[Statement] GPPAC NEA Response to DPRK-US Hanoi Summit Outcome
익명 (미확인) 님|월, 2019/03/04- 00:19
<div class="xe_content"><h1>GPPAC Northeast Asia Response to</h1>
<h1>DPRK-US Hanoi Summit Outcome</h1>
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<p style="text-align:right;">4 March 2019</p>
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<p>The second DPRK-US Summit came to an end in the Vietnamese Capital of Hanoi on February 28. It is regretful that this summit did not produce any concrete agreement, and many were disappointed that it did not result in a long-awaited declaration of the end of the Korean War. Yet, GPPAC believes that the Hanoi Summit should not be prematurely judged as a failure. Rather, we must recognise that the path towards realising a peaceful, nuclear-free Korean Peninsula will require a great deal more work, on all levels of society.</p>
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<p>It is extremely significant that both the DPRK and the United States have clearly expressed their willingness to continue dialogue and negotiations. The Hanoi Summit was one step as part of a long-term process. It is vital that the international community focuses not only on the lack of an agreement, but rather on the next steps required to further develop constructive dialogue. We encourage not only the DPRK and the US, but also other regional actors including China, Japan, Russia and the Republic of Korea, to play an active role in supporting this process, ensuring that talks will continue. These efforts should also include discussion on a concrete roadmap and timeframe, recognising the increased role of both nuclear umbrella and non-nuclear-weapon states, and include sincere consideration of possible multilateral frameworks.</p>
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<p>Importantly, this broad support for the Korea peace process must also include the involvement of civil society. As a global network of peacebuilding organisations, GPPAC pledges to work together with its members in both Koreas as well as around the world to promote dialogue and cooperation for the Korean Peninsula. Concretely, we will continue this through the regular convening of the Ulaanbaatar Process, with participation of regional civil society and experts. This is vital not only for the Korean Peninsula, but also as steps towards the establishment of regional mechanisms for sustainable peace and denuclearisation in the broader Northeast Asian region.</p>
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United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon
UN Headquarters
405 East 42nd Street
New York, NY 10017
USA
Cc : Zainab Hawa Bangura, UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict
Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
Rashida Manjoo, UN Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women
Pablo de Greiff, UN Special Rapporteur on the Promotion of Truth, Justice, Reparation, and Guarantees of Non-recurrence
H.E. Choi Kyong-lim, President of the UN Human Rights Council
Members of the UN Committee against Torture
Members of the UN Human Rights Committee
Re: Clarification on the UN Secretary-General’s Position on the Recent Republic of Korea-Japan Agreement on Wartime “Comfort Women”
People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy (PSPD) is a non-governmental organization based in Seoul, the Republic of Korea (ROK) with United Nations(UN) ECOSOC consultative status. We are writing to you today to seek clarification of the Secretary-General's position on the recent ROK-Japan agreement on wartime “comfort women”. We express our concern on your recent congratulatory remarks on the agreement, because we view that the agreement was not made in a way to implement the values and principles put forth by the UN, which has emphasized a victim-centered approach.
In the official statement regarding the recent agreement between the ROK and Japan on issues related to “comfort women” from the ROK which was released on 28 December 2015, you welcomed “that the Governments of Japan and the Republic of Korea have reached an agreement,” and hoped “that the agreement will contribute to improving the bilateral relationship between the two countries.” Following your statement, the ROK President’s Office (Blue House) released a briefing on 1 January 2016, saying that you congratulated President Park Geun-hye, via telephone, on reaching the agreement with Japan, and stated that “history will laud President Park’s courageous decision based on her vision.”
Yet, the latest agreement between the ROK and Japan hardly reflects the wishes of the victims themselves, nor did the process involve any participation by the victims. Lee Yong-soo, one of the few surviving victims of Japan’s wartime sexual slavery policy, harshly criticized the agreement, saying “The agreement does not reflect the views of former ’comfort women’. I will ignore it completely.” Ms. Lee condemned the deal as amounting to “a second death of the victims.” The latest agreement indeed does not incorporate any of the demands which include official apologies, legal reparations, and guarantees of non-recurrence. The victims have consistently put forward these demands since making their past agony public for the first time in 1991. According to the recent agreement, the Japanese government did promise to provide JPY 1 billion (around 8.3 million USD) for a new special fund to be set up for a foundation for the surviving “comfort women”. However, Mr. Fumio Kishida, Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs, made it clear that the money was not legal reparation , and still refuses to recognize Japan’s legal responsibility for wartime sexual slavery. However, the governments of both countries have concluded that the latest agreement will be the “final and irreversible” resolution to the “comfort women” issues, thus inviting mounting criticism from inside and outside the ROK.
