Briefs on the struggle of the south Korean people

= Struggle for implementing the June 15 inter-Korean joint declaration

Dec.16~17 2005- The third conference of youth and students organization of the south and the north to implement the June 15 joint declaration was held in Gaesong, north Korea.

Dec.16 2005- Participants of the third conference of youth and students organization of the south and the north to implement the June 15 joint declaration issued a joint statement to strongly denounce the US troops in south Korea for having prevented two members of the Anti-US Youth League from entering Gaesong to attend the meeting.

Dec.19 2005- A conference of educators of the south and the north of Korea was held in Gaesong to implement the June 15 joint declaration.

Jan.1- The US-based Internet homepage “Minjok Tongshin” made public an article on the occasion of the New Year. It called for the Korean nation at home and abroad to realize independent and peaceful reunification the Korean people desire by accelerating the struggle for implementing the inter-Korean joint declaration on a higher basis.

- The Busan Solidarity for Implementing the June 15 South-North Joint Declaration issued a written resolution titled “Let us make 2006 guaranteeing for sure victory of the Korean nation.”

=Anti-US and anti-war struggle

Dec.11 2005- The second grand march for peace was held in Pyeongtaek under the sponsorship of the All-People Measure Committee for Checking the Expansion of the US military Base in Pyeongtaek with the presence of members of civic organizations and peace activists from several countries more than 5,000 in all.

Dec.13 2005- The 75th anti-US solidarity rally was held at a park in Seoul. It was attended by members of civic organizations including the People for Peace and Reunification, the All-People Measure Committee for Checking the Expansion of the US Military Base in Pyeongtaek, the Korean Catholic Priests’ Council for Justice, the Family Movement for Realizing Democracy, the Peace Wind, the Anti-US Youth League, the Joint Measure Committee for Withdrawal of Yankees, the All Together and the South Headquarters’ of the National Alliance for the Country’s Reunification.       

- The Headquarters of the Movement for Reviving South-North Economic Cooperation issued a statement denouncing absurd remarks of the US ambassador to south Korea against north Korea.

- The Busan Solidarity for Implementing the June 15 South-North Joint Declaration made public a statement denouncing preposterous remarks made by the US ambassador to south Korea.  

Dec.14 2005- The Reunification Solidarity for Implementing the June 15 South-North Joint Declaration and Peace on the Korean Peninsula released a statement demanding immediate expulsion of the US ambassador to south Korea.

Dec.15 2005- The Seoul Area Federation of University Student Councils under the south Korean Federation of University Student Councils made public a statement titled “We denounce the US for stepping up its hostile policy towards north Korea after scrapping the joint statement of the six-party talks in a bid to start another Korean war.”

- The Reunification Solidarity, the People’s Solidarity and the Buddhists’ Solidarity for Peace held a news conference and issued a statement demanding withdrawal of the US hostile policy towards north Korea.

- The Anti-US Women’s Association released a statement titled “We denounce absurd remarks of US President Bush and the US ambassador to south Korea.”

Dec.19 2005- The south Korean Internet Tongil News said that a great deal of depleted uranium bullets are kept at the US bases in Osan, Suwon and Cheongju of south Korea and Kadena, Okinawa of Japan.

- The south Korean Federation of University Student Councils issued a statement titled “We denounce the UN Forces Command for blocking the road to reunification.”

- The Youth and Student Solidarity for Implementing the June 15 South-North Joint Declaration issued a statement demanding dismantlement of the UN Forces Command that hampers reunification movement of the Korean nation.  

Dec.22 2005- Several organizations including the Korean Council of Youth Organizations convened representative conference in Seoul and formed the Youth Alliance for Peace on the Korean Peninsula and for Checking the Expansion of the US Military Base in Pyeongtaek.

- Prof. Lee Chol-gi at Dongguk University and co-representative of the Citizens’ Alliance for Peaceful Reunification published an article divulging unfairness of the south Korea-US alliance.   

- The Reunification Solidarity for Implementing the June 15 South-North Joint Declaration and Peace in the Korea Peninsula released a statement titled “Dismantle the ‘UN Forces Command’ blocking south-north exchange.”

- The US-based Internet homepage “Minjok Tongshin” posted its editor’s article titled “Let us foil the US move to sow discord between the south and the north of Korea.”

Dec.23 2005- Members of religious organizations released a statement titled “US, do not nose about in internal affairs of south Korea.”

Dec.26 2005- More than 1,800 members of religious organizations including the Council of Christian Churches released a declaration on the situation in 2006 and demanded repeal of the “north Korean human rights act” in the United States.

- The Reunification Solidarity held a news conference near the US embassy in Seoul to denounce the US allegation of north Korea’s counterfeit note.

- Chairman Yoon Ki-jin of the South Headquarters of the National Alliance of Youth and Students for the Country’s Reunification made public an appeal titled “Youth, Let us devote everything to future of the country.”

- Figures of all social standings affiliated to the Korean National Council for the promotion of the Reunification by Federal Formula held a meeting to see 2005 out in Seoul and they called for making 2006 a year of the pullback of the US forces.

Dec.27 2005- The Solidarity for Implementing the June 15 South-North Joint Declaration posted an article titled “Review of save-the-nation movement in 2005” on its Internet homepage.

- Figures from all social standings in Pyeongtaek city called a news conference in front of the municipal office and released a joint statement opposing the authorities’ attempt to offer the land to the US military base in Pyeongtaek.

Dec.28 2005- The South Headquarters of the National Alliance of Youth and Students for the Country’s Reunification made public a statement demanding the expulsion of the US ambassador from south Korea.

