Korea / 조선
www.workers.org
>Women of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) beat the U.S. soccer team 1-0 on Sept. 18 in Cali, Colombia, and won the opportunity to play Japan in the final game of women’s FIFA U-20 (under 20 years of age) world soccer championship tournament in Bogotá, Colombia. > >In a sport that often features draws, as well as overtime and penalty shootouts in knockout games, the DPRK women won all their matches in regulation time. > >The women’s resounding victories, their smiling faces, their strong bodies, their exuberance and excitement show not only their own personal resilience and victory but that of their country and its revolutionary leadership. > >Since the founding of the DPRK in 1948, it has been under near total blockade and harsh sanctions by Japan, the United States and its allies. > >Japan, with the blessing of the U.S. and the West, ruled all of Korea as a colony from 1910 until its liberation in 1945 by the armies of the still-governing Korean Workers’ Party and the Red Army of the Soviet Union. > >During the U.S. war on Korea, 1950-53, Korea was bombed from one end to the other. People by the hundreds of thousands were indiscriminately killed either by bombs or starvation. In the north, every structure of more than two stories was leveled — imagine the devastation and genocide in present-day Gaza on a country-wide scale.
cross-posted from: https://lemmy.zip/post/22770231 > South Korea convened an international summit on Monday seeking to establish a blueprint for the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the military, though any agreement is not expected to have binding powers to enforce it. > > More than 90 countries including the United States and China have sent government representatives to the two-day summit in Seoul, which is the second such gathering. > > The first summit was held in The Hague last year, where the United States, China and other nations endorsed a modest "call to action, opens new tab" without legal commitment.
"The DPRK is continuously cast as a villain in international politics. The “hermit kingdom” is painted as tyrannical, repressive, and dynastic. In this essay, I want to argue the opposite: North Korea is a deeply democratic country, and this is reflective of its socialist values."
March 21st marks the 50th anniversary of taxation abolition in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), making it the first state in history to do so. This move, enacted by the Supreme People’s Assembly on March 21st, 1974, completely eliminated the tax system, which had been gradually phased out since the mid-1960s. President Kim Il Sung emphasized that this decision aligned with the socialist system's principles and liberated the working class from exploitation. Unlike in capitalist nations, where taxes continuously rise, DPRK's unique socialist approach prioritized people's welfare by eliminating taxation entirely. This bold step underscores the DPRK's commitment to socialism.
cross-posted from: https://lemmygrad.ml/post/3966387 > A few months ago when I was sifting through the garbage dump r/EuropeanSocialists (Once in a while they have good translated DPRK resources otherwise very hard to find) I came across a mention of a site called Yaegihaja. The name means "Let's Talk" in Korean and apparently it was a forum which claimed you could talk with actual north Koreans. It also claimed to be affiliated with the DPRK government. The site has also been mentioned on a few youtube channels, such as one called "SunhiPlays" which posts music videos and one just called "Yaegihaja" which uploaded a DPRK movie. Apparently the URL used to be [yaegihaja.com]() but the website is now shut down and the Wayback Machine's latest snapshot of the website is from April 2022, only showing the home page. Such a place existing is so bizarre and I can't find more information on what it actually was. If you've heard of Yaegihaja please tell me everything you know because I am very curious about this matter. > > Also apparently Uriminzokkiri had a Discord server? The DPRK rabbit hole goes deep.
WEBSITES: •Explore DPRK: https://exploredprk.com/ •Korean Friendship Association (KFA): https://korea-dpr.com/ •Rodong Sinmun (The official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea): http://rodong.rep.kp/en/ •Media Ryugyong: http://mediaryugyong.com.kp/movie?lang=ko •KoreanBooks: http://www.korean-books.com.kp/en/ YOUTUBE CHANNELS: •PhuongDPRKDaily: https://youtube.com/@PhuongDPRKDaily?si=NCAdxY-dckm_DlVH •Jaka Parker (lives and works in DPRK part time): https://youtube.com/@jakaparker?si=nxj8Ep_PZSVSq5C7 •Songun007: https://youtube.com/@SONGUN007?si=S-TtbaiTFbiNFmux •Explore DPRK (Youtube): https://youtube.com/@ExploreDPRK?si=AIam3xAu9yQAHN2y •DefendKorea: https://youtube.com/@DefendKorea?si=Wy7lIf8XTVb9YVxA •Juche Gang: https://youtube.com/@shanelawrence86?si=mUzTU7RrafDq-HdA •DPRK News Room: https://youtube.com/@dprknews1912?si=jelvzKW2L_Sjbp1x RECOMMENDED DOCUMENTARIES: •My Brothers and Sisters in the North, 2016 (incredible documentary, my favorite): https://youtu.be/IBqeC8ihsO8?si=tPxzw3hts1Bjpu7g •Loyal Citizens of Pyongyang in Seoul (really interesting interviews of defectors): https://youtu.be/ktE_3PrJZO0?si=_GX1jS6-uxtMI5MX •We went to North Korea to Get a Haircut, 2017 (This one is short, hilarious, and enlightening): https://youtu.be/2BO83Ig-E8E?si=0imYM0n9kvureN3k •An African American's Journal Inside North Korea ,1994: https://youtu.be/NTi5Ma1F7zM?si=_7XMaRX9cLPHzy4h •My socialist country, 1992 (DPRK made documentary): https://youtu.be/EBDubna1oro?si=O1E34SYTQXOzEVtI BOOKS & OTHER REPORTS: •In North Korea: First Eye-Witness Report (1949) -Anna Louise Strong https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/strong-anna-louise/1949/in-north-korea/index.htm GOOGLE DOC SOURCE DUMP: • Notes on the DPRK: https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/d/1ewrcRerI8lyXpykMX11EyMoCFii1Hafakq7t0976eYQ/mobilebasic Alternative link for "Notes on the DPRK": https://pdfhost.io/v/zkfDlL45e_NOTES_ON_THE_DEMOCRATIC_PEOPLES_REPUBLIC_OF_KOREA_Google_Docs
BEIJING, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s top leader Kim Jong Un on Monday jointly designated 2024 as the China-DPRK Friendship Year and launched a series of activities. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, and Kim, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the DPRK, made the announcement in their exchange of New Year greeting messages. In his message, Xi pointed out that China and the DPRK are friendly neighbors connected by mountains and rivers, saying that the traditional friendship between China and the DPRK was forged by the older generation of leaders of the two parties and two countries, cemented in the revolutionary struggle, and continuously deepened in the course of socialist construction. In recent years, Xi said, the traditional friendly cooperation between China and the DPRK has entered a new historical period with joint efforts. The two sides have maintained close strategic communication, deepened practical cooperation, strengthened coordination and collaboration in multilateral international affairs, pushed forward the continuous development of China-DPRK relations, safeguarded the common interests of the two countries, and maintained regional peace and stability, Xi added. Under the new situation in the new era, the CPC and the Chinese government have always viewed China-DPRK relations from a strategic and long-term perspective, and it is China's unwavering policy to maintain, consolidate and develop the long-standing friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries, Xi said. China is ready to work with the DPRK to take the 75th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations and the China-DPRK Friendship Year as an opportunity to carry forward the long-standing friendship, deepen strategic mutual trust, enhance exchanges and cooperation, and ensure that bilateral ties move forward with the times for greater development so as to better benefit the two peoples, and continuously make new contributions to safeguarding regional peace and stability, Xi stressed. In his message, Kim noted that 2024 is a significant year marking the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the DPRK and China, saying that socialist construction in the two countries has at the moment entered a new stage of progress and the international situation is undergoing complex changes. The two parties and governments have decided to designate this year as the China-DPRK Friendship Year, and further promote the traditional relations of friendship and cooperation between the two sides in accordance with needs of the times, which conforms to the common expectation and desire of the people of the two countries, Kim added. The unbreakable DPRK-China friendship, forged and consolidated in the struggle for socialism, will be fully displayed this year, he said. Through the activities during the friendship year, the two parties and governments will further promote exchanges in all fields, including politics, economy and culture, further deepen the bonds of friendship and unity, and step up cooperation in the joint efforts to safeguard regional and global peace and stability, thus writing a new chapter in DPRK-China relations, Kim said.