We would like to remind you that the latest agreement on “comfort women” does not even satisfy the UN recommendations regarding Japan’s wartime sexual slavery and related issues which were made in the past. Different human rights mechanisms of the UN have condemned the acts of wartime sexual slavery committed by Japan as “crimes against humanity,” and recommended that the Japanese government acknowledge its legal responsibility, make formal reparations to the victims, and prosecute the parties responsible for such crimes. During its review on Japan in July 2014, the UN Human Rights Committee noted that most “comfort women” were recruited by, transported to, and managed at Japanese military bases or agencies working on behalf of the Japanese military through force and coercion, and expressed concerns at the Japanese government’s continued denial that these women were “ever mobilized or migrated by force” (CCPR/C/JPY/CO/6, para 11). In August 2014, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination expressed its concerns that the Japanese government had not recognized nor apologized to “comfort women”, and urged the Japanese government to immediately conclude investigations and bring to justice those responsible for human rights violations (CERD/C/JPN/CO/7-9, para 18).
We would also like to point out that the UN and the international community at large uphold a consistent set of victim-centered principles and standards with respect to the rights of victims of human rights violations.
In February 2005, the UN Commission on Human Rights (now the UN Human Rights Council) adopted “Principles for the protection and promotion of human rights through action to combat impunity” (E/CN.4/2005/102/Add.1), followed by “Basic Principles and Guidelines on the Right to a Remedy and Reparation for Victims of Gross Violations of International Human Rights Law and Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law” (A/60/509/Add.1) adopted by the UN General Assembly in December 2005. These two documents endorse the “victim-centered perspective” in international human rights law, and emphasize the victims’ right to justice, right to reparation, and right to know. These documents also stress as essential principles the need to give victims restitution, compensation, rehabilitation, reparation, and redress.
Since its establishment in 2002, the International Criminal Court has also stressed the need for victim participation in all phases of investigation and judicial procedures. “The Chicago Principles on Post-Conflict Justice 2001-2008”, which provide basic guidelines on the handling of atrocities perpetrated under authoritarian rule and amid armed conflicts, also emphasize: “Policies that seek justice for past violations should be victim-centered and should address victims’ rights to remedies and reparations.”
We note with serious concern that your remarks on "welcoming" the recent agreement between the ROK and Japan, and lauding it as a “courageous decision” by the South Korean President are not in line with the human rights principles and positions the UN and the international community have accumulated so far.
We would therefore like to request your response to the following questions to further clarify your position.
1. Do you think that the recent agreement between South Korea and Japan satisfy the UN-emphasized principles of the rights of the victims of human rights violations and properly address war crime legacies and past recommendations made by the UN human rights mechanisms to Japan?
2. According to the briefing issued by the Presidential Blue House of the ROK, you phoned the President of the ROK to discuss the recent agreement. Have you done the same with the Prime Minister of Japan? If so, what exactly was discussed or remarked in the latter conversation? If no such conversation took place with the Prime Minister of Japan, why have you had such a conversation with the President of the ROK and not with the Prime Minister of Japan?
3. The UN Secretary-General is obligated to make efforts to promote human rights in all Member States. Therefore, some argue that the UN Secretary-General should help invalidate the recent agreement between the ROK and Japan that seems to condone war crimes. What do you think of this argument?
4. Is the Secretary-General inclined to urge both the government of the Republic of Korea and Japanese governments to resolve the “comfort women” issues through official apologies, legal reparations, and guarantees of non-recurrence from the Japanese state through processes that are actually based upon victim participation?
We thank you for your reply in advance and look forward to hearing back from you at the earliest possible time. If you have any questions or would like clarification, please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected] or +82 (0)2 723 4250.
