Ever Intensifying Candlelight
Ever-intensifying Candlelight
Since the end of May the struggle of students, civic organizations and other people against the increase of university registration fee is still going on in south Korea. The Korean Teachers’ and Education Workers’ Union called a press conference in Seoul on June 14, declaring the struggle against the anti-people education policy of the government authorities. The press release issued there exposed that the universities fill their cashbox through the registration fees whereas the students abandon the study and get much harassed by the great amount of debts because of the high registration fees. It stressed that it would launch an intensive struggle across south Korea from that day joining the students’ struggle for settling the registration fee issue, pointing out that the people's anger toward the anti-people education policy of the Lee Myung-bak regime is further growing. Meanwhile, different organizations including the Korean federation of students in the 21st century and the national network for registration fee held a press conference on June 20 denouncing the government authorities for evading the implementation of its commitment for halving the fee. Holding that if the government makes an effort it is very possible to halve the registration fees, the speakers stressed that they would continue the large-scale rallies and candlelit struggles to urge the government to fulfill its commitment to halve the registration fee. A 1000-persons round-table meeting was held in Seoul on June 24 for realization of halving the registration fee. The students, figures of various civic organizations, politicians and citizens participated in the meeting conducted discussions and polls on the “scope of the decreasing the registration fee” and the “plans for providing the funds”. After a cultural function the students and the participants marched to the Seoul Metropolitan Office to strongly urge the government on unconditional realization of halving the registration fee. On the same day, the third people's candlelight action to realize the half of the registration fee was held at Cheungye Plaza with participation of some 20 university representatives, students’ parents and members of civic organizations. At the rally the chairman of the Korean federation of students in the 21st century denounced that the “10% decrease of the registration fee proposed by the ruling Grand National Party is a patronizing trick” and fervently called for halving the registration fee by all means through more vigorous struggle”. |