I have a few questions: 1. Is the grad available in the DPRK. 2. How do I travel to DPRK from the Philippines? I plan going there once I get enough cash.
exposingimperialjapan.com
Link includes Japanese original text and photograph of the article. English version: This is a short article from 1939 where a Japanese abductee escaped captivity from Korean Communist Guerrillas to tell the Japanese police in Ranam, Korea about meeting Kim Il-sung and his comrades, many of whom were women. [Translation] Gyeongseong Ilbo June 3, 1939 Astonished by Female Bandits Kim Il-sung was a Gentleman A Kidnap Victim Shares His Experience [Telephone Report from Ranam] On the 22nd of last month, a person who had been kidnapped by bandits in the jurisdiction of the Samjang Police Station returned and spoke about the interesting inner workings of the bandits, based on his experiences of living with them deep in the mountains for over ten days. One surprising thing was the presence of many female bandits among them, not just men as he had initially thought. These people are primarily ethnic Koreans from the Gando region and usually handle cooking and sewing for the bandits. It was unique that they cook rice in a washbasin, but it was also surprising that they skillfully made Western clothes and combat hats using a proper hand-operated sewing machine. All of them uniformly expressed nostalgia for their homeland and said they wanted to return to Korea as soon as possible. He met the leader who introduced himself as Kim Il-sung. Kim was a fair-skinned, good-looking man in his thirties, about 5 shaku and 5 or 6 sun tall (167 to 170 cm tall). He was bald, wore a combat hat, dressed in brown woolen clothes, and wore jika-tabi footwear.
KIM SON GYONG: "The reason why the UN Security Council fails to fulfill its important duty to ensure global peace and security and get rid of its malfunction can be clearly seen in the 'joint statement of 10 countries' issued by the U.S. and its followers. The 'joint statement,' signed by some permanent member states of the UNSC gripped by extreme prejudice and double-standards and some UN member states accustomed to blindly follow the U.S. instruction instead of considering whether it is right or wrong, is nothing but a conspiratorial document without any effect in the light of international law and political influence. The DPRK's reconnaissance satellite launch is a legitimate and just exercise of the right to self-defense aimed at correctly seeing through and thoroughly coping with the grave military moves of the U.S. and its followers, which are becoming more undisguised in their aggressive nature. If the reconnaissance satellite 'Malligyong-1' brought to space is a 'threat' to the signatories of the 'joint statement,' are the nuclear carriers, nuclear strategic submarines and nuclear strategic bombers deployed on the doorstep of the DPRK by the U.S. 30-odd times this year 'apostles of friendship and peace'? Do the 'ten countries,' which accused the DPRK of using ballistic missile technology in launching the satellite, launch their satellites by rubber balloon or null gravity, not by a carrier rocket using the same technology as ballistic missile? Such brigandish idea of the U.S. and its vassal forces that the DPRK is not allowed to exercise its due right to space exploration, a right belonging to all UN member states, is a typical expression of the most hideous and brazen-faced violation of sovereignty that denies the justification of the existence of the DPRK, before being the mere issue of partiality and double-standards. Our stand is clear. The U.S. finds its main interest and hobby in encroaching upon the sovereign rights of independent countries through high-handed practice and threat, but what the DPRK is interested in is its full exercise of the universal sovereign rights common to all countries like satellite launch. No matter what critical statements and harshest-ever sanctions the U.S. and its vassal forces may issue or impose, they can neither check the DPRK's exercise of its sovereign rights nor get what they want. To make it crystal-clear that the U.S. and the West's outrageous and illegal interference in the internal affairs of independent sovereign countries and employment of double-standards against them can never work, the DPRK will squarely, unhesitatingly and perfectly exercise its sovereign rights including satellite launch, and this will contribute to the establishment of a just and equal new international order. If the U.S. and its vassal forces again seek to violate the sovereignty of the DPRK under the pretext of the utterly unlawful 'resolution' of the UNSC, they will be held wholly accountable for any consequences to be entailed by it." Press statement by Vice-Minister for International Organizations of the Foreign Ministry of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Son Gyong, Pyongyang, November 27, 2023. Source: KCNA
Pyongyang, November 17 (KCNA) -- The Russian government delegation led by Alexandr Kozlov, minister of Natural Resources and Ecology, left here on Nov. 16. It took part in the 10th meeting of the Committee for Cooperation in Trade, Economy, Science and Technology between the governments of the DPRK and the Russian Federation. The flags of the DPRK and the Russian Federation were fluttering at the flagstaffs of Pyongyang International Airport. The Russian delegation was seen off by Yun Jong Ho, minister of External Economic Relations of the DPRK, Im Chon Il, vice-minister of Foreign Affairs, officials concerned, Charge d'Affaires ad Interim Vladimir Topeha and staff members of the Russian embassy here. -0- ::: spoiler Photos     :::
www.workers.org
>Like Palestine, Korea’s history is one of war, occupation, and division. The Korean War was the first “proxy war” of the Cold War. Nearly 5 million Koreans were killed, entire cities were turned to ashes, and our country was divided in two. The Korean War shows us that a ceasefire does not end an occupation. Despite the ceasefire in 1953, our homeland remains divided and at war today. The ceasefire did not end the war — it only gave it new life. Therefore, as Koreans, we know that we need more than just an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. We need an end to the Zionist occupation of Palestine, once and for all. > >We denounce the ongoing genocide in Palestine and extend our love and solidarity to the Palestinian people. And we put forward the following demands to the government of the United States: > >* Support an immediate ceasefire to put a stop to the killing so that the people of Gaza can focus on rescuing the living and mourning the dead. >* Immediately cut all foreign aid to Israel, which currently amounts to more than $3 billion per year from the U.S. >* Lift the 16-year siege of Gaza and allow crucially needed medicine, food, fuel, water, power, and other supplies to reach people before it’s too late.
wspaper.org
Note: This is machine translation of selected quotes from the articles. Additionally, several photos of the events are available in the linked articles. [November 4th Palestinian solidarity rally and march condemning Israel: Participants of various nationalities come together](https://wspaper.org/article/30223) 2023-11-04 >On November 4, a rally and march condemning Israel and solidarity with Palestine were held near the Israeli Embassy in Korea. This was the 6th rally. > >There was great anger because the rally was held immediately after Israel bombed the Jabilia refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, Palestine for three days. > >Today's rally was notable for the diversity of race and nationality of the participants. People of various races and nationalities marched through downtown Seoul, listening to remarks and shouting slogans in unison despite their different religious and political backgrounds. > >“We're all Palestinians!” > >At this rally, 37 organizations in Korea expressed support and solidarity. There were 9 more places than the rally a week ago. [...] >At the end of the rally, various participants, including workers, college students, and doctors, representing the solidarity groups that prepared for today's rally, read a resolution pledging to further foster and continue solidarity. > >“The resistance of Palestinians who have fought to protect their lives, their homes, and their right to live like human beings is completely justified. … Palestinian resistance is not isolated. Israel is already facing resistance, and will face more resistance in the future. > >“Although the Israeli government, which is afraid of the truth, mobilized fake news and various Western governments that support Israel have tried to interfere, righteous movements in solidarity with the Palestinian people’s resistance have continued all over the world. > >“Israel, stop the massacre right now! Israel's unjust force will never be able to bring down the legitimate resistance of the Palestinian people. Solidarity with Palestine!” --- [Palestine Solidarity Campaign Takes First Step in Busan](https://wspaper.org/article/30219) 2023-11-02 > On November 1, a campaign was held in Seomyeon, Busan, to condemn Israel and show solidarity with Palestine. > Even though the campaign plan was announced on social media only a day or two in advance, many people gathered. In addition to Koreans, people from various countries including Palestine, Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the United States participated. These were people who could no longer tolerate Israel's atrocities. Everyone welcomed this campaign and thanked each other for taking action in solidarity with Palestine. > Palestinian international students also participated in the campaign that day. He is said to have lost contact with his family in Gaza. He complained that it was difficult to bear because his heart was always sore. He expressed gratitude to those who participated in the Palestine Solidarity Campaign. > The campaign attracted the attention of downtown Busan citizens. There were many people who looked closely at the photos and cartoons that conveyed the reality of Palestine. > Several workers from the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions who were holding other rallies and marching nearby also expressed solidarity by raising their fists toward the Palestine solidarity campaign. > The voice of Palestinian solidarity must and can become louder.