Yours sincerely,
Ms. Hyunback Jung
Co-Representative
People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy
South Korean Civil Society’s Declaration against the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) between the Government of the Republic of Korea and the Government of Japan
Immediately cease the GSOMIA negotiation
(16 November 2016, Seoul) We, 225 public figures and 113 civil society organisations, call upon Park Geun-hye administration to stop the signing of dogmatic, undemocratic and unpeaceful General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) between the Government of the Republic of Korea and the Government of Japan. Both governments held the first meeting in Tokyo on 1st of November, the second meeting in Seoul on 9th of November, the third meeting in Tokyo on 14th of November and tentatively initialed the GSOMIA. The Park administration has already requested the legislative office for examination in an aim to ratify the GSOMIA within this month. We strongly condemn the government’s undemocratic decision and warn the Government to immediately stop negotiation on the GSOMIA.
We strongly protest against the way how negotiation process has been carried out in an unfair and non-transparent manner. As we all recall, this Agreement was secretly carried out to the point of initialing by Lee Myung-bak administration in 2012 and was ceased due to the strong opposition from the people. People were outraged by the fact that the government pushed ahead with the agreement without consensus from the general public with the power vested and the national assembly as the representative body of the government.
This undemocratic behavior is repeated and getting even worse. The Ministry of National Defense, which is mainly responsible for the GSOMIA has vowed until recently that forming general public consensus is crucial and that the “signing the GSOMIA can only be proceeded with conditions established.” Regardless, the Park Geun-hye administration has disregarded such conditions and without any attempt to reach a general public’ s consensus, it has decided to continue signing the GSOMIA like a military operation.
While South Korean people are angered and shocked by the recent Presidential scandal, the GSOMIA is being enforced. As proved by a million protesting on 12th of November, majority of people are calling for the President’s immediate resignation. As the Park administration has failed to carry out the constitutional responsibility bestowed by the people, it is not qualified to proceed the GSOMNIA. Paradoxically speaking, this GSOMIA negotiation clearly proves that the President must not be involved both in domestic and international affairs.
We are extremely concerned about the negative impact of the GSOMIA. The government has granted indulgence through abruptly settling on the Agreement on ‘comfort women’ to Abe Shinzo administration in Japan, which has been right wing-led and distorted its history of aggression. Signing the GSOMIA will rather encourage Japan’s remilitarization and exercise of collective self-defense. As the most affected victims of Japanese imperialism, we will not accept the government to blindly take such actions.
The GSOMIA will instigate the possible new cold war in Northeast Asia. Republic of Korea is the closest neighboring country to North Korea, an explicit enemy of the US-Japan alliance, and China and Russia, strategic competitor countries of US. The reason for the US-Japan alliance to include South Korea in their military strategy largely lies in geopolitical factor. The Korean Peninsula will be a strategic advantage as battle front and troop as the last resort. The South Korea-US-Japan Military Information Sharing Pact signed in 2014 and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) deployment decision made in this July are in the same context. Such South Korea’s trilateral alliance may raise increasing concern in strengthening the trilateral alliance between North Korea, China and Russia. The result will be a new cold war in Northeast Asia and exacerbation of arms race as well as permanent loss of peace on the Korean Peninsula. As the victim of cold war, we will not allow the re-emergence of a new cold war.
Some may assert that military cooperation with Japan is necessary in a pragmatic approach against the acceleration of North Korea’s missile and nuclear weapon threats. Nevertheless, the GSOMIA for trilateral missile defense system establishment will not assure South Korea’s safety. According to a report published by the US Congress Research Service (CRS) in June, 2013, it is assured that “South Korea might not benefit as much, because it is so close to North Korea that incoming missiles would likely fly on a lower trajectory and could arrive in a matter of minutes.” Considering our reality that we are still under ceasefire, this is a valid criticism.
Military approach like the GSOMIA will clearly not stop North Korea’s nuclear development. This is just expansive reproduction of a failed policy. This will only lead to self-harm result in the Korean Peninsula. This will erupt cold war in Northeast Asia in reality and waste valuable resources that should be utilized for welfare and proliferation of humanity not for military competition.
