100,000 Demand End to the 50-year US Domination of South Korea

100,000 Demand End to the 50-year US Domination of South Korea

A crowd estimated to be more than 60,000 by the police staged a peaceful anti-US march in South Korea.  The marchers demanded a retrial of the Americans responsible for the deaths of two Korean girls, a more sincere, meaningful  apology from George Bush, and an end to the 50-year US domination of South Korea.  

Source: Burning candles in angry hands, beautiful hands - "Hyosun and Misuhn - We shall overcome."

December 14th is the Day of Regaining Self-Determination and Korea's National Pride

A nationwide candle-light march ended peacefully in the late hours of December 14, 2002.  In Seoul, about 100,000 citizens marched holding lighted candles of indignation and filled the streets near the Seoul City Hall.  The marchers shouted: "Punish the American murderers!", "Rewrite SOFA", and "George Bush - Apologize to us in public!"

The massive protest march began at about 3:30 pm.  Rev. Moon Jung Hyun, a Catholic priest, opened the march with a speech.  He told the crowd: "Bush's so-called apology given to Kim Dae Jung was no apology - it was a farce. . . . President Bush must tell us that he will abolish SOFA, turn the two murderers to a Korean court, and investigate the senior commanders of the two killers for possible dereliction of duty."  Until Bush does these, his 'apologies' are nothing but 'crocodile tears' shed to deceive the Korean people.  Rev. Moon closed his speech with: "Let us take back our national pride and self-determination!"

Rev. Han Sang Ryol took the podium after Rev. Moon.  Rev. Han led an 'American Task Force"' that toured the United States and attempted to hand Bush a petition signed by 1.3 million people.  He told the crowd: "The White House was a cold place. It was cold to us and refused to accept our petition. It was no White House for us - but a Dark Evil House. Bush should stop phoning around and apologize directly to us - no middleman!"  Rev. Han closed his speech by holding up a folding fan with the word "Korean Self Determination" written in his own blood and shouting "Let us take back Korean self-determination!"  The crowd repeated 'Korean self determination' in unison.   

The December 14th was declared to be "The day of regaining our self-determination and our national pride." The marchers shouted "We want to build a strong Korea free of foreign domination."   This was a day of anti-war demonstration.  The marchers shouted: "We don't want war in Korea!"  It was a day of denouncing Korea's right-wing news organs that promote continuation of the Cold War in Korea.  The marchers passed by the Chosun Ilbo Building, the arch-villain of Korea's pro-Japanese, pro-US newspaper and shouted anti-Chosun slogans.  Some of the marchers threw raw eggs at the building. 

Photo: The marchers held up several large-size American flags and then tore them to pieces, after which a mammoth Korean flag was held up in a symbolic gesture of regaining Korean independence from American domination.  

When the Stars & Stripes were torn to pieces and then replaced by a Korean flag, the crowd broke into a hearty rendition of Arirang, a popular Korean song.  They shouted: "George Bush apologize!", "Revise SOFA now!" and anti-US slogans. 

The marchers labeled Kim Dae Jung, the Nobel-medal President, a U.S. "puppet" and Bush's messenger boy.  Two of Kim's sons have been convicted of influence peddling.  A file on Kim Dae Jung leaked recently to Chosun Ilbo by Kim's own intelligence agency (National Intelligence Service, formerly called angibu or KCA) reveals that Kim Dae Jung's 'records of human rights' are not all factual and that he had been involved in shady monetary dealings.

The bereaved parents of the two girls slain by the US military came on the stage to thank the crowd. The crowd shouted: "Father and Mother, stay strong - we are here with you and we shall overcome!"  The girls' parents were so moved by the crowd's support for them and wept openly on the stage.

When the march began, the crowd was estimated to be about 40,000, but more and more citizens joined in, and the final tally is estimated be about 100,000. The marchers were mostly young people in the 20-40 age brackets.  There were many families in the crowd and youngsters below 10 were seen waving flags and shouting slogans in the crowd.  

Among the crowd were Nogunri survivors.  In the early days of the Korean War, US troops killed several hundred Korean women and children at Nogun-ri and the US Government has so far refused to prosecute the shooters. In addition, there were other victims of the US military among the crowd.

This day was a day of a peaceful march.  The march organizers urged the participants to avoid any violent confrontation with the police who were massed around the US Embassy.  The marchers shouted: "Non-violence, non-violence!"  There were some minor shoving and pushing matches with the police, but no major clashes occurred.

More than anything else, the 14th was a "Day of Tears".  Many of the marchers and spectators wept with joy. after releasing their anger and shame of an occupied nation for so long. 

"Let's Meet Again on December 31st"

At about 9:20 pm, the march organizers announced that the march was over, but the marchers stayed on. Earlier, about 500 marchers broke through the police line and reached the US Embassy, where they staged a noisy demonstration in spite of numerous attacks by the police.  The marchers were ready to rush to the Embassy ground if the police detained any of the protestors at the Embassy. 

The citizens said: "We don't trust the police. We are going to stay here until all marchers are back safely from the US Embassy ground."  Seeing that the citizens refused to go home, the march organizers went to the US Embassy ground to make sure there was no arrest of or violence on the marchers by the police. The crowd began to disperse only after the last marcher from the Embassy ground told them: "Hi, I am the last to leave the Embassy and we are all safe and sound.  Please go home.".  

At about 10 pm, the march organizers told the crowd to come again on the New Year's Eve, and the crowd shouted in unison - "Yes - we shall meet again on the 31st!"  Some of the marchers walked by the statue of Admiral Lee Sun Shin and paid homage to this famed Korean patriot and hero in a 16th Century war against Japanese invaders.

Photo: Admiral Lee Sun Shin's statue in Seoul, Korea.  Admiral Lee repelled Japanese invaders in the Imjin Waeran that began in 1592.  He died in the Battle of Noryang in 1598.

Anti-US marches were held in Pusan, Daegu, and other cities in South Korea. Overseas Koreans marched in the United States, Japan, Germany, France, Sweden, Russia, Great Britain, Australia, Ireland, Canada and New Zealand.

The march organizers expect a bigger crowd in the next march planned for December 31st of this year.  The marches will continue in an ever increasing size until the demands are met by the US Government and Bush.