Elevated Citizen Awareness - No Longer Easily Swayed by Provocation

A protest condemning Japan's release of contaminated water took place in the heart of Seoul, and approximately 5,000 participants gathered for this event. Prominent political figures, including Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the Democratic Party, as well as members of the Basic Income Party, progressive parties, and various other activist groups, actively participated in this demonstration. However, despite these notable figures' presence, the number of attendees has decreased, leading to assessments that momentum behind the contaminated water issue has diminished.

 

n summary, the attendance at the protest against Japan's release of contaminated water has decreased, suggesting a waning momentum on the contaminated water issue.

 

The three major opposition parties, including the Democratic Party, organized the "Stop Japan's Radioactive Contaminated Water Ocean Discharge Joint Action" and the "Second National Assembly for Condemning the Moon Jae-in Government's Halt to Fukushima Nuclear Contaminated Water Ocean Discharge." These events aimed to condemn Japan's release of contaminated water and criticize the current government's stance. This marked the second large-scale weekend protest following a similar demonstration on the 26th of last month.

 

According to the police, this protest gathered between 5,000 to 6,000 participants. While the previous protest was estimated to have around 7,000 attendees, this time, the number of participants has decreased. Even the Justice Party held a separate party conference at a different location, departing from this event.

 

Lee Jae-myung, despite being on a hunger strike, encouraged his supporters to rally against the discharge of contaminated water and attended the event. He appealed from the stage, saying, "Don't we want a president who can confidently stand up when a foreign country invades South Korean territory and encroaches on our maritime sovereignty, saying, 'This is unacceptable, stop the discharge?'" He emphasized the need to prevent the country from regressing to its past, even if they haven't achieved their dream country yet.

 

Lee also posted on his Facebook, urging people to gather in opposition to the contaminated water discharge and stating, "The Democratic Party will hold the culprits of the contaminated water discharge accountable alongside the people until the end." Leading members of the Democratic Party, including Park Kwang-on, the floor leader, Park Chan-dae, Seo Young-kyo, Jung Cheong-rae, and Kim Min-seok, the Policy Committee chairman, also participated in the protest.

 

However, compared to other large-scale protests, the attendance at this protest against contaminated water discharge was relatively low. The protest in front of the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, known as the "500,000 Teachers' Total Strike Memorial Protest," had a significantly larger turnout. The organizers estimated around 200,000 participants, and the police reported more than 100,000 attendees, whereas the protest against contaminated water discharge had fewer participants.

 

Furthermore, compared to past large-scale protests like the 2008 candlelight protests against mad cow disease or the 2019 rallies in support of Cho Kuk, the protest against contaminated water discharge had fewer participants. During the mad cow disease protests, the police estimated 80,000 participants, while the organizers claimed 700,000. Even during the rallies in support of Cho Kuk, there were more than 50,000 participants, according to public estimates.

 

Moreover, this anti-government protest has been criticized as being "Lee Jae-myung's bulletproof vest rally," and there are opinions that it has not gained much public support. In the '82 Cook' community, which mainly consists of Democratic Party supporters, there are opinions that "the rally's impact has waned due to Lee Jae-myung's dominance." Some of these opinions even suggest that "even covering the protest signs with Lee Jae-myung's pictures is just a form of promotion for him."

 

In summary, the attendance at the protest against Japan's release of contaminated water has decreased, suggesting a waning momentum on the contaminated water issue. Furthermore, Lee Jae-myung's leadership and the activities of the Democratic Party have sparked controversy.