The cooperation between South Korea-Japan and South Korea-US-Japan should not head in such direction. The objective of cooperation should be focused on peace and the means should be through diplomatic channels. Six-party talks should be resumed as it has been discontinued for about past eight years and relations between North and South Korea, North Korea and the US as well as North Korea and Japan should be resolved.
However, the Park administration has clearly proved that it has no will or capability to do so. It is gradually being disclosed that a shadowy advisor who is at the center of the corruption scandal has exerted extensive influence on domestic and international affairs but the government is still attempting to sign the GSOMIA. '
We will never accept such a historical regression. We can no longer trust the government that has lost ability to realize the seriousness of the issue and the President Park Geun-hye has no credibility, qualification or capability as a leader of this country.
Item 6 : Consideration of the Universal Periodic Review outcome of Republic of Korea
Oral Statement Delivered by Ms. Rosanna Ocampo on Behalf of
South Korean NGO Coalition for the 3rd Cycle of the UPR
Mr President, FORUM-ASIA delivers this statement together with the South Korean NGO Coalition for the 3rd Cycle of the UPR. We appreciate the government of the Republic of Korea’s efforts to engage with civil society in the UPR process. However, we regret that some of our key concerns have been ignored.
Despite deep concerns expressed by numerous states, the Republic of Korea has merely noted recommendations to abolish the death penalty and the National Security Law ; to adopt a comprehensive anti-discrimination law, which also addresses discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity ; and to allow civilian alternative service for conscientious objectors to military service. Furthermore, the government has not accepted recommendations to improve the human rights of migrants and their families.
We welcome the government’s support for recommendations on freedom of expression, and freedom of assembly and peaceful association, including to ratify four ILO core conventions. We welcome its commitment to protect human rights defenders, and to investigate excessive use of state force against human rights defenders and trade union representatives. We also look forward to the adoption of a comprehensive strategy to prevent gender-based violence. However, the government has yet to implement concrete measures on any of these issues.
Civil society in the Republic of Korea calls upon the government to develop a concrete and time-bound implementation plan in consultation with the national human rights institution and civil society organisations. We look forward to further engagement with the government and the international community in following up on UPR recommendations.
Thank you.
Thursday, 15 March 2018
South Korean NGO Coalition for the 3rd Cycle of the UPR
GPPAC Northeast Asia Statement Welcoming the 2018 Inter-Korean Summit
Supporting new hope for peace on the Korean Peninsula,
towards a peaceful, nuclear-weapons free Northeast Asia
April 28, 2018
The Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC) Northeast Asia, a network of civil society organizations working for peace and dialogue in the region, wholeheartedly congratulates the leaders of the DPRK and the ROK, as well as the Korean people, for the historic achievement of the “Panmunjeom Declaration for Peace, Prosperity and Unification of the Korean Peninsula” issued following the Inter-Korean Summit of April 27, 2018 at the Peace House on the southern side of Korea's Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). The Summit contributed to a significant reduction of tensions and indeed avoidance of the catastrophe of a potential nuclear war. Furthermore, it showed the world the true impact of committed leadership and diplomacy, and the direct, personal meeting between the leaders of both Koreas sent a powerful wave of emotion around the world.
The landmark steps of goodwill and promises for action shown on this day mark a historic moment, and the beginning of a “new era of peace” for the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia. A peaceful resolution of the ongoing tensions on the Korean Peninsula, and a shift from the current Armistice regime to a permanent peace regime, is vital for the security not only of both Koreas, but for the Northeast Asia region as a whole. We strongly welcome the declaration to bring a swift end to the war on the Korean Peninsula, and realize a peace treaty, as well as the concrete steps outlined to end hostilities and encourage active cooperation. Concrete steps including the establishment of a joint liaison office, continued high-level dialogue, and active contacts will mark the historic start of this new area.
Reaffirmation of the common goal of attaining a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula through “complete denuclearization” is greatly encouraging. We also share the view that the DPRK's measures to cease nuclear and missile tests are important steps for reducing tensions. We sincerely hope that these developments will be followed by clear commitments for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and for nuclear disarmament by all related parties. Both Koreas could celebrate complete denuclearization by together signing the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. We call on other parties in the region to also do so, as a step towards the future establishment of a Nuclear-Weapon-Free-Zone in Northeast Asia.