Excerpts: > Strengthening cooperation with China is the only way to minimize the damage dealt by strategic and tactical cooperation between North Korea and Russia > In an essay published in Foreign Policy on Sept. 12, Siegfried Hecker, a longtime observer of North Korea, characterized Kim’s overture toward Russia as “neither tactical nor desperate” but a “result of a fundamental shift in North Korean policy, finally abandoning a 30-year effort to normalize relations with the US.” > What should South Korea’s next move be? As the details of the agreement made between North Korea and Russia have not been made public, various opinions are being put forth. Progressives say that “North Korea has emerged as a formidable actor on the international stage” (Cheong Wook-sik, director of the Hankyoreh Peace Institute) and are demanding that the Yoon Suk-yeol administration should “course-correct” its diplomacy, which is oriented toward blindly following the US and uncritically antagonizing North Korea (Park Noja, professor at the University of Oslo). > In contrast, conservatives are propounding the radical notion that Seoul’s principle against providing lethal weapons to Ukraine should be reconsidered, and scrapping both the Sept. 19 Pyongyang Declaration and the Joint Declaration of the Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula should seriously be contemplated (Lee Yong-joon, chairperson of the Sejong Institute). > While the proposals from progressives seem to have a more cool-headed grasp on today’s international affairs, the Yoon administration will not accept them. Still, putting to practice conservatives’ suggestion to send weapons to Ukraine would also be difficult. Objectively, the tactical and strategic cooperation that Pyongyang and Moscow will carry out moving forward has become a painful diplomatic constant that Seoul can’t really do anything with. > Strengthening cooperation with China is the only way to minimize the damage. > During his meeting with South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, Chinese President Xi Jinping also stated that Beijing would maintain a policy of “good-neighborliness and friendship toward South Korea,” conveying his intent not to come together with Pyongyang and Moscow in relatively straightforward language. > Closening ties between North Korea and Russia should be considered a seismic shift in geopolitics that unsettles regional affairs. Hence, maintaining the stability of South Korea-China relations has become an even more vital interest for Seoul than before. > Moreover, the outcome of next year’s presidential election in the US is hard to anticipate. South Korea shouldn’t stick its neck out across the battlefront of strategic competition between the US and China like a reckless rifleman. Yoon may go down in history as a figure who ruined South Korean diplomacy if he misreads the cards and destroys relations with China once again.
www.newspim.com
(Machine translation + slight editing) **The first rally in support of Palestine is held in Korea... The debate over the 'Israeli-Palestinian War' ignites** October 11, 2023 Since the outbreak of the war between Israel and Palestine (Israeli-Palestinian War), rallies in support of both sides have been held all over the world. Even in Korea, demonstrations in support of Palestine are being held led by civic groups, and related debates are heating up. Workers' Solidarity and Korea Islam (Kore de Islam) held an emergency rally and march in solidarity with Palestine near Gwanghwamun, Jung-gu, Seoul around 12:30 pm on the 11th. A total of 200 participants from Egypt, Pakistan, and Uzbekistan, including Koreans and Palestinians, participated in the rally. They held posters such as 'Israel must stop bombing the Gaza Strip' and 'We support the Palestinian resistance' and continuously shouted slogans such as 'Free Palestine'.  *Palestinians and members of social civic groups are holding a rally in support of Palestine in relation to the Israel-Hamas war in front of the Seoul Finance Center in Jung-gu, Seoul on the afternoon of the 11th. 2023.10.11* The organizers claimed, “Ethnic cleansing and discriminatory oppression by the State of Israel against Palestinians have continued for decades since the founding of the State of Israel,” and “Israel is massacring innocent people.” At the ensuing rally, Korean Islamic officials, including Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, gave speeches. In the speech, Mr. Amer, a Palestinian, was interviewed over the phone by an acquaintance in the Gaza Strip and said, "Food has been cut off, so there is a huge shortage, and even the means to provide treatment, such as water, electricity, and medicine, are now extremely lacking," he appealed. The interview was interrupted due to poor connectivity due to the air raid. Akela, an Egyptian who participated in the rally, unfolded a piece of paper with pictures of Palestinian children listed like a checkerboard in both hands and said, "It seems like the only language Israel uses is terror and oppression. Are the children in these pictures even the youngest terrorists?" raising their voice. When the speech ended, these groups held a march around the Israeli Embassy from the steps of the Seoul Finance Center, where the rally took place, to Cheonggyecheon Buk-ro. Initially, they planned to approach the Israeli embassy and deliver a letter of protest, but due to opposition from the police, they had to return to Musan and stop at reciting the contents of the letter near Cheonggyecheon-ro. Those who participated in the rally appealed for recognition of the Palestinian people, but also appeared to support the airstrikes carried out by the Palestinian armed political faction Hamas against Israeli residents on the 7th. Karim Hussein (31), an Egyptian who participated in the rally with his family that day, said, "As Muslims and human beings, we participated in the rally regardless of nationality." He added, "This Hamas airstrike is a 'reaction' to the long history that Palestine has experienced so far," he said. Jeong Dong-seok (61), a member of the Workers' Solidarity Party, also argued that the cause of the war was, "I think the problem is that Israel has been expelling and massacring the native Palestinians for about 70 years." The group plans to continue supporting Palestine by holding an additional rally in Incheon on the 13th. Meanwhile, as the war between Palestine and Israel unfolds, rallies in support of Palestine and Israel are being held all over the world. According to Reuters, on the 9th (local time), citizens in solidarity with Israel held a march in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Additionally, on the 10th (local time), a rally supporting Israel and Palestine was simultaneously held near the Israeli consulate in New York. At the United Nations headquarters in New York, USA, thousands of pro-Israel protesters gathered to condemn the surprise attack by Hamas, while in Chicago, Illinois, on the 8th (local time), Palestinian Americans, mainly, showed solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Street protests were also held. In addition, 4,000 citizens demonstrated in support of Palestine in Amman, the capital of Jordan, and movements in support of Palestine are seen in the Arab world, from Ramallah in the West Bank to Beirut in Lebanon, Damascus in Syria, and Cairo in Egypt. However, some Western countries are wary of the spread of anti-Semitism and attempts at terrorism. Three protesters were arrested at a demonstration in support of Palestine held in front of the Israeli Embassy in London on the 9th (local time). British Home Secretary Suela Braverman called for a strong response, saying, "Waving the Palestinian flag may not be lawful if the intention is to glorify terrorism." In Marseille, France, about 200 Palestinian supporters protested despite a police ban, and some protestors were fined. After a rally in support of Palestine was held in front of the Sydney Opera House on the 9th (local time) and an Israeli flag was burned, Australian police warned citizens not to attend the pro-Palestinian rally planned in Sydney this weekend, saying it had not been approved.
