This letter is directed at the students protesting every night in Seoul.

If you knew a little about history, you will find that all countries have done bad things in the past, Korea included. The old "America did this and that" is pointless. Every country in the world is guilty of doing something bad in the past. It is a moot point.

The issue here is how to get USFK out of Korea. You can defend yourselves now and you seem to want Kim Jung il as your leader. That is fine with me. That is your wish. But you have the change your silly, childish "Candle Light Vigils" to what everybody knows they are: Anti-American demonstrations. This will get you the attention you need to get US public opinion for a withdrawal. So far all you are really doing is making noise for Koreans. Your message is not getting out to the world.

The whole vigil thing is a joke and using the deceased girls for your political ends is just shameful. Let the girls rest in peace and their parents grieve. The accident means nothing and you know it. You would have found another issue to rally around. Hitler used the Reichstag fire, Stalin the Leningrad Doctors, you the Girls. Americans know this. The only reason you continue with vigils is that your own government wants the demonstrations to stop and is threatening you with the National Security Law. The amount of media coverage last night, almost nothing, confirms this.

You children have to sit down and talk about what your demonstrations will do for you. Hancheonyeon is behind this and they take their orders from Kim Jung il. The US public is definitely in favor of a US pullout from South Korea. However, you have to realise that the US is the largest foreign investor in South Korea. That capital will go. Look at what has happened to the stock market since December 19. That will result in even fewer jobs when you graduate from university. I have heard from university student the line "Money is not important. Pride is."

This is because most of you have never had a job. You have no idea of what it cost to have a family and buy all the things a family needs. Foreign businesses are already closing in Korea. I am a senior person in an American chemical company. We sell things that Koreans need for a range of products but Korea is not capable of making our chemicals. Because of the anti-American business climate in Korea, we are closing. More than one hundred Korea family men will lose their high paying jobs. This is a direct result of the demonstrations. Do you care about the forty-five man with three children who loses his job? No you don't because your goal is more important than that in your minds. There will also be a lot of disruption at many Korean companies. The chemicals that I sold out of an office in Seoul will now be bought in Japan at a much higher price because Japanese companies do not maintain offices in Korea.

The idea of an American product boycott is equally absurd. Whether you like it or not, Korea uses USA and Japanese technology to make almost everything in Korea. If you start boycotting the USA, the USA will refuse to sell you certain things under the Strategic Materials Act. Did you know that every computer chip wafer in Korea came from the USA and the manufacture was on a Japanese machine? I am sure you didn't. Any boycott will hurt Korea much more than America. Americans can buy a wide range of products. Not having Korea products will only slightly lessen the selection. Instead of having one hundred different VCR models to choose from, we will have ninety-nine. Not much of a difference.

I could go no and on, but young people, sit down and ask yourself if a US pulluot is really what you want. Will the USFK leaving Korea solve all your problems? You can forget about demanding the two drivers be retried: it will never happen, it is called "Double Jepordy," and you can forget about on duty US soldiers being tried in Korean civilian courts. This will also never happen. Also remember that the Korea military ties all its own cases, on duty or off. Try to make your demands more realistic. You also have to remember that Korea is a democracy. Nobody has elected you to set policy for the people of Korea, although I fear you are doing just that. You are subverting and endangering Korea's young democracy with mob rule. You threaten anyone who disagrees with you with death. You even demonstrated in front of this newspaper, the most respected in Korea, because it printed articles appealing for calm.

Sun Tsu said "A weaker nation must have a stronger ally and curry its favor. To not do so is inviting disaster." Young people, you are playing a very, very dangerous game. Ask yourself if your life is really bad. Are you fed, clothed, housed and entertained? Do you have money in your pocket? Are your free to vote, express your opinons and go where you wish? If so, you are better off than 90% of the people in the world.

Are these things possible in North Korea? Will the USA leaving Korea make your life better and how?

Happy New Year

Dan Roberts,

US Out of Korea Committee Boycott Korea Union