The encouragement of more active cooperation in social, economic and cultural fields is also significant, as are the steps outlined regarding practical implementation of previous agreements. We underline the role played by cultural exchange in creating the positive environment for the Inter-Korean Summit. Having organized regional civil society meetings at joint sites such as Mt Kumgang and the Kaesong Industrial Complex, we can directly testify to their significance as symbolic spaces for interaction between people from both Koreas and internationally, as well as for concrete cooperation and the development of joint inter-Korean institutions – important steps towards eventual unification. We therefore welcome commitments to expand such activities, such as on June 15 and other upcoming events. The clear declaration to restart reunions for tragically separated families, and solve humanitarian issues on the peninsula, are also crucial steps forward.
GPPAC Northeast Asia, with members from throughout the region including both Koreas, pledges to continue to do all we can to support diplomacy and the creation of an environment in which the Panmunjeom Declaration, as well as past agreements and future efforts to build peace, can be realized. In 2018, we will continue to convene the Ulaanbaatar Process, our civil society dialogue for regional peace and stability, to complement official processes towards the development of a peaceful, nuclear-free Northeast Asia.
We call upon the international community to undertake all efforts to support the implementation of the Panmunjeom Declaration, as well as previous joint agreements. The success of this Summit should be carried on to the upcoming US-DPRK discussions, which we sincerely hope will conclude with concrete steps towards denuclearization and a peace treaty for the Korean Peninsula. Space should be ensured for all stakeholders, including GPPAC members, civil society, states and the United Nations, to make utmost efforts to build on this success, and work towards the establishment of regional peacebuilding mechanisms for Northeast Asia.
The Summit is a powerful symbol of a process to overcome conflict and achieve peace through shifting from reaction to prevention. We sincerely believe that the realization of peace on the Korean Peninsula will develop into peace for the Northeast Asian region, and in turn contribute to momentum for building peace and security around the world.
PSPD strongly condemns the announcement of the abrupt withdrawal of the US from the DPRK-US Summit
On May 24 President Donald Trump of the United States canceled the summit scheduled to take place on June 12 in Singapore with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, shortly after ROK-US summit in Washington DC and North Korea's destruction of its Punggye-ri nuclear test facility. This act is very rude and clearly goes against all the efforts and world’s support for the peace process on the Korean Peninsula. The People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy (PSPD) strongly condemns the abrupt announcement by the US on its withdrawal from the planned DPRK-US summit and urges the US to return to the summit.
President Donald Trump wrote that he was pulling out of the meeting because of North Korea’s recent “tremendous anger and open hostility.” It was, however, the US who actually provoked North Korea, by mentioning the "Libya Model" and "abandoning nuclear weapons first, compensating afterwards." The hostile communication between DPRK and US is the very reason the DPRK-US summit is necessary.
We, the Korean people, who wholeheartedly welcomed the inter-Korean summit and the Panmunjeom Declaration in April, are now deeply disappointed by the recent ROK-US “Max Thunder” joint military exercise, the cancellation of high-level inter-Korean talks, and the sudden cancellation of the DPRK-US summit. Through the inter-Korean summit, we have affirmed the power of dialogue. We believe that the only realistic way to alleviate the military tension surrounding the Korean Peninsula and to establish permanent peace and denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula is through dialogue and negotiation. The dialogue must go on.
참여연대 평화군축센터는 뉴욕 유엔 본부에서 열리는 2015 핵확산금지조약 검토회의(NPT Review Conference)에 참가해 시민사회 단체들이 각국 대표부에게 공식적으로 의견을 개진할 수 있는 구두발언 자리에서 아래와 같은 구두발언문을 발표했습니다. (2015년 5월 1일)
저는 대한민국 서울에 있는 참여연대 백가윤 간사입니다. 이 발언문은 참여연대와 평화와통일을여는사람들(평통사)가 공동으로 작성하고 전세계 300여명이 넘는 개인들과 100여개가 넘는 단체들이 연명한 공동 선언문을 요약한 것입니다.
