Korean People Condemn Camp David Tripartite Agreement and Japan's Irresponsible Actions
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), reports that in the wake of the Camp David tripartite agreement between the U.S., Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) fierce struggle has broken out in all parts of south Korea for the resignation of Yoon Suk Yeol. He is called the "President traitor who is welcoming nuclear calamity by kowtowing to the United States and Japan." KCNA informs that the actions in south Korea also call for the abrogation of the tripartite alliance, an end to the war exercises and a stop to Japan's discharge of nuclear-polluted water into the sea.
People's Action and other labour, civic and public organizations held press conferences in Seoul and other places in the Republic of Korea to condemn the increased danger of nuclear war due to the war moves of the United States and the Yoon Suk Yeol regime. Actions also took place at the U.S. military bases in Taegu, Pusan and Kyonggi Province. They condemned the Camp David agreement for heightening the danger of nuclear war due to the largest-ever joint military exercises, conducted despite the strong opposition of the public at home and abroad.
In Seoul, Kwangju and South Jeolla Province, Solidarity for Sovereignty, the Students' Progressive Federation and other civic, public and environmental organizations held press conferences in front of government buildings and offices. The Seoul Situation Council for Judging the Yoon Suk Yeol Regime, the Pusan Movement Headquarters against Fukushima's Discharge of Nuclear-Polluted Water and other regional organizations from different sectors have staged protest actions every day.
The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions and organizations from various circles held a 72-hour emergency action demanding Japan's discharge of nuclear-polluted water into the sea be stopped. Staging a demonstration and sit-in, the Confederation warned that if the Yoon Suk Yeol regime does not check Japan's discharge of nuclear-polluted water, it would pay dearly.
Mass Protests Continue in Republic of Korea
In Seoul on September 2, the second all-people rally took place to protest Japan's discharge of nuclear-polluted water into the sea and to condemn the Yoon Suk Yeol regime. Attending the rally were more than 50,000 people, including members of the "joint action for checking Japan's discharge of nuclear-polluted water into the sea," the Progressive Federation of Students, the Minju Party and the Progressive Party. The protesters chanted such slogans as "Total ban to the import of Japan's marine products," "Stop the discharge of nuclear-polluted water from Fukushima into the sea at once" and "We condemn the Yoon Suk Yeol regime speaking for the Japanese government."
The International Atomic Energy Agency says the nuclear wastewater is safe and has issued scientific reports to that effect but there is a huge crisis of credibility and distrust about the science due to peoples' past experience with government measures, such as the lack of safety of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in the first place, which was built in a populated area susceptible to earthquakes and tsunamis, which caused much damage to peoples lives when struck by a quake and tsunami in 2011. The tsunami left more than 15,000 dead or missing. Some 41,000 people are still displaced, including more than 22,000 people who are unable to return to their homes due to the residual radiation.
Also in Seoul, the 55th candlelight rally took place on the theme of "impeaching Yoon Suk Yeol who has declared a war on the people." Newspaper accounts say that the opposition to Yoon for proactively promoting and supporting Japan's discharge of nuclear-polluted water sees him as a traitor. At the rally attended by tens of thousands of people including workers, farmers, university students, citizens and religious congregations, speakers denounced Yoon for declaring a war on the whole population to help Japan discharge the nuclear-polluted water. Its participants marched up to Kwanghwamun (the main and largest gate of Gyeongbokgung Palace) to Japanese and U.S. embassies, carrying the placards and posters with the slogans "Rejection of the West and Japan" and "Remove Yoon Suk Yeol from power" and chanting slogans "Oust Yoon Suk Yeol through all-people resistance," "Let us advance with candlelight," "Beat down the groups of traitors," etc.
In related news, more than 200,000 people held a large-scale rally called by the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union outside the parliament building to protest the unjust education policy of the Yoon regime and demand the resignation President Yoon for his traitorous actions.
Yoon dismissed the protests as being incited by "communist totalitarian forces," their "opportunistic followers, and anti-state forces." He went on to accuse protestors of "inciting anti-Japanese sentiment and misrepresenting the cooperative arrangement we reached with the U.S. and Japan at Camp David as something that will endanger the Republic of Korea and the Korean people," going on to claim, "Our current freedoms are constantly under threat."
Teachers rally outside the parliament
building in Seoul, Korea, September 2, 2023
(Photos: Hankyoreh, Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union)
This article was published in
Volume 53
Number 9 - September 2023
Article Link:
https://cpcml.ca/Tmlm2023/Articles/M530093.HTM
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