The United Nations Command, the Korean peninsula peace treaty and the phographer - I'm sorry, Lee Si Woo!

2007-07-06, Seoul

△ Photographer Lee Si Woo (from the exhibition of Lee Si Woo's photographs, 6/27~7/14 SPACE*PEACE)

1.

You can visit the home page of photographer Lee Si Woo - www.siwoo.pe.kr - to see the photographs of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), the civilian passage restriction line, and the US army base. But you can't meet the photographer, because he was arrested recently, only because he urged the dissolution of the UN Command, which is also called for by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

The South Korean government, in its own kind of 'McCarthyism' _ anti - Communist hysteria _ arrested him.

△ When we went to the minefield
Of Epyung-ri, Cholwon, north of Seoul where
Grandpa Kim Jun Kwon died of a mine explosion,
We saw a wild flower in full booom against the mine.

(http://siwoo.pe.kr/eng_gall/gall03.htm)

2.

An exhibition of Lee Si Woo's photographs was held at the Insa-Dong Peace Museum in Seoul, sponsored by the Committee to Promote the Construction of a Peace Museum and the Solution Committee for the Release of Peace Photographer Lee Si Woo, including SPARK. The exhibition was organized to support freedom of expression and creation, because Lee Si Woo was arrested for violating the National Security Law. This is a bad law which must be abolished. It was based on the Maintence of the Public Order Act, passed in the period of Japanese imperialism. We think it is permissible to call for an end of the UN Command, and to make photographs for peace. The UN Command is only a united command under the US.

△ 6/27~7/14 SPACE*PEACE, Exhibition of Lee Si Woo's photos.

3.

There has been discussions of the Korean peninsula peace treaty since the 13 February agreement at the - Six - Party Talks. This would involve(1)a process to end the Korean War that broke out in 1950 ;(2) an agreement that will end the war ; and (3) the end of the mutual hostility policy.
The peace treaty would also abolish(1) the UN Command, which was established as a result of the Korean War ; (2) the United State Forces Korea (USFK) ; and (3) the National Security Law, which defines the DPRK as an enemy.
In contrast to the 4th century Roman strategist, Vegetius, who said 'If you want peace, then prepare for war', we say, 'If you want peace, then prepare for peace'.