Description

The post-9/11 redistribution of US military forces in the world is usually discussed within the framework of Washington’s global policies and war on terror. In South Korea, this development has further exacerbated the public resentment against the presence of American bases, and has engendered strong reactions within the population, ranging from heated debates on the general wisdom of keeping American troops on Korean soil to organised opposition movements against specific military bases. This research examines the social movement which was generated by the recent plan to relocate the U.S. Yongsan garrison to Pyeongtaek, about seventy kilometers South of Seoul. Using coverage by the Korean mainstream and alternative media of the grassroots opposition to that relocation, the study intends to determine how this struggle has been perceived by the general public, and it analyses the various agendas and strategies utilised by the different interest groups within this social movement.

Luc Walhain (Ph.D., Bowling Green State University) is Assistant Professor of History at St. Thomas University (Canada) where he teaches World and Asian History. His Korean ethnic background and upbringing in Europe, combined with his life and academic experience in the US and East Asia, have led him to develop a sense of global social awareness, and steered his research interests towards social and democratic movements in Korea, and the power and control of public discourse. His recent and future research projects include the socio-economic impact of military bases and militarisation of society.