article_snippet: In part this is because direct confrontations between South Korean citizens and U.S. government representatives in South Korea have been rare, and violent political attacks are unusual.
article_snippet: True, there have been periodic group protests against the U.S. military presence in South Korea or against U.S. policy.
article_snippet: But these protests have generally been conducted peacefully, a far cry from the environment of the 1980s, when pro-democracy protesters against a then-authoritarian South Korean government attacked and burned U.S. government facilities.
article_snippet: And of course, there is the backdrop of the ongoing inter-Korean confrontation, which plays out within Korean democracy in the form of a bitter confrontation between progressive and conservative factions.  
article_snippet: There is speculation that some members of South Korea progressive movement have ties with South Korea, and some of some members of South Korea's progressive movement have allegedly been somewhat willing to foment violence to stir up conflict within South Korean society.
article_snippet: Most recently, some members of South Korea left-leaning United Progressive Party, which had won seats in South Korea National Assembly, were disbarred and convicted of plotting a violent insurrection, leading to the dissolution of the party itself.
article_snippet: And while this hard-core group represents a fringe element within South Korean society, South Korean still remains active in part due to North Korean ideological and financial support.
article_snippet: Indeed, far from revealing gaps in the U.S.-South South Korea alliance or fomenting discord over whether joint military exercises should move forward, the incident is likely to strengthen South Korean feelings of support for the alliance with the United States.
article_snippet: Still, the incident also serves as a reminder that even in the most seemingly safe and pro-American environments around the world, there is a risk that some zealous critics of U.S. policy may resort to violence against official U.S. representatives overseas.
article_snippet: And that's especially so in regions such as the Korean Peninsula, where longstanding tensions still cast a shadow over security considerations.