www.youtube.com
**Summary:** PDP gave a speech in front of US embassy in Seoul and a speech in front of the White House in Washington DC. The speech expressed that only when Palestine is liberated can the conflict be resolved, and that the "US and Israel are one body and it is public knowledge in the whole world that the US aggression forces are behind the indiscriminate bombing and aggression of the Palestinians" and "the imperialist powers led by the United States have turned the world into a powder keg of war" using Zionism in the Middle East, NATO in Europe, Japanese militarism and the formation of an "Asian version of NATO" in Asia, strengthening the war alliance against DPRK and plotting a war in East Asia. The speech concludes: "the deeper imperialist aggression becomes, the stronger a unity of anti-US independent forces become. The Palestinian people, who seek independence and justice, will defeat the aggressive US imperialist and win their liberation. From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!" --- [Link to English statement](http://pdp21.kr/?p=140122) ::: spoiler Click to read statement here **We condemn the US imperialist aggression! Free Palestine!** The clash between Hamas and Israel is escalating to all-out war. In the early morning of July 7, Hamas fired thousands of rockets into Israel and its militants infiltrated, reportedly capturing dozens of Israeli soldiers and a number of civilians. In the statement, the Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif said, “Today is the great day to end the occupation. We have decided to put an end to all of the occupation’s crimes. The time is over for them (Israel) to act without accountability,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that “we are embarking on a long and difficult war,” and that “we have begun the offensive, which will continue with neither limitations nor respite until the objectives are achieved.” Hamas’s armed offensive is fundamentally aimed at freedom and liberation of Palestine. Israel has launched an extensive invasion of Gaza since 2000 to eliminate Hamas, the armed force for Palestinian liberation. Israeli massive air raids in 2008, 2012, and 2014 are just a few examples. More recently, in May 2021, Israel’s violent suppression of Palestinian protesters led to the “11-day war,” in which 242 lives were lost in Gaza, and in 2022, Israel indiscriminately struck Gaza day after day. Israel is also responsible for the routinized pain of the Palestinian people. By blockading all land and sea to Gaza, Israel has turned Gaza into the world’s largest prison. Only when Palestine is liberated can the regional conflict be fundamentally resolved. The cause of the war is the US imperialist aggression. As soon as the conflict broke out, the US ‘president’ Biden did not hesitate to make most hostile remarks towards Palestine ‘The US stands with Israel’, ‘military to military, intelligence to intelligence, diplomat to diplomatᅳto make sure Israel has what it needs.’ The US and Israel are one body and it is public knowledge in the whole world that the US aggression forces are behind the indiscriminate bombing and aggression of the Palestinians all time. The founding of Israel itself is the result of rob territory by the US and British imperialist after World War II, and the US puts Israel first to invade the Middle East in order to have its hegemony. It’s an undeniable fact that Palestine people are the biggest victims of the US aggressors. The imperialist powers led by the United States have turned the world into a powder keg of war. The aggressive US imperialist is simultaneously carrying out invasion against anti-US independent states and forces, using Israeli Zionism in the Middle East, NATO in Europe, and Japanese militarism in Asia. In the Middle East, the US aggressors put Israeli Zionists up to murdering the Palestinian people while in Europe, they have been encouraging NATO to expand eastward and trigger war in Ukraine by massacring the Russian people in Ukraine. In East Asia, they are establishing an “Asian version of NATO”, strengthening the war alliance against North Korea and plotting a war in East Asia. Including Iran and Lebanon, Anti-US armed forces’ support for Hamas shows the deeper imperialist aggression becomes, the stronger a unity of anti-US independent forces become. The Palestinian people, who seek independence and justice, will defeat the aggressive US imperialist and win their liberation. From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free! :::
**〈US troops must leave the Korean Peninsula immediately〉 … September World Anti-Imperialist Simultaneous Struggle, Pyeongtaek** Original article in Korean: [〈미군은 당장 코리아반도에서 떠나야〉 … 9월 세계반제동시투쟁 평택 ](http://minzokilbo.com/wp/?p=194844) #### "As anti-North Korea, anti-China, and anti-Russian actions intensify, a war in East Asia following the war in Eastern Europe will inevitably break out" ##### "Just as the imperialist aggressor forces centered on the United States are spreading the war in Eastern Europe by using Ukraine as a battlefield and using neo-Nazi forces as war agents, they are turning the Korean Peninsula into a battleground in Asia and advancing Japan with Yoon Seok-yeol's fascist forces as the US imperialists. They plan to use it as a base to start the Korean War and the Taiwan War." (Above quotes from a statement included below) Article via machine translation and slight editing and links added by me: > The September World Anti-Imperialist Struggle, hosted by The World Anti-imperialist Platform and Anti-American Struggle Headquarters, is vigorously underway in South Korea. > On September 9, in front of the [Camp Humphreys US military base](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camp_Humphreys) in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi-do, the [People's Democratic Party (People's Party)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People%27s_Democracy_Party_(South_Korea)), Gyeonggi-do Party and local activists posted a slogan in Korean and English, “Oppose US imperialist war maneuvers!” Demolition of US military bases around the world! They vigorously carried out the global anti-imperialist struggle under the slogan, “A united people will always win!” > First, a moment of silence was held in memory of the martyrs who died fighting for independent unification and democracy, and then the [March for Beloved](https://yewtu.be/watch?v=-6gXbgUEc_c&) was sung. > The Chairman of the Gyeonggi Provincial Party Organizing Committee of the People's Democratic Party, who presided over the event, said, "US-Japanese imperialism and its leader Yoon Seok-yeol are strengthening the and plotting the while also triggering the Taiwan War." With the slogan, he said, “We will put an end to the American imperialist invasion force, the cause of the world war, and overthrow its henchman Yoon Seok-yeol, hastening the true liberation of this land and the decisive victory of the anti-imperialist and independent forces.” > Participants chanted slogans such as “We oppose the U.S. imperialist war maneuver!”, “We condemn the trilateral military alliance between the U.S., Japan, and South Korea!”, “Down with Yoon Seok-yeol, who supports nuclear contamination!”, and “Let’s crush the Asian Pan-NATO North Korean invasion war alliance!” They shouted, > Pastor Jang Chang-won of the Osan Migrant Workers Center said, “I would like to emphasize that geopolitically, this is the center of East Asia’s connection and the center of solidarity is also on the Korean Peninsula.” “The U.S. military is conducting biochemical experiments all over the world, including the Korean Peninsula.” We continue to protest against biological weapons testing. “American soldiers who do not treat people like humans should leave the Korean Peninsula immediately,” he said. > Also, military training is taking place every day on the Korean Peninsula. There are bombs all around us that should not be used. The underlings of American imperialism include the Yoon Seok-yeol government. Since the Yoon Seok-yeol government came into power, the public security administration has become more vicious and the war atmosphere is intensifying.” “We do not want division, but we want to live proudly as one nation,” and “The United States must stop atrocities that turn other countries into battlefields.” “It will have to be done,” he said. > Hyun Pil-kyung, director of the U.S. Military Base Recovery Research Institute, said, “At the two U.S. military bases in Pyeongtaek, where the 2023 Ulchi Freedom Shield war exercise is in progress, different aspects from previous war exercises and the mobilization of new weapon systems were witnessed.” Training, so-called CBRN training to respond to chemical weapons, biological weapons, and nuclear materials, and gunnery practice at the Songtan U.S. Air Force Base were conducted, and CH-53 large transport helicopters and Boeing 707-based reconnaissance aircraft, which are rarely seen, were seen. They recently took off from Okinawa and flew to the Korean Peninsula. It is believed to be a reconnaissance aircraft of the RC-135 family, known for reconnaissance in and around the area. > He continued, “It has nothing to do with the interests of any working people in the world, and is an alliance solely for the comfort of the United States and its followers, which threatens their lives and plunges them into political powerlessness and economic poverty.” He emphasized, “Complete peace will be realized only when Taiwan is unified and the Okinawan people achieve the withdrawal of U.S. forces.” > Finally, the participants read the global anti-imperialist struggle statement, “Let us rise up in the anti-American, anti-fascist movement, remove the U.S. military and overthrow Yoon Seok-yeol!” and then sang the “Internationale.” The following is the full statement: ::: spoiler World Anti-Imperialist Struggle Statement **Let us rise up in the anti-American, anti-fascist movement, dismantle the US military and overthrow Yoon Seok-yeol!