참여연대는 현재 한반도에서 지속되고 있는 정전체제에 깊은 우려를 표하며 관련 정부들에게 핵없는 동북아시아를 실현하기 위해 한국 전쟁을 끝낼 것을 촉구합니다.
지난 20여년간 한반도 핵문제를 평화롭게 해결하기 위한 다양한 추가적인 합의가 있었지만 제대로 이행되지 않았습니다. 결과적으로 북한은 3차례의 핵실험을 강행하였습니다. 한반도 핵 위기는, 적어도 어느 일방이 아니라 미국과 북한, 남한과 북한, 주변국과 북한 사이의 누적된 불신에 의해 악화되어 왔다고 볼 수 있습니다. 이는 단순히 한 국가의 문제가 아닙니다. 모든 국가들이 책임을 져야 합니다.
지난 20여년간 미국의 동맹국과 파트너들이 주로 동원해온 압박과 봉쇄, 핵우산과 재래식 군비의 강화 같은 일방적 대북정책 수단들은 북한 핵문제를 둘러싼 갈등의 해결에 전혀 효과적으로 작동하지 않았습니다. 적어도 협상과 대화가 진행되는 동안은 북한의 핵무기 개발이 중단되었습니다. 반면, 적대적인 정책과 제재가 가해지는 동안에는 북한은 핵 능력을 키워갔습니다. 특히 체제 붕괴 혹은 전환 같은 주관적인 기대를 품은 채 대화를 배제하는 정책은 사태를 크게 악화시켰습니다.
북한으로부터 긍정적인 답변을 이끌어내기 위해서는 양쪽 모두가 동의할 수 있는 새로운 형태의 대화, 대담하고도 건설적인 제안이 이뤄져야 합니다. 이 새롭고 포괄적인 해결책은 한반도의 평화 체제 구축, 북미‧북일 관계의 정상화, 그리고 동아시아의 핵위협을 제거하는 것에 바탕을 두어야 합니다.
이에 저희는 다음과 같이 제안합니다.
한반도 핵 위기 해결을 위하여 2005년 9.19합의에 입각한 6자회담을 조속히 재개해야 한다.
정전체제 종식과 새로운 평화협정 체결을 위한 남‧북‧미‧중 등 관련당사국간의 회담을 6자회담과 동시에 혹은 선제적으로 추진해야 한다.
북미, 북일 관계의 포괄적 관계 개선을 위한 양자대화를 6자회담과 동시에 혹은 선제적으로 추진해야 한다.
남과 북은 대화와 협력을 확대하고 주변국은 이를 적극 지원해야 한다.
한반도와 동아시아의 군비경쟁을 촉발하는 미사일 방어 협력을 비롯한 한미일 군사협력/동맹 추진을 중단해야 한다.
동아시아 평화의 보루인 일본 평화헌법을 무력화하는 일본의 집단적 자위권 추구를 허용하지 말아야 한다.
한반도 비핵화 논의는 한반도 혹은 동북아시아 차원의 비핵지대 건설의 전망 속에 이루어져야 한다.
한반도 평화협정 체결과 병행하여 남북이 각각 맺은 상호적대적인 군사동맹을 단계적으로 해소하고, 한반도와 동아시아의 공동안보에 기여하는 호혜적이고 평화적인 관계로 전환해야 한다.
이제는 한국전쟁을 끝내고 핵무기 없는 동북아시아로 한걸음 나아가야 할 때입니다. 우리는 여기 계신 여러분 모두가 핵무기 없는 동북아시아를 만들기 위해 우리의 제안에 동의하고 연의 마음으로 함께 해 주시기를 촉구합니다.
Tuesday, 14 February, 2023, Korea Press Foundation
As 2023 marks the 70th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice, the <South Korean Committee on June 15th Joint Declaration> and the <Korea Peace Appeal Campaign> launched a new project <Korea Peace Action for the 70th Anniversary of the Armistice>. A press conference was held where many religious and civil society representatives, who have been endeavoring for peace in the Korean Peninsula, participated and gathered eager to rebuild hope of peace over the threat of war. 735 organizations nationwide are a part of the <Korea Peace Appeal Campaign>.
