‘We Are Not Fine!’ Posters Go Viral at South Korea's Universities

‘We Are Not Fine!’ Posters Go Viral at South Korea's Universities

Posted 20 December 2013 12:01 GMT

Are we seeing a Korean version of Occupy Wall Street?

A handwritten poster by a university student that spelled out the student's frustration with social injustice and current political developments went viral, both on- and offline in South Korea. Inspired by this so-called “We are not fine” poster, which lists various social issues as the reason why “we are not fine”, young Koreans have started writing their own posters and plastering campus bulletin boards with their messages.

Ju Hyun-woo, a student at Korea University, wrote the message below on two large pieces of paper and posted them on his school bulletin board last week. Ju's manifesto listed major social issues that ignited protests, including the presidential election manipulation scandal; mass layoffs of railroad workers; the struggle of small townMilryang's senior residents against the construction of a high voltage tower; the corrutpion of powerful corporations; and the ever-crunched and insecure job market.

He then called on fellow students: “I just want to ask you, ‘Are you okay?’ Are you fine with ignoring all these issues because they are not your problems? I just wanted to ask whether you feel okay about hiding behind political apathy to justify yourself. And if you are not ‘fine’ after seeing all these problems, then voice your opinions – whatever that may be”.

Ju's handwritten poster explaining his frustration with various social issues inspired many other South Koreans to do the same. Photo posted on the ‘Can't Be Okay’ Facebook page. Used with permission.

Following the explosive reaction on campus to the poster, it has spread like wildfire [ko] to universities across the country. More than 20 major universities within and outside of Seoul have joined so far, including Seoul National University, Yonsei, Hanyang, Ewha, KAIST, Pusan University, and many more. Even a student at University of California at Berkley in the United States and some high school students have followed suit (see photos below).

A Facebook page titled “Can't Be Okay” [ko] was set up to share the flood of photos. In a week, it has received 262,000 likes, and Ju's poster, which started the movement, has earned more than 2,000 likes and been shared more than 440 times. Below are six photos from the Can't Be Okay Facebook page, republished with permission: 

A student holding a sign in front of the posters. The sign reads, “I am not fine with the nation's democracy, which keeps regressing toward the past.”

Numerous “We are not fine” posters cover bulletin boards at Korea University. Facebook photo description reads, “Over 40 pages of posters were attached at the back entrance of the Korea University's Politics and Economics Dept. building”.

Seoul National University's “We are not fine” poster. 

Yonsei University's “We are not fine” poster

Hanyang University's “We are not fine” poster

Pusan University's “We are not fine” poster

Several journalists analyzed [ko] the reason why the poster has become so popular with students, concluding that it is because the poster isn't a political statement from certain interest groups, but is a “frank personal statement written in conversational language by a fellow student” who shares the pain and frustration of young, struggling Koreans.

Many Twitter users also shared photos of handwritten posters:

At Sookmyung Women's University. From one end to the other are “We are not fine” posters. Someone wrote over there, “I wasn't able to sleep till late at night, after reading these posters”. It seems like something about these posters has deeply resonated with students.

A handwritten “We are not fine” poster, written by Shin Eun-je and Park Moo-young. It was posted on [University of California at] Berkley's bulletin board. This has started to spread internationally. 

This is an image of a Hyosung High School senior's “We are not fine” poster. 

After the concept went viral, Korea University decided to preserve [ko] Ju's poster at the university museum and introduce it as “a document of a democratic movement”.

Under the banner of “We are not fine”, a group of students from Korea University went offline and protested on December 14.

At Seoul station, on December 14, 2013

Korea University back entrance, on December 14, 2013

The nation's beloved best-selling author, Gong Ji-young, commented about this viral poster:

The keyword of the year 2013 is “We are not fine”. One student's conscience and courage has shaken up the whole country this winter. One individual is not insignificant at all.

Written byLee Yoo Eun

South Korean union vows all-out strike in sympathy with rail workers

1 OF 3. Policemen break down the glass door at the Korean Confederation of Trade Union head office during a protest by members of KCTU in Seoul December 22, 2013.

CREDIT: REUTERS/BAE JEONG-HYUN/YONHAP

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Railway workers, police scuffle in Seoul

(Reuters) - South Korea's militant labor federation announced a general strike from Saturday in sympathy with rail workers, after police hauled away scores of strikers in a two-week dispute that has hit President Park Geun-hye's popularity ratings.

The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) has more than 690,000 members from sectors including construction and public transport and any stoppage could bring the country to a halt.

Workers with the state-run Korea Railroad walked off the job in protest against a decision to set up a unit to run a high-speed bullet train, which they say will lead to privatization and layoffs.

Hundreds of riot police stormed into the umbrella group's head office on Sunday in a bid to arrest union leaders. They detained about 130 strikers and confederation members.

"The KCTU will show our anger by action, not words, against infringement of KCTU," the confederation said in a statement on Monday, promising an all-out strike from Dec 28.

Freight trains are running at 54 percent normal frequency and passengers trains at 58 percent. That frequency will be reduced further this week.

The strikers want the company to withdraw the plan to set up a separate unit, and Park doesn't want to back down. She said the government would not give way in what has become the longest strike to hit the railway.

"We can't promise a future if we compromise without principles just because it is difficult," Park said on Monday.

The government has repeatedly denied planning to privatize the railway, but Park's approval ratings have sagged since the strike began.

A Gallup Korea poll showed on Friday that her approval ratings had fallen to 48 percent, the lowest since May.

Opposition parties blamed the police raid and urged the government to negotiate.

"People are getting tired and to regain trust... the government should engage in conversation and settle the situation," Democratic Party lawmaker Yoon Hu-duk told a parliamentary hearing.

Unionized workers from the loss-making rail operator have stymied efforts by previous administrations to take it private since the early 2000s.

(Reporting by Ju-min Park; Editing by Nick Macfie)

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