[COVER STORY] French residents of Korea blame unresponsive gov't for unrest

French residents living in Korea say the French government’s long-standing inaction on education and living conditions has fueled public anger behind protests that began in mid-September. Students called for more teachers and improved school facilities, while rising prices for energy and fuel added to frustration. Interviewees said people want meaningful reforms rather than repression and criticized media coverage they felt overemphasized violence and looting. They also described peaceful demonstrations and solidarity among protesters, and hoped the protests would lead to lasting improvements.

Hugo Adam, a graduate student at Seoul National University, said people’s concerns about climate, the economy and education had gone unheard.

Illustrator Zoe Constans said she began drawing protesters and their signs to show support and highlight young demonstrators’ creativity, humor, courage and solidarity.

A French filmmaker said family and friends back home were participating in the protests.

Interviewees said rising prices, including for energy and fuel, had affected daily life and purchasing power.

Adam said rebuilding confidence in politics would require improvements people could see in daily life, rather than promises.

Published Oct 21, 2026 3:50 pm KST

Updated Oct 21, 2026 5:56 pm KST

French residents here call for concrete reforms, not repression

People look at a burned-out car during protests in Paris, Tuesday (local time). Unrest over poor conditions in schools and the rising cost of living have escalated into riots and looting across France, prompting authorities to impose curfews in cities including Paris and Lille. AP-Yonhap

The public anger in France spilling over into unrest has been brewing for a long time, with little response from the government over calls for reforms for better education and living conditions, French nationals living in Korea say.

They generally agree that the French government's long-standing neglect and inaction have fueled mounting public anger, saying people's concerns have long gone unheard.

"Government hasn’t listened enough to people’s concerns about the climate, the economy and now education. When people repeatedly feel unheard, frustration builds up," Hugo Adam, a graduate student at Seoul National University, told The Korea Times.

A French filmmaker, who spoke on condition of anonymity, agreed that the French government has failed to "listen to its people," despite the many protests that have taken place over the years. He said his family and friends back home are participating in the protests.

An illustration by French artist Zoe Constans shows protesters holding signs reading, "Those who sow misery will reap anger" and "We are a page of history that you cannot burn." Courtesy of Zoe Constans

The protests began in mid-September by students calling for a better education environment, including more teachers and improved school facilities.

Illustrator Zoe Constans said it is important to focus on what young people and teenagers have to say. "It’s clear that there has been, for several years, a degradation of educational institutions in France, and the situation is too dire to offer a future and decent studying conditions in many schools," she said. "The youth have been abandoned and put in danger ... Nothing justifies the sacrifice of the youth, and they should be a priority in investment."

Adam echoed Constans' emphasis on education, noting that concerns over education go beyond what happens inside the classroom, and called for concrete changes. "I’d like to see the government listen closely to students and teachers, identify what schools actually need and explain clearly what will change and when," he said.

The education crisis was just a spark that lit a larger fire. Multiple underlying causes drove people to take to the streets. A major factor was deteriorating living conditions amid soaring prices.

"In addition to education, the rising cost of living and inflation have had a significant impact on people’s daily lives and purchasing power. Many things have become increasingly expensive in France, including energy and fuel, which have contributed to widespread frustration and dissatisfaction," another French national working in Korea said on condition of anonymity.

Fed up with the situation, people in France are hoping for answers and meaningful reforms, not repression, the interviewees agreed.

An illustration by French artist Zoe Constans depicts a young protester holding a sign reading, "We are your future, yet you are stealing our present." Courtesy of Zoe Constans

Each expressed regret over the violence that has marred the demonstrations, stressing that peaceful protests must be distinguished from widespread looting. They also criticized the media for focusing on scenes of violence.

Adam said the demonstrations themselves come as little surprise to French people, who have long been accustomed to taking to the streets to voice their grievances. What's regrettable is how the mainstream media is disproportionately focusing on the violence and looting, the interviewees said, arguing that such coverage overlooks other scenes from the protests — people helping and supporting one another, and young demonstrators taking to the streets peacefully, even creating a festive atmosphere.

They expressed concerns about debates over immigration across Europe as well. "Most people demonstrating there are just French, whether they are white, Black or Arab ... It is just a way to push the racist agenda that is prevalent for extreme right political groups in France," the filmmaker said.

For French nationals living in Korea, the long distance from their home country has left them feeling powerless, while also making them cautious about judging the entire movement based solely on the images they see.

Constans started drawing protesters and their signs as a way of showing her support, hoping her government will listen to them properly. "We have responsibility as adults to protect the youth. So, I really wanted to do something, and that’s why I started drawing," she said. Through her illustrations, she tries to capture the students' creativity, humor and joy, as well as their courage and solidarity with one another.

"I hope these protests lead to lasting improvements," Adam said. "Rebuilding confidence in politics will take time and need improvements that people can see in their daily lives, not promises."

