(EDITORIAL from the Korea Times on May 14)

Lesson of candlelight vigil
Time to heal social rifts over US beef row

Two years have passed since people took to the street to protest a Korea-U.S.
deal to fully open the local market to American beef. Now, it is meaningful to
reflect on the mass protests that lasted for more than three months in the spring
of 2008. Of course, this reflection should be aimed at avoiding the same mistake
on the part of the government.
In this sense, it is required for the government, political parties, civic groups
and the public to shed new light on the candlelight rallies against U.S. beef
imports and draw a lesson from them. If they fail to properly understand the
imbedded cause of the protest and grasp the true meaning of citizens' activism,
they cannot overcome the fallout of the social conflict and rifts caused by the
beef row.
On Tuesday, President Lee Myung-bak instructed his Cabinet to publish a white
paper on the candlelight vigils. He said the case should go down in history as a
contemporary example of social conflict and division. The instruction has
immediately touched off controversy because he said, ``A number of medical
experts and intellectuals criticized the government at the time based on false
information, but no one has taken responsibility.''
People do not want to interpret his remarks as a move to pass the buck to those
who participated in the rallies to oppose the complete opening of the beef
market, amid fears about mad cow disease. It is nonsense to hit back at the
protesters two years after the demonstrations.
It is disappointing to see the governing Grand National Party branding the
protests as a ``fraud'' orchestrated by the ``groups attempting to subvert the
established system of Korea.'' The main opposition Democratic Party retorted by
accusing President Lee and his party of trying to shirk their responsibility for
the beef dispute and declare a war of words against the protesters.
It is not desirable to take up the issue of the candlelight rallies for political
gains or partisan struggles. The ruling camp might attempt to raise the issue to
rally conservative voters behind its candidates in the run-up to the June 2 local
elections. Such an attempt could divide the nation further into the conservative
and the progressive, only contributing to deepening conflicts between the two
quarters.
The beef row two years ago was the direct result of the hasty market opening deal
with the U.S. However, the underlying cause of the protests was attributed to the
bulldozer-like, top-down leadership style of President Lee. We have to admit that
the demonstrators forced the government to better protect the nation's
``quarantine sovereignty'' without yielding to U.S. pressure.
What's more pressing now for the Lee administration is to regain public trust.
Lee apologized twice to the nation for his lack of communication with the people
during the rallies. He should do more to humbly listen to the voices of the
public. And he must work together with all walks of life to heal social conflict
and division. Let's learn the true lesson of the candlelight vigils.
(END)

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