-The Youth and Students Solidarity for Implementing the June 15 South-North Joint Declaration released a statement titled “We oppose the move of the pro-US ultra right conservatives to erect a statue of Walker, the commander of the US 8^th Army in the Korean War.” 

Dec.30 2005- The People’s Action against Dispatch of Troops to Iraq called a news conference in front of the National Assembly in Seoul, denouncing the government and the Uri Party for having railroaded the motion for extending again the term of the south Korean troops in Iraq through the National Assembly.   

- The South Headquarters of the National Alliance for the Country’s Reunification issued a statement titled “We condemn the government and the Uri Party for having railroaded the treacherous motion calling for extending again term of the south Korean troops in Iraq through the National Assembly.”

Jan.3- Members of the Measure Committee of Paengseong Township for Checking the Expansion of the US Military Base in Pyeongtaek made the round of the country with tillers to protest against the relocation of the US army base in Yongsan to Pyeongtaek.

=Anti-Japanese struggle

Dec.15 2005- Several organizations including the Federation of Korean Trade Unions and the Democratic Labor Party made public a joint statement titled “the Japanese government, immediately withdraw operation plan of Rokashoymura nuclear reprocessing factory.” 

Dec.28 2005- The Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan held the 689^th Wednesday rally in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul for the solution of the issue of the “comfort women” for the Japanese army.

Jan.4- The Promotion Council for Demanding Compensation to the Victims of the Pacific War and the Council for the Solution of the Issue of the Volunteers Corps held the 690th Wednesday rally in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul and declared to wage a joint solidarity struggle against Japan's moves for revival of militarism with organizations of East Asian countries.

=Struggle for democracy and the right to live

Dec.13 2005- Representatives of the Korean Federation of Peasants Associations held a news conference around Cheong Wa Dae in demand of a probe into the truth about the dead case of peasant Chun Yong-chol, an apology of the authorities and went on an indefinite sit-in strike.

Dec.14 2005- The Headquarters of the People’s Movement for Revising the Law on Private Schools consisting of 45 civic organizations including the Citizens’ Federation for Economic Justice, the National Teachers Union (Chungyojo) and the Citizens’ Solidarity for Democratic Society held a news conference in Seoul at which they strongly urged the Grand National Party to stop spreading misinformation about the revised bill on private schools and Chungyojo.

- The 17^th candlelight rally was held in Busan to demand the nullification of the National Assembly’s ratification of the bill on rice negotiations and denounce the murder of peasant Chun Yong-chol, probe the truth behind it punish those responsible for it.

- At least 20 trade unions related to agriculture including the Basic Agricultural Company Workers Union and the National Agricultural Cooperative Workers Union held a news conference at a park in Seoul. They declared that workers in different part of south Korea would join the peasants in their actions.

Dec.15 2005- Members of human rights organizations including the Solidarity for Peace and Human Rights, the Society for Human rights Movement and the Dasan Human Rights Center occupied the “security section room” in Seoul and staged a sit-in strike.

- South Korean Christian, Buddhist, Weon Buddhist and Catholics held a rally at a park in Seoul in demand of a probe into the truth behind the murder of peasant Chun Yong-chol and a guarantee for the vital rights of the peasants.

- Members of the “all-people measure committee for radically restoring agriculture and denouncing the murder of farmer Chun Yong-chol” and other civic organizations held a news conference in front of the police station in Seoul and condemned the police authorities for scheming to hide the murder case of farmer Chun Yong-chol.  

Dec.17 2005- A function of the “day of the third all-people action for punishing the present regime for murdering farmer Chun Yong-chol, protecting national agriculture and winning a legislation guaranteeing rights of part-timers” was held in Seoul. It was attended by at least 2,500 workers, peasants and students.

Dec.18 2005- The South Headquarters of the National Alliance for the Country’s Reunification released a statement denouncing the authorities that drove peasants to death. It demanded nullification of the “bill on rice negotiations.”

Dec.19 2005- The “all-people measure committee for radically restoring agriculture and denouncing the murder of farmer Chun Yong-chol and Hong Dok-pyo” held a news conference in front of the Police Office to demand the government’s apology to the dead peasants.

- The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions issued a statement demanding the government’s apology to the dead peasants and withdrawal of the humiliating bill on rice negotiations.

Dec.20 2005- Members of religious organizations held a news conference in front of the Police Office in Seoul to censure the policemen who killed the peasants.     

Dec.21 2005- The 27^th candlelight rally condemning the killing of peasants was held in Seoul under the sponsorship of the “all-people measure committee for radically restoring agriculture and denouncing the murder of farmer Chun Yong-chol and Hong Dok-pyo.”

- At least 440 organizations affiliated to the Solidarity Council of Civic Organizations held a news conference in Seoul at which they clarified their stance to conduct a solidarity campaign in support of the farmers’ actions.

Dec.22 2005- More than 500 members of the “all-people measure committee for radically restoring agriculture and denouncing the murder of farmer Chun Yong-chol and Hong Dok-pyo” held a news conference near the Cheong Wa Dae, the Executive Mansion, and launched a sit-down strike to denounce the authorities’ ignorance about the case of the peasant’s death.  

- Thursday rally demanding the punishment of those responsible for the dead peasants was held at a park in Seoul under the sponsorship of the Family Movement for Realizing Democracy.

Dec.27 2005- The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions released a statement criticizing the suppression of the government and police that killed the peasants.

- The South Headquarters of the National Alliance for the Country’s Reunification issued a commentary titled “The government should not mislead the murder case of peasants.” 

Dec.31 2005- A funeral service for peasants Chun Yong chol and Hong Dok-pyo was held in Seoul.

Jan.4- The south Korean Federation of University Students Councils issued a statement denouncing suppression of the security authorities upon its members.