Our main goal is to resolve the threat of war and build peace. As a joint civil society, we plan to continue the signature campaign but more intensively, and organize other various peace actions. The <Korea Peace Appeal Campaign> will warn the danger of the present crisis, create domestic and foreign public opinions for the peace of the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia, and gather voices of opposition toward the recent rapid promotions of the military cooperation between South Korea, the US, and Japan. This year we will be manifesting the following actions:
Korea Peace Appeal Signature Campaign Actions urging suspension of the ROK-US Combined Military Exercises and ROK-US-Japan Military Cooperation Korea peace actions in 300 cities worldwide comprising 100 overseas (June-July) Saturday, 22 July 2023, Massive Peace Rally and Parade Thursday, 27 July 2023, International Conference 15 August 2023 (TBD), Massive Peace Rally
Korea Peace Action for the 70th Anniversary of the Armistice Declaration
Let’s resolve the threat of war and build peace in the Korean Peninsula
70 long years have passed since the roar of gunfire coming from the three-year war in Korea stopped. The past 70 years were certainly not a peaceful period but a temporary ceasefire. Due to the fear and anxiety that the war could outbreak any time soon, the neverending hostility and military tension, and the internal and external challenges leveraging and goading these unstable conditions, everyone living on the Korean Peninsula had to cope with the immense pain and expense.
When the South and North Korean Leaders, and the North Korean and US leaders discussed a transfer to a new relationship at the Panmunjom Declaration of 27 April, the Pyongyang Joint Declaration of 19 September, the Singapore Joint Statement of 12 June, the Korean people saw a single thread of hope that the tension and danger of war, which had been crushing us, would disappear and a peacefully coexisting future unlock. Despite the North-South and North-US Agreement, dialogues were adjourned on account of the different views on corresponding measures, and as the power-to-power confrontations intensify, the present Korean Peninsula is falling into great despair. We are not even sure if the unstable ceasefire will be maintained. A sense of crisis that there is no guarantee an accidental collision could turn into a terrible disaster from a nuclear war is oppressing every life and existence on this land.
No methods of dialogue are left between the North-South and North-US. Moreover, the global environment is restraining us. Amidst the Russia-Ukraine war and the US-China conflict, the possibility of Korea being used as a proxy battlefield for international-level military tensions and new Cold War confrontations is greater than ever. However, there is no sound of a practical and active solution to ease tension, prevent armed conflict, or create dialogue conditions.
The government of Yoon Suk Yeol clarified ‘Peace through Strength’ and massively expanded the scale of military exercise, propagandizing that military force can beget surrender. However, this has only aggravated the danger of military clashes in Korea. By stating the practicality of extended deterrence against nuclear and missile threats of North Korea, the Yoon Suk Yeol government has been justifying that we jump on the United States’ strategy against China and South Korea to be subordinated to the ROK-US-Japan military cooperation system. However, the danger of a nuclear arms race and nuclear war around the Korean Peninsula is proliferating. The result of pressure through power is merely the repetition of North Korea’s advancement in nuclear power and mutual armed protests. The only thing the Yoon Suk Yeol government proved so far is that they have no practical method nor capability to manage the crisis and bring peace.
We still have time to prevent conflict and disintegration. We also have a chance for dialogue and negotiation. The reason things got worse is that even after agreeing to a new relationship, the government hesitated to take corresponding measures to build trust, such as suspending the ROK-US joint military exercises, not the insufficiency of armed protest. We must stop the outbursts of armed protests. We must open the door to peace through bolder and more flexible confidence-building measures and pre-emptive easing of tensions. We must act to build peace. The more difficult it is to talk about peace, the more we must gather willingness toward peace from all social standings and reverberate the voice of people who demand peace.