** The US aggressor's nuclear war maneuver in East Asia is intensifying. At the end of August, the U.S. imperialist aggressor forces conducted war exercises of aggression targeting North Korea, China, and Russia, respectively, near the Korean Peninsula, the South China Sea, and the Kuril Islands. In particular, the large-scale Ulchi Freedom Shield is a nuclear war exercise against North Korea using B-1B nuclear strategic bombers and a preemptive nuclear strike exercise against North Korea based on . , which changed to suit changed conditions, is an East Asian nuclear war strategy that specifies not only an invasion plan against North Korea but also an anti-China invasion plan. Meanwhile, on August 29, the U.S. imperialist aggressor forces, in addition to Yoon Seok-yeol and a group of military magnates, also brought in the Japanese militarist aggressor force and conducted missile exercises off the coast of Jeju. The US imperialist aggressors are seriously instigating a nuclear war in East Asia by turning the Korean Peninsula into a nuclear battlefield. The strengthening of the triangular military alliance between the United States, Japan, and Korea leads to the escalation of World War III. In a joint statement released as a result of the Camp David summit in mid-August, it was revealed that the was completed, saying that the between the three countries is , brought up the Taiwan issue, interfered in China's internal affairs, misrepresented the true nature of the war in Ukraine, which was unfolding as an anti-imperialist and anti-fascist war, and reaffirmed sanctions against Russia. By saying “complete denuclearization,” he made his aggression toward North Korea blatant. As anti-North Korea, anti-China, and anti-Russian actions intensify, a war in East Asia following the war in Eastern Europe will inevitably break out, and its timing will be brought forward. The Korean Peninsula is being transformed into a hot spot by invading forces. Yoon Seok-yeol, the fascist puppet of American imperialism, is on the move. Yoon Seok-yeol, who has turned outward while preoccupied with being pro-American and pro-Japanese and treasonous, is deepening the confrontation between North and South in order to hasten the war against North Korea and is strengthening his oppressive rule to suppress patriotic forces. Above all, he fully sympathizes with the maritime nuclear terrorism of Japanese militaristic forces, denounces opposition to speculation on nuclear contamination as “unscientific,” slanders the anti-Japanese people as “anti-national forces,” and seeks to provoke an anachronistic “ideological debate” by calling them “communist.” Totalitarianism: The distortion of history is deepening by pouring out sophistry. Ahead of the general election, Yoon Seok-yeol is focused on repressing fascists and eliminating political opponents, suppressing people's rights, and concentrating on extending fascist power. At the same time, ahead of the war of aggression, he is going crazy to eliminate all forces that pursue national independence and peaceful unification in a fascist manner. We must put an end to the North Korean invasion war strategy, dismantle the US imperialist invasion army, and overthrow fascist belligerent Yoon Seok-yeol. Just as the imperialist aggressor forces centered on the United States are spreading the war in Eastern Europe by using Ukraine as a battlefield and using neo-Nazi forces as war agents, they are turning the Korean Peninsula into a battleground in Asia and advancing Japan with Yoon Seok-yeol's fascist forces as the US imperialists. They plan to use it as a base to start the Korean War and the Taiwan War. The Third World War has begun in earnest due to the US imperialist aggressors, and nuclear war on the Korean Peninsula is imminent due to Yoon Seok-yeol. This is an unprecedented crisis situation. Overthrowing Yoon Seok-yeol is the only way to remove the tentacles of the US-Japanese aggressors, put an end to the North Korean invasion war maneuver, and end the fascist rule. Our people will rise up in the anti-American, anti-fascist movement to strike at the US imperialist aggressor forces, overthrow Yoon Seok-yeol, and bring forward a new world of independence and peace. :::
This is a book review in Hankyoreh, south Korea's top center-left liberal paper. Excerpts: > The book is “The Naked ROK-US Alliance,” written by Daegu University professor Kim Sung-hae, who completed a master’s in international affairs at the University of Georgia and a doctorate in journalism at the University of Pennsylvania. > As the book’s subtitle suggests, this book lists the “reasons for resolving to break up with America” > The first reason the author provides is the cost of the alliance. To maintain the alliance with the US, Korea must lend military bases free of charge, foot part of the bill for stationing US troops on the peninsula and be a major buyer of US-made weapons. > On top of these financial expenses are opportunity costs — the potential value of the numerous options Korea has had to forgo because of the alliance. Perhaps best-known was Korea’s decision to let the US deploy the THAAD missile-defense battery in 2016. That turned China, which had been Korea’s biggest trade surplus country since the two countries normalized their relations 30 years earlier, into a major trade deficit country. > Another reason cited by the author is that Korea’s duties as an ally could entangle it in an undesired conflict. There’s a growing danger of Korea being dragged into a war in Taiwan, should such a war occur. > The most serious issue, however, is that as Korea strengthens its alliance with the US, its enemies are growing more numerous, and stronger, too. It’s the US that defines those enemies, and Korea is left to passively follow its will. > The US may well view its rivals China and Russia as enemies, but Korea’s national interest is different from that of the US. There’s no inherent reason why Korea should be an enemy of China or Russia. > The author goes on to argue that Koreans are misguided in their belief that they owe the US gratitude for its role in defending them during the Korean War. While it’s true that the war began with North Korea’s invasion of the South, US actions strongly suggest it had been quietly hoping a war would break out, too. > In the first phase of the war, the US ignored a UN resolution by pushing north of the 38th parallel, which brought Communist China into the war with devastating consequences for the Korean Peninsula. The US also bears responsibility, either directly or indirectly, for the death of hundreds of thousands of innocent people slaughtered in countless massacres, including the Bodo League massacre, the No Gun Ri massacre, and the Sinchon massacre. > And the Korean War’s impact on the US was not wholly negative. For example, the production of large amounts of military armaments throughout the war enabled the US to overcome the difficulties of an economic recession. > The author also asserts that the US was not the patron of Korean democracy and economic development that many Koreans believe it to have been. All the US wanted from Korea was a low level of modernization. Furthermore, the US was also happy to support dictatorial governments in Korea that butchered their own people so long as they helped block the communist threat. It’s a myth, the author says, that the US paved the way for Korea’s democratization and industrialization. > Another argument made in the book is that Koreans’ experience serving as “loyal subjects” of the Japanese empire during the colonial period prepared them for revering the US after Korea’s liberation. > In other words, Korea is honoring and obeying the US, just as it once did with the Japanese Empire. The fact that Korea has still not regained wartime operational control, or OPCON, of its own military illustrates its lack of autonomy. > While the US would only have control of 40,000 troops in NATO (as of February 2022), US Forces Korea with OPCON would be able to direct the 600,000 troops in the Korean military in the event of a war. Korea can hardly be regarded as having autonomy when it has put its entire military under American control. > For such reasons, the author asserts that Korea would be best served by dismantling its alliance with the US. > What alternatives are there? The author says the best option would be for South and North Korea to jointly adopt neutrality. Cracks in the US-led unipolar order, the international shift toward a multipolar system, and the international financial system’s move away from the US dollar are creating conditions favorable for such a change. > But setting aside the feasibility of that proposal, it’s worth pondering the author’s argument that if Korea is to achieve true autonomy, it must first wake from the stupor of blind obedience to the US.
www.tongilnews.com
This article is originally in Korean. These are some excerpts with machine translation and my slight additions: > Jeju Special Self-Governing Province and the Jeju April 3rd Peace Foundation announced that the identity of the missing [April 3rd](https://en.prolewiki.org/wiki/Jeju_Uprising#Jeju_massacre) victim, whose fate was unknown, was confirmed in [Golnyeonggol, Daejeon](https://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/1098092.html) [Note: Several photos of violence and human remains are in that link], after 74 years. > The victims identified this time are 70 of the 1,441 remains excavated in Golnyeonggol through the first pilot project of 'Genetic identification of 4/3 victims from excavated remains from outside the province' conducted by Jeju Special Self-Governing Province and the Jeju 4/3 Peace Foundation. > The person whose identity was confirmed was the late Kim Han-hong, from Bukchon-ri, Jocheon-myeon, Jeju-si. During the April 3 Incident, he was hiding in a field away from the village to avoid punitive forces and armed forces. He came to the military at the end of January 1949 and surrendered himself on the rumor that he would be set free if he surrendered. The bereaved family said that after being detained in the [distillery camp](https://www.jejudarktours.org/en/historical-sites/former-distillery-site/), no news was heard. > The list of prisoners shows that the victim was sentenced to seven years in prison on July 4, 1949 and served his sentence at Daejeon Prison. > On October 4, the remains of the victims went through a handover process with the bereaved families, the Jeju April 3 Victims' Families Association, the Sanae Incident Victims' Families Association, and officials from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety in attendance, and a ritual was held at Sejong Eunhasu Park under the auspices of the bereaved families, and then cremated in October. They are scheduled to be repatriated to Jeju by plane on the 5th. > At the site where the remains of the victims are returned to their hometown, the bereaved families and officials, including Governor Oh Young-hoon, will greet them in person, and a ceremony to return the remains will be held afterwards. Subsequently, an identification briefing session will be held on the same day to commemorate the victims and comfort their bereaved families. > The Truth and Reconciliation Commission is in the process of collecting remains from 2,000 of the 3,900 remains temporarily enshrined in the Sejong Memorial House, including the remains of the Daejeon Golryeonggol victims, and is conducting genetic tests on bereaved families. is planned to be carried out. > Chairman [of the Daejeon Mountain Incident Victims' Families Associatio] Jeon Mi-kyung said, “How good would it have been if something like this had happened to the families of the massacred people while they were still alive?” and “It breaks my heart that many family members of the massacred people are still passing away while the genetic identification is delayed.” > The son of the late Kim Han-hong, whose identity was recently confirmed through genetic identification, died in 2020 without being able to identify his father's remains. However, fortunately, he was able to confirm his identity because he left behind DNA data through blood collection while he was still alive.**___**
