On this day in 2003, at a major protest demonstration near the WTO conference in Cancún, South Korean farmer Lee Kyung-Hae fatally stabbed himself while wearing a sign that declared "WTO KILLS FARMERS".

Lee Kyung Hae (1947 - 2003) was a South Korean farmer and activist who opposed neo-liberal globalization and protested for the local farmers and fishermen of his home country whose jobs were threatened. He was president of the Federation of Farmers and Fishermen of Korea.

In February and March 2003, Lee led a hunger strike at WTO headquarters in Geneva and issued continued statements about the effects of rapidly dropping crop prices on Korean farmers to the press. In Cancún, Mexico, Lee joined a march of over 15,000 other farmers and indigenous people from around the world and carried a sandwich board that stated, "WTO Kills Farmers."

On September 10th, 2003, Lee stood on top of a police barricade at a major protest demonstration near the WTO conference in Cancún and, while wearing a sign that declared "WTO KILLS FARMERS" in front of television cameras, fatally stabbed himself.

Although he was rushed to a local hospital, Lee died during surgery. Lee is seen by many as a martyr to the anti-globalization movement.