No to the Ulchi Focus Lens Military Exercise!
Block the enclosure of Daechu Elementary School!

The 71st Anti-US Joint Monthly Rally

As it was one of the hottest days of midsummer, sweat poured down  everybody's back.
However, the August 15 Pan-national Independence, Peace and Reunification Festival was in full swing. It is an annual event  where North, South, and overseas Koreans come together to build a future of peaceful and independent reunification.

Meanwhile the 71st anti-US joint monthly rally was held at the park near the US embassy at 2 pm on Aug. 16.  This rally was called to oppose the Ulchi Focus Lens Military Exercise and denounce the enclosure of Daechu Elementary School.

Rev. Hong Keun-soo, executive chairman of SPARK, asserted in his opening address that there is a threat of war which could break out  because of the joint US-ROK UFL exercises, which will take place from Aug. 22 to Sep. 2. He said that these exercises, the world’s largest computer-driven war simulation, is a war exercise aimed at North Korea. He emphasized, "It is definitely contradictory to have a war exercise and inter-Korean peace talks at the same time. UFL should be canceled in order not to hinder the improvement of inter-Korean relations."

Lee Ho-song, a staff member of the People's Coalition against the Expansion of the US Military Bases at Pyongtaek, reported that the Pyongtaek problem had been widely publicized since the July 10 march. However, he said, the government's repression of the protest had become more severe as well. For instance, the Defense Ministry plans to enclose Daechu Elementary School, which was the July 10 rally site, in order to prevent future rallies at the school. Furthermore, the police issued warrants for the arrest of the leaders of the People's Coalition.

Kang Hong-goo, chairman of Citizens' Solidarity of Dongduchon, asserted that the USFK should yield the right to exercise jurisdiction in the Kim Myong-ja case in accordance with the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA). Ms. Kim was run over and killed by a US military truck on June 10. He said that peace activists decided to hold a series of daily one-person demonstrations at the Yongsan Garrison  from Aug. 17 to 23.

Park Seok-boon, general affairs director of SPARK, reported on what happened at Maehyangni (the US military's international bombing range since 1951) after the range was closed on August 12. She said that peace activists and local residents prevented the USFK from detonating the unexploded bombs on a nearby island bombing range on Aug. 15 and 16 because the protesters feared that the USFK intended to save time and money by blowing up ordnance on the range before management is turned over to South Korea on Aug. 31. She asserted, "The USFK should stop the controlled detonation of  old ordnance because it would cause more environmental damage. The US should talk with the Korean government and the residents instead of requesting the Korean National Police to remove the protesters."