religious freedom
protected by the Constitution of South
Korea, Article 20.
Sunday, 28 January, Cheonji-News reported 120,000 people
protested in Seoul to speak against Coercive Conversion
Education. The purpose of the demonstrations is to petition
for legal framework criminalizing religion-based violence.
According to reports from Human Rights Association for Forced
Conversion (HRAFC), a Korean civil society NGO, Coercive Conversion
Education was performed on more than 1,000 people by a small group
of Korean pastors. Organizations such as the Association of Victims
of Coercive Conversion Programs (AVCCP) have reached out to
international human rights groups to spread awareness.
1 February, 2018, 1,000 people
gathered in Pretoria, South
Africa, to honor Ms. Ji-in Goo. More than 100 protesters
from human rights organizations rallied yesterday 18 February in
New York City.
Jennifer Jun
646-207-2504
Protectfreedomofreligion@gmail.com
Related Images
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Related Links
South Africa Protest
Cheon-ji News
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SOURCE Cheonji-News NY