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Street seller commits suicide over city regulations
Park attempted self-immolation, which is to burn onself to death, on August 23rd to protest overly-harsh regulation against street selling enforced by city workers from Chung-Gu's ward office.
* Struggle Video Files
1. September 10th Demonstration in front of Joong Ward Office
[Real Player] | [Window Media]
2. August 30th Demonstration
[Real Player] | [Window Media]
3. May 24th Occupation Sit-in of Dobong Ward office
[Real Player]
Source : Base21
by Kim Dae-sik/Base21 Media Activist
daesik@jinbo.net
On September 6th, Park Bong-kyu, a street trader, died at a local hospital. Park attempted self-immolation, which is to burn onself to death, on August 23rd to protest overly-harsh regulation against street selling enforced by city workers from Chung-Gu's ward office. He suffered third-degree burns and underwent medical treatment for fifteen days until this death.
Park engaged in street selling in order to purchase tools. He accused the local ward office of rigid control of street selling during the World Cup this past summer. Park was reprimended three times in violation of these regulations during the month of August alone. Ward officals forced him to pay a 100,000 won for each violation, or half of his monthly earnings. In protest, he wrote a letter to the mayor of Seoul on August 23rd. He demanded to know "Why have you not implemented your campaign promise to improve the standard of living of the people?" Afterwards, attempt self-immolation in front of Chung-Gu's ward office.
On September 9th, an alliance in support of Park, composed of thirty-nine civic rights groups, demanded an apology for the harsh regulations that drove him to suicide. But up till now, municipal authorities have not addressed his death. The committee emphasized that deaths such as Park's will continue if improvements in policies towards street selling are not made. The committee announced that "street selling is the result of unstable living and an increase in poverty. It cannot be solved by regulation and punishment."
Press conference in front of the City Hall
The late Park's Daughters
* Demonstration pictures
2002 / -1 / 0-
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