Dear SPARK friends 

Here I recommend to look at Bruce Gagnon’s blog on June 2 , 2007. He mentions the recent Washington post article in which the words of the U.S. Defense dept. Robert Gates, President Bush and Hillary Clinton are mentioned. Click the link inside the article. I also attach the New York Times article, too.

It is really annoying that they are talking about “South Korean style” for the future permanent bases of Iraq. For them, it may be simply ‘style’. But for the Iraqis and Koreans whose unspeakable pain from war and division which has been unresolved by now, it only adds another pain and anger. Not quite surprising because the US military explicitly designates the SK as the dreamland in their official recruit movie. 

Who would remember the death of the nameless Kuwait students who fiercely opposed against the division of Iraq after the separation of the Kuwait district from Iraq by the British and the cementing of it by the U.S. in the 20th century? Whenever I think of them, I would like to cry because Korea has the same history, too. Who would remember the numerous, nameless Koreans who were killed during their protest against the division of the country when the US and Soviet occupied and divided it. How I forget it took only 30 minutes for the US military in Korea to decide where they divide the Korea in the midnight of August 10-11, 1945, right before the Japanese surrender in August 15, 1945.

My point is that the SPARK and the other Korean activist organization have lots of historical knowledge to share with the people of the other countries. It is Korean’s responsibility to share the historical knowledge during their fierce decades protest since its division with the people in the globe. Thinking of Iraq whose wonderful civilization destroyed in days, whose beautiful land contaminated by the depleted uranium more than Korea, whose civilians death closely reaching to 1,000,000 in the 4 years, like everyone, I feel the deep sorrow. Who would remember the each of the nameless Iraqis who died and were killed during their protest under the occupation? Despite the 4 years passed, The U.S. government and military industrial complex couldn’t fail them. The Iraqis are like phoenix, quite inspiring the world. 

The SPARK and Lee Haeng Woo Sunbaenim have always been in front of the struggle, fiercely exposing the hypocrisy of the U.S. military bases in Korea, devotedly plunging oneself for the peace and reunification movement of Korea. I am always grateful and proud of you. You are our hope. I just hope you more share your recent struggles in Korea with the people in the globe. Also I hope you let people more know how the Koreans are resisting against the US plot of the using the Korean peninsular as its outpost of the global rampant invasion. 

The SPARK is recently struggling against the US plot of the WRSA-K(War Reserve Stock for the Allies -Korea). The SPARK mentioned it was revealed from the 2002 US congress report that the US could save about 13 billion dollars by simply trashing and even forcing purchase of their stocked bullets to the South Koreans. The SPARK also exposed that 90 % of the bullets are useless. It also exposed the predictable environmental damage in Youngdong, Choobgbook The spineless SK government seems again surrendering its dignity to the force of the US military. As the SPARK noticed, the Korean people’s unheard rage has been enormous. 

What else. .. I always feel difficulty to summarize the struggles because the issues have been enormous in Korea in decades. Whenever I look at the other Korean media, I feel sigh because little media quite clarify what is going on the Korean peninsula than the SPARK’s. That is why I return many times to the SPARK website.

In May 15, the first train between the North and South traveled in test. On May 1, the 60 North Korean workers came to the South Korea, being with 20,000 South Korean workers, enjoying the 3rd SK-NK labor festivals since 2004. The Kaesung joint Industrial complex is proliferating despite the US embassy’s explicit displeasure. ( The current US ambassador in Korea is the hawkish cold war product. He has been in Russian before coming to Korea). The US media mostly ignores all these stories. That is why the Korea seems mostly the wretched country for war and division for most U.S. people.

The photographer Lee Si-Woo was hated by the US and SK military not only because he had exposed the US military facilities in Korea with his wonderful artistic photos but also exposed the danger of the still existing U.N. Commander in the Korean peninsula despite the UN Security Commission resolution of its dissolution in 1975. As the UN facility exists, Koreans are not free from war even after reunification because the operational control will be under the UN commander who is the same figure with the US commander. He and the SPARK exposed that was why the US commander in Korea was energized to restore the now useless UN facility in Korea. The former USFK commander Laport made clarify it in the US congress in 2005. Lee had also exposed in 2005, there are about 3,000,000 ton Depleted Uranium, another hidden story of the US military crime in Korea. When I read his beautiful writing saying a true art is born with 90 % study, 9% work and 1 % intuition, I wanted to cry. He will finish his fast on June 6. He is the man and artist even embracing the ‘National Security Law’ which is definitely the absurd award for his long time struggle. It comes from his deep spirit, his own painful experience of the historical division of Korea. The SPARK is one of the rare sites which reveals all the truth.

The SPARK has also fought against the defense burden for the South Koreans who have had to offer more than 50 % of their defense budget to the US military in Korea. In reality, it is 94%, the SPARK revealed, quoting the 2005 US congress hearing by the Laport, the US commander in Korea then.

“South Korean style” for the permanent US base in Iraq? Which Iraqis want to repeat this humiliating suffering of the South Koreans for themselves? It is again, Koreans’ responsibility to let people know all the painful stories of it, to prevent another and deeper tragedy in Iraq.

Sorry for a long letter and always thanks for your struggle. I am always so proud of you. 
Sung-Hee