Excerpts: > Fifty-nine years ago, on Sept. 11, 1964, Korea sent 140 soldiers belonging to the medical corps to Vietnam as part of the war effort. Over the nine years that followed, South Korea would end up sending a total of 346,393 troops to fight in Vietnam in its Blue Dragon, Fierce Tiger, and White Horse divisions. > In 1999, Hankyoreh 21 broke the story that South Korean troops had massacred civilians in Vietnam with in-depth reporting. More than 20 years later, in February of this year, a South Korean court ruled that the country bears a legal liability to those victimized by these massacres. However, the South Korean government still insists that no such slaughter occurred. > This is the first time that Bình Thanh is being named in the history of Korea’s involvement in the Vietnam War that began in 1964. Bình Thanh is not mentioned in the official “War History of ROK Forces to Vietnam” published by Korea’s Department of Defense in 1979. > 57 years ago, as a 10-year-old girl, Tống Thị Kim Loan said she picked peppers in the fields with her grandfather, Tống Mai. [...] the villagers had heard that South Korean soldiers couldn’t get enough of them. The young girl and her grandfather packed the peppers in small bags and took them to the Korean soldiers at the Go Cot base. > When Tống Thị Kim Loan’s grandfather, Tống Mai, arrived at a South Korean military post, he had Vietnamese peppers and a letter in his hand. He was accompanied by Cao Phó and Mai Cắt, who lived in his same village. The three of them represented the village and faced the South Koreans for the first time. All three were born in the 1890s and were over 70 years old at the time. Their letter to the South Koreans was written in Chinese characters. Having learned to read and write Chinese characters from a young age, they assumed that the Koreans would be able to read it as well. > The South Korean soldiers based in Bình Thanh did not have interpreters. The letter contained a heartfelt plea from the village elders: “The villagers are all innocent civilians. Please do not harm them.” > A young Tống Thị Kim Loan was holding her grandfather’s hand when he presented the Korean soldiers with the letter and his gift of peppers. > A month after Tống Thị Kim Loan and her grandfather offered the chilis to the soldiers, the South Korean soldiers paid a visit to Tống Thị Kim Loan’s neighborhood. Instead of gifts, they brought guns. --- ::: spoiler CW: Details about the massacre > The South Korean soldiers visited her house early in the morning, before breakfast, at around 6 or 7 am, she said. They forced the family outside. She stepped outside with her mother, 30-year-old Mai Thị Én, and younger brothers, 7-year-old Tống Phuong and 6-year-old Tống Hoang. Six members of Von Ke’s family, who lived in the same neighborhood, were also dragged out into the street, making for 10 people in total. > At first, the soldiers handed out canned food, most likely C-rations. Some of them started to set up a submachine gun under a big tree. After some time had passed, there was a huge bang, as if something had exploded. Then, there was smoke everywhere. It was impossible to see anything. The soldiers had set off a smoke bomb. > The thunder of the gun rattling off its bullets shook the ground, and the sound was ear-splitting. Tống Thị Kim Loan grabbed her mother and hid behind her. People fell to the ground as they screamed, and Tống Thị Kim Loan happened to fall underneath everyone else. The gunfire stopped. So did the groans of agony. > Tống Thị Kim Loan seized her wits and got up. She wondered if the soldiers had set off the smoke bombs because they were afraid to see what they were doing, mowing down people with their guns. The soldiers left the village to return to their base without checking the bodies, which was a stroke of luck in Tống Thị Kim Loan’s favor. She suffered only a small burn on her stomach. She can still remember the chilling sensation of the bullet grazing her belly. > Tống Thị Kim Loan’s father, who had fled from the scene, returned at night to collect the bodies with the village elders. A banana tree was planted at the grave of the girl’s mother. Her mother had been in full term. Planting a banana tree to celebrate a pregnancy was a village tradition. When it was time to give birth, villagers celebrated the birth of a new life by eating bananas from the tree. However, her mother would never be able to commemorate anything any longer. ::: --- > “All the village elders who visited the soldiers with the chilis died,” said Le Van Hien, 76. Presenting a list he wrote on the computer, Le Van Hien pointed at the three names at the top of the list: Tống Mai, Cao Phó and Mai Cắt. These were the names of the village elders who had visited the South Korean soldiers with the bag of chili peppers and a letter written in Chinese characters. > Le Van Hien has been recording the history of how the people of Bình Thanh fought against outside forces. His records from 1930 to 1975 have already been published into a book, which contains stories of people who died at the hands of South Korean soldiers. > Following the end of the Vietnam War in April 1975, memorial monuments were erected in villages where residents were lost at the hands of South Korean soldiers. Monuments of “hate” were built in places such as Bình Hòa and Phú Yên. In some regions, monuments were erected 50 years after the war. > “I will propose the erection of a monument of hate rather than a memorial monument,” said Le Van Hien, explaining that this is because all the victims were helpless elders, women and children. Referencing the Vietnamese government’s slogan of overcoming the past and moving toward the future, Le Van Hien wordlessly shook his head. >“Still, I can’t help but hate. Incidents like this should be abhorred forever,” he said.
> North Korean athletes were officially welcomed at their living quarters in the Chinese city of Hangzhou for the 19th Asian Games on Friday, the eve of the opening ceremony of the quadrennial continental competition. > After official welcoming messages and gifts from host China, the North Korean delegation chanted rallying slogans and posed for a photo. > Most of them did not answer reporters on their way back to the residence, but a man who appeared to be a coach said their goal is to win and hoped for a good performance at the competition. > According to the organizers, North Korea has registered 185 athletes in 17 sports for the Asiad, the reclusive country's first appearance at an international multisport competition since the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia. > North Korea finished 10th at the previous Asiad five years ago, with 12 golds, 12 silvers and 13 bronzes.
www.ifj.org
Article is from Sept. 14, 2023. Excerpts: >News outlet Newstapa and broadcaster Joongang Tongyang Broadcasting Company (JTBC) have been raided by South Korean authorities after reporting in 2022 on an allegedly fake interview claimed to discredit then-Presidential candidate Yoon Suk Yeol. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate, the Journalists Association of Korea (JAK), condemn the intimidation and legal harassment of media workers and news outlets and urge the authorities to cease all investigations immediately. > On September 14, investigators and prosecutors with the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office were dispatched to the offices of online news outlets Newstapa and broadcaster Joongang Tongyang Broadcasting Company (JTBC), seizing materials related to a 2021 interview between trade union leader and former journalist Shin Hak-lim and Kim Man-bae, a key figure in a land development scandal. > Announced on September 7, the decision by authorities to prosecute media professionals and outlets marks the first actioned prosecution related to press coverage since 2008. However, since his election in 2022, President Yoon has been at the centre of several attacks on press freedom. In October 2022, the MBC was targeted through legal action and protests led by PPP lawmakers, after the broadcaster allegedly misrepresented comments made by the President in a hot mic incident. President Yoon later excluded journalists and media workers with the outlet from a presidential envoy to the G20 in November. > JAK President Kim Dong-hoon said: “We express concern about the increasing intensity of the government's media suppression as we approach next year's general elections. The ruling party in South Korea, the People Power Party(PPP), has not only taken legal actions against media outlets and journalists who reported on the dialogue records of our fellow journalists, Shin Hak-lim and Kim Man-bae, both of whom have a journalism background but also against journalists who quoted and covered these records. Moreover, they have even targeted political commentators who wrote articles about the related content. Furthermore, they have filed defamation complaints against radio hosts who reported on the incident. […] The JAK, along with other major media organizations, is committed to staunchly opposing the ruling party's endeavours to manipulate the media and will dedicate their collective efforts to safeguarding press freedom.” > The IFJ said: “These raids and investigations against media outlets are the latest in a concerning trend of media rights violations led by the incumbent government in the Republic of Korea. The IFJ urges the prosecutors’ offices to withdraw all investigations against Newstapa, JTBC, and the outlets’ journalists, and calls on the People’s Power Party to ensure that press freedom is upheld and protected.”
