작성자 : Jaesung Chung 작성일 : 2019-10-24 조회수 : 80
What a National Disgrace It Is!!

What a National Disgrace It Is!!
 



The article 22 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations stipulates that the premises of a diplomatic mission, such as an embassy, are inviolable and must not be entered by the host country except by permission of the head of the
mission. Furthermore, the host country must protect the mission from intrusion or damage. The host country must never search the premises, nor seize its documents or property. Article 30 extends this provision to the private residence of the diplomats.



Nevertheless, unfortunately, a shameful incident took place in the heart of Seoul on October 18, 2019 that a handful university students identified as a coalition of progressive university students held a protest against the U.S. troop presence in South Korea near the US ambassador’s residence and several students climbed over the wall into the grounds of the ambassador’s residence with ladders.



It was reported that the student group had shouted even in the inside of the compound saying”
Stop interfering with our domestic affairs,” “Get out”, and we don’t need U.S. troops.” They were even holding a banner saying “Leave this soil, Harris”.



The young students’ inconsiderate behavior has not only violated an international treaty, but also brought an unutterable disgrace to our country writ large. As a matter of fact, the majority of the fellow countrymen were dumbfounded at the
news.



In this connection, what we the citizens are seriously worrying about is the reason why the police officers on guard at the U.S. ambassador’s residence didn’t restrain the students from climbing over the wall at the early stage. As is often the
case with the police suppression on protests, a responsible police station is believed to have collected information that a sort of protest would be held at a certain location in advance. For this reason, the police authorities concerned with this case can hardly be free from a severe blame.



The news media report that the police officers on guard didn’t proactively prevent the student protesters from trespassing the ambassador’s residence because they worried about possible injury of the protesters and physical contacts especially with the female students in the course of being arrested.



Consequently, the police officers on guard wasted more than an hour time to wait for policewomen’s arrival at the scene that had eventually allowed the student protesters to broadcast the pictures taken inside the compound through its Face
book account.



Whatever the circumstances were on the scene, the on-duty police officers should have strictly barred the protesters from climbing over the wall irrespective of local conditions whatsoever because the protection of foreign embassy premises and its personnel is one of the highest priority responsibilities of the host country and what’s more, the ambassador’s residence is an area of extraterritorial jurisdiction. By doing so, the people around the world will find the decency of our country.



In addition, with regard to the current disgraceful incident, I the writer of this article, would like to attach two photos that show a stark contrast  between the two particularly in terms of the ladder usage.



In the first photo, the U.S. Marines made amphibious landing at Incheon on September 15, 1950 during the Chromite operation commanded by General MacArthur. The US soldiers were climbing over the embankment at the risk of their own lives with ladders to preserve the freedom for the country and people they neither known nor met before.



In the second photo, a group of student protestors of the country saved by the US soldiers 69 years ago were climbing over the wall of the U.S. ambassador’s residence in Seoul with ladders to hold an anti-America protest on Friday, October
18, 2019.




In conclusion, I would like to urge our fellow countrymen not to forget what the United States had done for us. “Let’s not bite the hand that once fed us”.








 

이하사  2019/11/08 11:36:52 [답글] 수정 삭제
Indeed, how incomparable photos are. It's just amazing how these things happened.

Anyway, thank you for uploading your precious material photo.
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