Protest Fun

Something has tipped me off that South Koreans are pretty darn passionate about protest.

From our old standby the BBC:

Visitors to South Korea could be forgiven for thinking the country was on the verge of war.

Newspaper headlines accuse Japan of a new invasion for claiming sovereignty over a cluster of disputed islands.

Overwhelmed by fury, protesters have sliced off fingers, set themselves on fire, and in one case committed suicide by jumping off a bridge.

What are they so upset about?

The dispute over Dokdo, or Takeshima as the islands are known in Japan, is a perennial irritant to better relations.

The islands are remote and uninhabited, lying about half way between the two countries.

But they sit among rich fishing grounds and there is much talk of potential gas deposits in the area.
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So South Korea gets a little upset over nuclear weapons and tons of conventional artillery aimed them by their neighbor to the north.

But start threatening their fish and some hypothetical gas rigs by claiming a couple uninhabited islands and people start lighting themselves on fire.

Where's the perspective folks?