Fiery Occupy Seoul peacefully fizzles out

Angry protests in Seoul joined an international demonstration with a grab bag of complaints centered on the super wealthy, but fizzled out ahead of schedule on account of rain on Saturday.

An estimated 600 protesters gathered in front of Deoksu Palace for Occupy Seoul, organized by some 30 civic and labor groups, on the one-month anniversary of its New York counterpart. 

Protesters here were empathetic with those holding Occupy Wall Street, frustrated by the “super rich 1 percent.” Frustration was also vented over the cost of tuition for university students, the Free Trade Agreement with the U.S. and other financial issues.

Another 300 protesters also gathered in front of the Financial Services Commission in Yeouido, Seoul’s financial district, claiming to represent the remaining 99 percent.

And like protests in cities all over the world including Sydney, Tokyo and Hong Kong, the outcries were centered on the root frustration of the widening gap between the rich and the poor.

Protesters in front of the palace were scheduled to march into Seoul Plaza, but after a 10 minute confrontation with police, the crowd dispersed without any altercations. The movement had planned to hold an overnight vigil in the plaza, but was broken up by the sudden downpour and the police blockade of the plaza.

While Seoul was spared from violence, other protests escalated into violence, including in Rome and Athens.

While demonstrations exploded into chaos in certain regions, finance ministers and central bankers of top economies gathered for the Group of 20 meeting in Paris to discuss the spiraling debt crisis and global economy.

By Robert Lee (robert@heraldcorp.com)