It was a declaration of war on politics as usual. In Seoul on Jan. 24, almost 500 civic groups ranging from environmentalists to shareholder activists pledged to oust South Korea's most corrupt politicians from the National Assembly by driving them to defeat in upcoming elections in April. The activists have posted the names of 67 "unfit" politicians on a widely read Internet site that is updated daily. In the coming months they plan to spread their message to every constituency and college campus around the country. The fierce protests—which are recruiting people in their 20s and 30s who account for more than half of Korean voters— are aimed at ensuring that dishonest politicians don't get reelected.
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