Briefs on the struggle of the south Korean people

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

Jan.14- The Young Koreans Council in the United States made public its inaugural declaration. It stressed the council would make a contribution to achieving independence, democracy and reunification.

Jan.17- The US-based Internet homepage “Minjok Tongshin” posted an article of its editor titled “Let us liquidate the anti-national treacherous forces and open the era of the June 15 independent reunification.”

Jan.21~22- A meeting of pro-reunification activists of the South Headquarters of the National Alliance of Youth and Students for the Country’s Reunification was held at Sungsil University in Seoul.

Jan.25- The US-based Internet homepage of Koreans “Minjok Tongshin” posted an article of its editor titled “Let us realize peaceful reunification through national independence.”

Jan.29- The Federation of Koreans in the United States released a statement in support of the appeal to the Koreans which was adopted at a joint meeting of the DPRK government, political parties and organizations.

- The Koreans in the US held a meeting on reunification movement of this year in Los Angeles.   

=Anti-US and anti-war struggle

Jan.18- The south Korean journalist association released a statement blasting the remarks made by the US ambassador in Seoul.

- The Solidarity for Implementing the June 15 South-North Joint Declaration issued a statement titled “Bershbow, US ambassador to south Korea quit this land at once.”

Jan.20- The South Headquarters of the National Alliance for the Country’s Reunification made public a commentary denouncing the strategic negotiation for partnership between south Korea and the US.

- The People for Peace and Reunification and the South Headquarters of the National Alliance for the Country’s Reunification held a news conference in Seoul in protest against the government’s permission of the “strategic flexibility” of the US forces in south Korea and intensification of “alliance” for aggression. 

- The Solidarity for Implementing the June 15 South-North Joint Declaration released a statement titled “Immediately repeal the agreement on strategic flexibility between south Korea and US.”

- The South Headquarters of the National Alliance of Youth and Students for the Country’s Reunification issued a statement denouncing the authorities’ servility to the US on the “strategic flexibility.”   

- The 98^th Friday meeting was held in front of the US embassy in Seoul under the sponsorship of the Association for Solidarity with Actions against the US and War and for the Withdrawal of the US Forces.

- The Peace Network made public a statement denouncing the government’s permission to “strategic flexibility” of the USFK.

Jan.21- The Seoul Area Federation of University Student Councils under the south Korean Federation of University Student Councils issued a statement criticizing the authorities’ permission to the “strategic flexibility” of the USFK.   

Jan.23- 13 civic organizations including the Reunification Solidarity, the Citizens’ Solidarity for Democratic Society and the People’s Solidarity held a joint news conference in front of the Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul to denounce the authorities for consenting to the “strategic flexibility” of the US forces in south Korea and demanded immediate withdrawal of it.

Jan.26- The Moviemen’s Measure Committee called an emergency news conference to protest against the government authorities’ submission to the US pressure on trade.

- The Solidarity for Implementing the June 15 South-North Joint Declaration made public a statement to condemn the authorities for their pro-American flunkeyism and treachery that the authorities decided to diminish the screen quota of film by half.

Jan.27- The People for Peace and Reunification released a statement denouncing the government authorities’ measure to cooperate in the US-led “Proliferation Security Initiative.” (PSI)

Feb.1- The spokesperson for the Reunification Solidarity for Implementing the June 15 South-North Joint Declaration and Peace on the Korean Peninsula made public a statement denouncing US President Bush’s preposterous words expressing his unchangeable animosity toward north Korea in his state of the union address on January 31.

- The Solidarity for Implementing the June 15 South-North Joint Declaration issued a statement denouncing US President Bush’s absurd remarks terming north Korea “undemocratic state” in his state of the union address on January 31.

Feb.2- Kim No-jin, chairman of the Seoul Area Federation of University Student Councils under the south Korean Federation of University Student Councils released a statement demanding the withdrawal of the US hostile policy toward north Korea and abrogation of the south Korea-US alliance.

- The US-based Internet homepage “Minjok Tongshin” posted a commentary titled “US imperialism, the root of all evil, must be driven out.”      

=Struggle for democracy and the right to live

Jan.17- 17 human rights organizations including the Solidarity Meeting of Organizations to Honor Memory of Martyrs for the Nation and Democracy made public a statement denouncing the ultra-right conservatives for their vandalism of desecrating the grave of Kim Nam-shik, former permanent advisor to Tongil News.  

Jan.18- The Seoul Area Federation of University Student Councils under the south Korean Federation of University Student Councils made public a statement to denounce the ultra-right conservatives for desecrating the grave of Kim Nam-shik, former permanent advisor to Tongil News.

- The South Headquarters of the National Alliance of Youth and Students for the Country’s Reunification issued a statement to denounce the security authorities’ suppression of youth and students.

Jan.19- The south Korean Federation of University Student Councils and the People’s Solidarity for Repealing the National Security Law held a news conference at Yonsei University in protest against the security authorities’ suppression of Hanchongryon.

- Students under the south Korean Federation of University Student Councils held a rally in front of the Police Office in Seoul in protest against the suppression by the security authorities, chanting slogans such as “Repeal the National Security Law, an obstacle to independent reunification.”  

Jan.20- The Busan Solidarity for Implementing the June 15 South-North Joint Declaration issued a statement denouncing the Grand National Party for its arbitrariness over the upcoming local autonomy election.

Jan.25- Members of civic organizations including the South Headquarters of the National Alliance for the Country’s Reunification and bereaved family of late Kim Nam-shik, former permanent advisor to Tongil News, held a news conference in front of the Police Office in Seoul to denounce the ultra-right conservatives for desecrating the grave of Kim Nam-shik.

Jan.26- The Solidarity for Implementing the June 15 South-North Joint Declaration made public a commentary to accuse Park Geun-hye, representative of the Grand National Party, obsessed by pro-American flunkeyism, of making reckless remarks openly inciting confrontation among countrymen.

Jan.27- The south Korean Government Employees’ Union decided to join in the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions.

- Students of the Gwangju-South Jeolla Provincial Federation of University Student Councils under the south Korea Federation of University Student Councils held a news conference in front of the south Jeolla provincial police office in demand of total abrogation of the National Security Law.

Jan.31- The Daegu-North Gyeongsang Provincial Federation of University Student Councils under the south Korean Federation of University Student Councils released a statement denouncing the collusive moves of the ruling and opposition parties on revision of the law on private schools.

Feb.1- The Preparatory Committee for Building the 14^th-term south Korean Federation of University Student Councils issued a statement denouncing the Grand National Party’s attempt to withdraw a bill on the revision of the law on private schools.     

Feb.2- Farmers’ and civic organizations strongly denounced the authorities’ deceptive trick over the negotiations for the south Korea-US FTA.

- The Preparatory Committee for the Peasants Federation for Recovering Agriculture made public a statement to oppose negotiations for concluding a south Korea-US “Free Trade Agreement.”