The Seoul Plaza has long been a hotbed of protests. During the dictatorial regime of the 1980s, hundreds of thousands of student activists and dissidents filled the plaza, at the heart of the capital, to unite against human rights violations and demand democratic reforms.
Now that South Korea has achieved what it yearned for - democracy - one would think the place should be peaceful, with citizens and tourists strolling around. Quite the contrary, however: the plaza and other open spaces are constantly filled with angry protesters.
There are still liberal activists who call for greater human rights and better pay for workers. The disabled come to demand better treatment. And there are workers, environmentalists and feminists who fight for their causes.
On Monday, about 100,000 Christians and old people packed into the plaza to denounce the liberal government of President Roh Moo-hyun. The protesters condemned the administration for trying to abolish the National Security Law. For them, the move was nothing but a childish act to befriend a North Korea which has not given up its dream of forcefully communising the South.
Grey-haired protesters, some dressed in military uniforms, shouted anti-government and anti-North Korean slogans, jabbing their fists into the sky. After the rally, they tried to march towards the presidential mansion, but were stopped by heavily armed riot police.
What makes South Koreans of all stripes flock to already crowded downtown Seoul to vent their anger? Can they not convey their messages through the National Assembly or the press? Seoul citizens are increasingly sick and tired of these rallies that add to the traffic congestion and noise pollution.