"The combined number of those seeking to stay in China and those wanting to return to the North is actually greater than those hoping to reach South Korea." "The more South Korea and the international community get involved in defector issues with their own political agenda, the more likely it is to end up further cementing our national division." Lee Sung-hwan (pseudonym): "I hate being called a ‘defector.’ I didn’t leave because I’m opposed to the politics in North Korea. I’m just someone who left to earn money, and I plan to return once I’ve made some." --- *Note: Hankyoreh is a center-left liberal newspaper from South Korea.* Excerpts: > Since 1997, Cho has met with North Korean defectors primarily in China’s Yanbian prefecture and the North Korean-Chinese border region. Other than last year, when the COVID-19 pandemic made it impossible to visit China, he has met with defectors virtually every year for the past two decades or so. Based on his meetings, they presented quite a different image from the one commonly perceived in South Korea, he said. > For example, Cho administered a survey to 100 female North Korean defectors whom he had met with three or more times between August 2001 and October 2003. Forty-one of them said they wanted to travel to the South, while the other 59 did not: 34 wanted to return to North Korea, 21 hoped to remain in China, and four wanted none of the above. Indeed, Kim Ryon-hui, the so-called “Pyongyangite in Daegu,” has demanded repatriation ever since she arrived in the South in 2011, insisting that she only came because she had been “deceived by a broker.” > Lee Sung-hwan (pseudonym), one of the defectors who hoped to return to the North, is quoted as saying, “I hate being called a ‘defector.’ I didn’t leave because I’m opposed to the politics in North Korea. I’m just someone who left to earn money, and I plan to return once I’ve made some.” > Pak Kyong-hwa (pseudonym) is a native of Onsong, North Hamgyong Province, whom Cho met in the Chinese city of Yanji in 2014. “If it’s someone who left after committing a crime, someone who’ll be punished if they go back, you’ll never hear them talk about going back to North Korea. But people like us just quickly earn money and go back,” she explained. > “Certain brokers, NGOs and missionary groups have been orchestrating and expanding North Korean defections to South Korea for political purposes. And as certain far-right and conservative media in South Korea and Japan have either parroted the things they say or actively orchestrated things themselves, things have really crossed the line,” Cho said. > > The primary victims of actions like these are the defectors themselves. Orchestrated defections lead to intensified controls on the North Korean-Chinese border, leaving far fewer options available to those who seek to remain in China or return to the North. > > Some defectors, NGOs and missionary groups have also taken advantage of this “defector myth” to perpetrate fraud. As a representative example, Cho mentioned the Yerang Mission incident, which the Supreme Court declared a case of fraud in 2008. Beginning in the early 2000s, the mission appropriated over 2 billion won (US$1.8 million) in donations raised through internet posts about “risking death to evangelize in North Korea” and the “martyrdom and defections of North Koreans.” In 2006, the church was tried amid accusations by congregation members, and most of the messages it posted were found to have been false. > “The more South Korea and the international community get involved in defector issues with their own political agenda, the more likely it is to end up further cementing our national division,” he warned. --- Related: * [Nearly 1 in 5 North Korean defectors say they regret coming to South Korea](https://lemmygrad.ml/post/601152) * [Interview: A North Korean mother’s quest to return home to Pyongyang](https://www.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_entertainment/1017078.html) * [CW: Child abuse, SA] [S. Korean pastor under investigation for molestation at the boarding school he established for N. Korean defectors](https://lemmygrad.ml/post/1805975) * ["Spy Nation" (2016): Film Shines Light on South Korean Spy Agency’s Fabrication of Enemies](https://web.archive.org/web/20221010035813/https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/18/world/asia/south-korea-spy-nation-nis.html) * [Unreliable witnesses: The challenge of separating truth from fiction when it comes to North Korea](https://www.policyforum.net/unreliable-witnesses/) * [The insidious threat of fake news surrounding North Korea](https://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_northkorea/943697.html)
(Note that Hankyoreh is a liberal paper with a generally center-left view) >After being rushed to a hospital on Monday due to his deteriorating health, [Lee Jae-myung](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Jae-myung), the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, has decided to continue his hunger strike from his hospital bed. > >Lee has already been fasting for 19 days to demand that the government of President Yoon Suk-yeol completely overhaul its administration of state affairs. >Since being admitted to the hospital, Lee is reportedly out of the woods, but has not yet regained his strength. Despite this, Lee has refused to take any food or drink other than fluids administered by a drip. > The most prominent Korean politician to continue a hunger strike in the hospital is former President Kim Young-sam. Kim began fasting in 1983 to protest the dictatorship of Chun Doo-hwan after Chun banned Kim from participating in political activities and placed him under house arrest. > Kim demanded five measures for democratization, including the release of detainees and the reinstatement of fired professors and workers. On the eighth day of his hunger strike, the government forcibly hospitalized Kim in a special room at Seoul National University Hospital, but Kim continued his hunger strike for a total of 23 days while being treated with an intravenous line. > > Kim’s house arrest was eventually lifted, and his hunger strike was an important catalyst in bringing about reforms to Korea’s Constitution that instituted a direct democratic system. > > Former President Kim Dae-jung was also sent to Severance Hospital for dehydration on the eighth day of his hunger strike in 1990, when he was leader of the New United Democratic Party, but continued his strike from the hospital. Kim was on strike for the full implementation of local self-government, and he broke his fast on the 13th day only after receiving a promise from the government and ruling party that his demands would be implemented. > > The hunger strikes by the two former presidents, widely considered “eternal rivals,” were well-received by the public and are credited as achieving meaningful results.
www.youtube.com
From the video description: > [Ganggangsullae [강강술래]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganggangsullae) is a seasonal harvest and fertility ritual popular in the [south-western part](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Jeolla_Province) of the Republic of Korea, performed primarily on Korea’s Thanksgiving [[Chuseok](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuseok)] in the eighth lunar month. Under a bright full moon, dozens of young, unmarried village women gather in a circle, join hands and sing and dance all night under the direction of a lead singer. During interludes, the women playfully mime vignettes reflecting life in a farm or fishing village, including treading on roof tiles, unrolling a mat, catching a mouse or tying herrings. The dance takes its name from the refrain repeated after each verse, although the exact meaning of the word is unknown. Once a rare break from restrictive rules governing the behaviour of rural young women who were not allowed to sing aloud or go out at night, except during the Chuseok Thanksgiving celebration, the ritual is mostly preserved today by middle-aged women in cities and taught as part of the music curriculum of elementary schools. Now practised as a performing art throughout Korea, it can be seen as a representative Korean folk art. It is an important hereditary custom drawn from the rice culture that pervaded daily life in the countryside. The easy tunes and movements can be learned quickly for this communal practice that contributes to harmony, equality and friendship among the women dancers.
