Korean Candle Demonstration against U.S. Beef
Teenage girls play an important role in forming public opinions

 During the last holidays on May 2nd and 3rd, 2008 unusual incidents caught our eyes at the Cheonggyecheon Plaza. In the evening on the last May 2nd, unexpectedly massive citizens and netizens gathered together, lodging a protest against U.S. beef contaminated by mad cow diseases, at a candlelight vigil. Another candle demonstrations coloring the Cheonggyecheon Plaza red with red candlelights, were organized on the following day, and in May 6th evening, similar kinds of rallies were planned to be organized at Yeoido and the Cheonggyecheon Plaza, respectively.
 The series of demonstrations in which the protestors expressed their public opinions against U.S. beef, were found to be outstandingly different from other rallies which had been organized before:
The political views were not important in the series of demonstrations. Many participants who were engaged in the candlelight vigils often said "(before) I have never joined rallies nor demonstrations. But this time I can't stand any more."
The demonstrators are very different from conservative Korean press' points of view about who they are. In this demonstration, not leftists nor anti-U.S. activists, but citizens took the lead, who were concerned about the right to health and thought this new regime made a big mistake during the U.S. beef negotiation. Nevertheless, they are also worried about that their pure intention might be made a bad use of by the existing certain political powers or 'radical activists.' more>>

Korean women workers' forum held for realizing equal pay
for work of equal value and gender sensitive job evaluation

 On May 7th, 2008,  Korean Women Workers Association(KWWA) and Korean Women's Trade Union (KWTU) organized the first Korean women workers' forum entitled "comparative analysis of wage discrimination  prevention systems in the U.S. and U.K. and their implications to Korea", in order to achieve equal pay for work of equal value and gender sensitive job evaluation (presented by professor Oh Kye Taek) at KWWA's seminar room. In this forum, U.S. and U.K.'s legal basis and operating organizations of equal pay for work of equal value, legal explanation and evaluation methods regarding equal pay for work of equal value. more>>