Kyobo Protests

May 29 update - Protests continue on a daily basis at the newly opened bookstore in Seomyeon. There have been several incidents of protesters entering the store and either making lots of noise or causing minor property damage. The Coalition has announced that they will call of the protests during World Cup week in Busan, but have vowed to continue fighting. Likewise, Kyobo and its parent company seem determined to stay open until protests eventually subside. Kyobo had briefly opened a store in Busan in 1990, but closed it only hours later out of safety concerns after protesters entered the store causing significant property damage and threatening customers. There is a hearing scheduled for May 30 concerning the legal validity of a 1994 agreement signed by Kyobo promising not to open stores in any of the provinces. A ruling is expected a few days later. For more information, check out our interviews with the VP of Kyobo bookstore and a representative of the Coalition of Busan Bookstores.

Listen to the Protest

Protest flier being passed out by the Coalition. Click for a full translation and full size image.

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May 21 - The protests against the recent opening of Kyobo Book bookstore have not subsided at all, as these images and sounds from May 20 attest. The main contention of protesters is that Seoul based Kyobo will take money from Busan consumers without returning anything to the local economy. They also claim that Kyobo has reneged on a 1994 agreement it made with the Coalition of local bookstores to never open a store in Busan. Kyobo has been trying to open a store in Busan since 1986, but never been able to overcome local opposition until now. The Coalition is calling for a boycott of Kyobo Bookstore and the insurance company that is part of the same corporate group. Several leading members of the Coalition and other Busan economic advocacy groups have shaved their heads and conducted a hunger strike since May 9. We will be interviewing representatives of the Coalition and the bookstore this weekend. If you have any questions or comments you'd like to address to either group, please send them to [email protected]

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