These articles are in Korean. I'm just going to share small portions of them (mainly the inaugural declaration) with machine translation + my slight editing. Please let me know if you spot translation errors. Additional links added to text by me for additional context. --- **July 17, 2023: [Inaugural declaration of the People's Sovereignty Party (tentative name)](https://jugwon.kr/30)** > Let us impeach [Yoon Seok-yeol](https://en.prolewiki.org/wiki/Yoon_Suk-yeol) with the power of a sovereign and open a new world > Towards ordinary people becoming the masters of politics > Today we are founding the People's Sovereignty Party for the direct politics of the sovereign people who realize the people's sovereignty. The People's Sovereignty Party will create a political party run by ordinary workers, farmers, self-employed people, small business owners, part-time workers, youth, and students through direct democracy in order to promote the sovereign people as the leading figures in politics. > People's Sovereign Democracy and Humanitarianism (홍익인간) *(t/n: "홍익인간" ["To broadly benefit the human world"]((https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hongik_Ingan)); ["Humanistic ideology, altruistic ethics, and worldly thinking"](https://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Article/E0064339)):* > A country where the people are the masters and where the people live happily and prosperously is the aspiration of all of us. > > [Donghak revolutionaries](https://twitter.com/nodutdol/status/1348757552893292546?lang=en) who fought with the idea that people are heaven, ancestors who escaped Japanese colonial rule and fought for independence, people who dreamed of democracy and fought against military dictatorship, and [people who held candles](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_candlelight_rallies_in_South_Korea) to correct injustice and create a proper country. The flow of history toward a new society continues today. What our people all unanimously desire is a people-sovereign democratic society where the people are truly the masters, and a humanitarian community society where everyone works for everyone. > There were people who claimed to be an alternative force and tried to create a new political party, but in the end [...] they disappointed the people time and time again. > Direct democratic politics led by the people is the most obvious alternative and the path to political reform. > The reason that established political forces are unable to push through reform to the end is partly because they prioritize their own vested interests and security, but also because they do not believe in the power of the people. Because they do not believe in the power of the people as sovereign, they become pro-Japanese, become flunkeys dependent on powerful countries, defect during the democratization movement, and become helpless politicians. > The People's Sovereignty Party will thoroughly realize the people's sovereignty and create a humanitarian community. We will liquidate pro-Japanese forces and conservative vested interests and thoroughly complete democratic reforms, including prosecution reform, media reform, and abolition of the [National Security Act](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Security_Act_(South_Korea)). We will also overcome extreme inequality and neoliberalism, and create a democratic community. > In an era of global crisis and extreme confrontation, we will boldly pursue independent diplomacy to protect the dignity of the people and national interests. We will engage in truly patriotic politics that will open the path to new hope and prosperity through peaceful unification that will end the era of division that has bound us. Additionally, as a member of the world, we will contribute to overcoming the climate crisis and creating a peaceful and democratic international order. > The People's Sovereignty Party will strengthen its members' meetings in every way possible, both online and offline, to make our party a party that studies, a party that discusses, a party that takes action, and a community that does good things, thereby creating a party that constantly innovates and develops. --- **August 17, 2023: [The direction and founding plan of the People’s Sovereignty Party (tentative name)](https://jugwon.kr/63)** > [The party's proposed name] expresses the basic spirit that the people are the masters of the country and the masters of power. The official name of the party will be decided through all-party discussion at the founding committee stage. > Breaking away from the four major diplomacy centered on the United States and Japan, diversification of diplomacy in line with the multipolar era > Humanitarianism (홍익인간): ‘All for all’ (모든 사람이 모든 사람을 위하여). Humanitarianism, the spirit of our people, is an ideology that values humanity and community. Throughout its long history, it has been passed down as the root of our nation's democratic spirit, penetrating throughout history, including [Silhak](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silhak), the Donghak Revolution (Innaecheon) *(t/n: [인내천 (人 乃 天) "The people are heaven"](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheondoism#Beliefs))*, and the history of the independence movement. It is a mental asset that must be paid attention to in order to overcome today's extreme individual egoism and the law of the jungle society. > Succession and faithful implementation of inter-Korean agreements such as the [7.4 Joint Statement](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/July_4_South%E2%80%93North_Joint_Statement), [6.15 Joint Declaration](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/June_15th_North%E2%80%93South_Joint_Declaration), [10.4 Declaration](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_North%E2%80%93South_Summit_Declaration), [4.27 Panmunjom Declaration](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panmunjom_Declaration), and [9.19 Pyongyang Declaration](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_2018_inter-Korean_summit). --- **September 15, 2023: [Establishing ‘people’s sovereignty’, the most important and urgent task](https://jugwon.kr/88)** > The Yoon Seok-yeol regime ignores the National Assembly, the institution that represents the people, and suppresses the opposition party, such as the invasion of the Democratic Party. [...] It is a dictatorship that views the people not as sovereign but as objects of domination. > In order for the people to fully exercise their sovereignty, the sovereignty of the country must be secured above all else. [...] Even today, popular sovereignty is being undermined as the Yoon Seok-yeol regime blindly follows the United States and Japan. > Korean politics has been dominated by vested interests rooted in the United States and Japan. This is a tragedy that began with the failure to liquidate pro-Japanese groups after liberation. The pro-Japanese faction, with the United States on its back, took advantage of the division to resurrect and seize power. > Popular sovereignty must be realized by the people themselves. Popular sovereignty means that the people have the rights as owners, but they also have the power to change and lead the country. > Reconciliation and unification of North and South Korea can create a significantly favorable environment for realizing popular sovereignty. > People's sovereignty can only be established by principled and consistent pursuit of peace, prosperity, and unification and by developing inter-Korean relations.
www.yewtu.be
This is a documentary showing a school for Zainichi Koreans as well as following the students when they visit DPRK (@30:53 if you want to see that part). This 45min video is an abridged version of the full documentary which came out in 2006. The Japanese word Zainichi (在日) means "residing in (zai) Japan (nichi)". The Korean equivalent is 재일, which has the same meaning.
yewtu.be
South Korea's Arirang news teaches about Korea's traditional underfloor heating system, which originated in the north and spread to all of Korea in the Joseon period, and is still used today in both traditional and modernized forms. The documentaries visit rural areas to show the traditional smoke-based ondol system in use, and also show the uses of modernized water-based ondol system. ["Embodiment of Green Energy, Ondol under the Global Spotlight"](https://yewtu.be/watch?v=KggzIiVt3dU) > Ondol is a heating system that uses a humble furnace to warm the entire house. Considered one of the 3 great inventions of Korea, along with Hangeul and movable metal type, the ondol system has grabbed the world's attention. > [Visitor to ondol house] "The fire is very pretty when lit up, and the sweet potatoes that are baked in the live embers taste so good." > For Korean people, stones are very useful tools for overcoming the freezing winter. Heated pebbles can serve as pocket heaters, while wide stone slabs are sometimes used as cooking utensils. In this village in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi-do Province, the neighbors have gathered around a large stone slab over a fire to warm up. There is something special about this stone slab that is acting like a grill -- it's none other than a geudeljang [stone for making ondol floor]. They are cooking meat on a heated geudeljang. Ondol also enabled traditional greenhouses, using the underfloor heating of the smoke to control temperature combined with steam from cooking pots to control humidity (@25:17) > Joseon's greenhouse came 170 years ahead of Europe's first heated greenhouse ... The greenhouse was built to cultivate various crops and vegetables even during the winter. Its special feature is the ondol system ... The technology can easily pass as something used in today's world ... Thanks to this greenhouse, people were able to eat fresh vegetables in the middle of winter. > [Resident of traditional house] "Living in an ondol room is good for your health. Your heart becomes warm and opens up more easily. All your troubles just melt away." [Other interviewees] "It's very warm. I remember how, as a child, I used to sit in an ondol room, where the air was cool while the floor was warm." "This ambiance of hanok [traditional house] is something that you can't experience in even the most luxurious hotels." @38:22 you can see a train which has ondol floor in its cabins, people sit on the train floor to feel the ondol heating > [Discussing modernized ondol which uses heated water instead of smoke] What will happen if the ondol heating system, considered clean, green energy, meets solar power? The result could be a perfect zero energy building. ["100 Icons of Korean History, ep. 35: Ondol"](https://yewtu.be/watch?v=jBq2UHKeAuI) > The Korean traditional floor heating system "ondol" dates back to the Gogureo era. It originated in cold northern regions and spread to all southern areas during the Joseon period. It still remains the indispensable part of Koreans' everyday lives. That's why many idioms in Korean are about the heated floor "ondol" or "gudeuljang." > [Visiting Jeong-eup, North Jeolla Province] People here still use firewood to heat their houses and cook. Mothers cook for their families to the alluring scent of burning wood in the kitchen during cold winters and warm the rooms. When the family members come home, they snuggle under the covers and chat on the warm floor. > Ondol is nostalgia. Smoke rising from a house's chimney evokes nostalgia in Koreans, who cherish even the familiar scent. Ondol brings people together and helps them forget about the cold. > [Resident of Gunsan interviewed] "It's a good experience for foreigners as well. I'm proud to say Korean ondol is the best."
www.blueroofpolitics.com
["Asian Schindler" Under Investigation for Molestation](https://www.blueroofpolitics.com/post/asian-schindler-under-investigation-for-molestation/) > Pastor Chun Ki-won 천기원 목사, founder of Durihana 두리하나, a Christian aid organization known for helping North Koreans defect. Chun’s work helping over 1,000 defectors reach Seoul since 1999 has won him glowing coverage from CNN and the New York Times, including anointment as “the Asian Schindler.” > Perhaps they spoke too soon. On August 2 and 3, KBS News reported that a police investigation revealed that Chun had been sexually molesting teenage girls at the boarding school he established for North Korean defectors. Dozens of girls reported that the pastor routinely groped them over a period of several years, to the point that several girls dropped out of the school and students who stayed would lock their doors if they saw the pastor coming to the dormitory. > Chun, who had been scheduled to appear at an event in the United States, was banned from leaving the country. [South Korean pastor arrested for sexually harassing young North Korean defectors](https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/south-korean-pastor-arrested-for-sexually-harassing-young-north-korean-defectors) > The 67-year-old pastor, identified only by his family name Chun, was the boarding school’s principal, reported Yonhap News Agency on Tuesday, citing the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency. > The news outlet also said Chun is accused of having sexually molested young defectors since 2018. > In July, eight North Koreans, who studied at the boarding school, filed a complaint against Chun, reported KBS World. They alleged that Chun had sexually molested them for years, said the report. [KBS report (in Korean)](https://news.kbs.co.kr/news/pc/view/view.do?ncd=7739375&ref=A), [another KBS report](https://news.kbs.co.kr/news/pc/view/view.do?ncd=7740197&ref=A)