居住在韩国的法国人表示，法国政府长期以来在教育和生活条件方面的不作为，加剧了民众的愤怒，并引发了9月中旬开始的抗议活动。学生们呼吁增加教师人数，改善学校设施，而不断上涨的能源和燃料价格也加剧了他们的不满。受访者表示，人们希望看到切实有效的改革，而不是镇压，并批评媒体过度渲染暴力和抢劫事件。他们还描述了和平示威和抗议者之间的团结，并希望抗议活动能够带来持久的改善。

首尔国立大学研究生雨果·亚当表示，人们对气候、经济和教育的担忧一直没有得到重视。

插画家佐伊·康斯坦斯表示，她开始绘制抗议者和他们的标语，以表达支持，并突出年轻示威者的创造力、幽默感、勇气和团结精神。

一位法国电影制作人表示，他的家人和朋友在国内也参与了抗议活动。

受访者表示，物价上涨，包括能源和燃料价格上涨，已经影响了日常生活和购买力。

亚当表示，重建人们对政治的信心需要的是人们在日常生活中能够看到的改善，而不是空头承诺。

发布于2026年10月21日下午3:50（韩国标准时间）

更新于2026年10月21日下午5:56（韩国标准时间）

居住在此的法国居民呼吁进行切实改革，而非镇压。

周二（当地时间），在巴黎的抗议活动中，人们围观一辆被烧毁的汽车。由于学校条件恶劣和生活成本上涨，法国各地爆发了骚乱和抢劫事件，当局已在包括巴黎和里尔在内的多个城市实施宵禁。美联社-韩联社

居住在韩国的法国公民表示，法国民众的愤怒情绪已经酝酿了很长时间，但政府对改善教育和生活条件的改革呼吁却鲜有回应，这种愤怒最终演变成了社会动荡。

他们普遍认为，法国政府长期以来的忽视和不作为加剧了公众的愤怒，并表示民众的担忧长期以来一直被忽视。

“政府对民众在气候、经济以及现在的教育问题上的担忧重视不足。当人们反复感到自己的声音被忽视时，挫败感就会不断累积，”首尔国立大学研究生雨果·亚当告诉《韩国时报》。

一位不愿透露姓名的法国电影制作人表示，尽管多年来爆发了多次抗议活动，法国政府仍然未能“倾听人民的声音”。他说，他的家人和朋友都在法国参与抗议活动。

法国艺术家佐伊·康斯坦斯的一幅插画描绘了抗议者们举着标语，上面写着：“播撒苦难者必将收获愤怒”和“我们是历史中无法被焚毁的一页”。图片由佐伊·康斯坦斯提供。

抗议活动始于 9 月中旬，学生们呼吁改善教育环境，包括增加教师人数和改善学校设施。

插画家佐伊·康斯坦斯表示，关注年轻人和青少年的心声至关重要。“很明显，法国的教育机构多年来一直在衰落，许多学校的现状糟糕透顶，根本无法为学生提供未来和体面的学习环境，”她说。“年轻人被抛弃，身处险境……任何理由都不能为牺牲年轻人开脱，他们应该成为投资的优先对象。”

亚当赞同康斯坦斯对教育的重视，指出教育问题不仅限于课堂教学，并呼吁进行切实有效的改革。他说：“我希望政府能够认真倾听学生和教师的意见，明确学校的实际需求，并清楚地解释哪些方面会做出改变以及何时改变。”

教育危机只是引燃更大危机的导火索。多种潜在原因促使人们走上街头。其中一个主要因素是物价飞涨导致生活条件恶化。

“除了教育之外，生活成本上涨和通货膨胀也对人们的日常生活和购买力产生了重大影响。在法国，许多东西的价格都在不断上涨，包括能源和燃料，这导致了普遍的沮丧和不满，”另一位在韩国工作的法国公民匿名表示。

受访者一致认为，法国民众对现状感到厌倦，他们希望得到答案和有意义的改革，而不是镇压。

法国艺术家佐伊·康斯坦斯的一幅插画描绘了一位年轻的抗议者，她举着一块牌子，上面写着：“我们是你们的未来，而你们却在偷走我们的现在。” 图片由佐伊·康斯坦斯提供。

各方均对示威活动中出现的暴力事件表示遗憾，并强调必须将和平抗议与大规模抢劫区分开来。他们还批评媒体过度关注暴力画面。

亚当表示，这些示威活动本身对法国人来说并不意外，他们早已习惯走上街头表达不满。受访者们认为，令人遗憾的是，主流媒体过度关注暴力和抢劫事件，这种报道忽略了抗议活动中的其他场景——人们互相帮助、互相支持，年轻的示威者们和平地走上街头，甚至营造出一种节日般的氛围。

他们也对欧洲各地的移民辩论表示担忧。“那里的大多数示威者都是法国人，无论他们是白人、黑人还是阿拉伯人……这只是法国极右翼政治团体推行种族主义议程的一种方式，”这位电影制作人说道。

对于居住在韩国的法国公民来说，远离祖国让他们感到无能为力，同时也让他们对仅仅根据所看到的画面来评判整个运动持谨慎态度。

康斯坦斯开始绘制抗议者和他们的标语，以此表达她的支持，希望政府能够认真倾听他们的声音。“作为成年人，我们有责任保护青少年。所以我真的很想做点什么，这就是我开始画画的原因，”她说。她试图通过插画捕捉学生的创造力、幽默感和快乐，以及他们的勇气和团结精神。

“我希望这些抗议活动能带来持久的改善，”亚当说。“重建人们对政治的信心需要时间，需要的是人们在日常生活中能够看到的实际改善，而不是空洞的承诺。”