As we launch the <Korea Peace Action for the 70th Anniversary of the Armistice>, we call for the following. We call for stopping hostilities. We call for immediate and faithful action to improve relations as agreed by two Koreas and North Korea and the US. We call for an end to a 70-year-old unstable ceasefire and an agreement on the peace treaty. We call for a Korean Peninsula and a world without nuclear weapons and nuclear threats. We call for restoring trust and resolving conflicts through dialogue and cooperation, not sanctions and military threats. Particularly, we call for a halt in the large-scale ROK-US combined military exercise and opening the way for dialogue toward peace. We call for stopping military cooperation between South Korea, the US, and Japan, which will lead to a new Cold War confrontation, and instead creating an order of cooperation in which the Korean Peninsula and Asia coexist peacefully. Please, we do not call for a destructive arms race, but we call for the safety of people and cooperation to overcome the climate crisis.
We will act. We will take action in the 1 million signature campaign for the Korea Peace Appeal. We will continue the peace declaration and solidarity of people from all social standings in many parts of the world, including 200 cities in Korea and 100 cities in overseas, in the online and offline space. We will work hard to stop ROK-US joint military exercises and military cooperation between South Korea, the US, and Japan, which are escalating tensions and confrontations on the Korean Peninsula and Asia. Marking the 70th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice in July this year, we will focus our actions so that the nation calling for peace on the Korean Peninsula and the voices of peace forces from all around the world can resonate all over the Korean Peninsula and the whole world.
If we seek peace, we can open the way to peace.
We decide our future.
Join us in the <Korea Peace Appeal Campaign>.
14 February 2023
From all Korea Peace Appeal Campaign organizations (total of 735)
Signature Campaign to End the Korean War Sign the Korea Peace Appeal Now endthekoreanwar.net
Korea Peace Appeal Campaign International Partners Meeting
70 years of the Korean War Armistice, Let’s Build Peace Together!
Korea Peace Appeal has scheduled a Zoom meeting for international partners.
Military tension on the Korean peninsula is elevating amid the never-ending ceasefire. The risk of an accidental armed conflict is very high. The prospect of peace on the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia is not so bright. There is a desperate need for voices calling for peace.
Marking the 70th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice this year, the Korea Peace Appeal Campaign has launched a new project <Korea Peace Action for the 70 years of the Korean War Armistice>. We plan to continue the Korea Peace Appeal signature campaign but more intensively, and organize various peace actions all over the world.
We aim to share awareness of the current situation and introduce our plan for 2023 and discuss ideas and opinions on building peace on the Korean Peninsula through the meeting.
Please join us in building peace together!
Program
Presentation : Current Crisis on the Korean Peninsula – Jae-Jung Suh (Professor for Politics and International Relations at International Christian University)
Presentation :2023 Plan and Introduction for International Participation – Korea Peace Appeal Campaign
Discussion
We have set two individual sessions considering the time difference. The two sessions will cover the same content! Please register for a session that suits your schedule by clicking on the link beside each session.
1st Session Register 30 March 2023 (Thu) 5pm (PDT) / 8pm (EDT) 31 March (Fri) 9am (KST)
(Seoul, 16 February 2016) After North Korea conducted its 4th nuclear test and launched a long-range rocket, the governments of South Korea and the US officially announced plans to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in South Korea. We are gravely concerned about the negative impact of this planned deployment in South Korea, and strongly urge both governments to avoid deploying this weapon as it will escalate tension on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia, and create further problems related to the North Korean nuclear issue.
The problems we foresee include:
1. Escalation of Military Tension in Northeast Asia
We note with concern that deployment of THAAD in South Korea will make this nation officially part of the Northeast Asia Missile Defense system, led by the US and Japan. This will inevitably escalate military tension between the US-South Korea-Japan and North Korea-China-Russia and the nuclear arms race in the region.
The US and South Korean governments continue to argue that deployment of the THAAD system in South Korea is a response to the existence of North Korean nuclear weapons and missiles. However, THAAD is not an effective tool to defend against North Korean ballistic missiles targeting South Korea, due to its short range and low peak altitude.
Both governments also insist that China has no need to worry as THAAD radars can be fixed towards North Korea and deployed in terminal mode with low detectable range. However, a multitude of experts contend that it is easy to change terminal mode to forward-based mode, putting most Chinese territory under detectable range, regardless of THAAD’s location in South Korea.
We believe the main purpose of THAAD in South Korea will be to use the AN/TPY2 radar to identify and trace in the early stages any mid- to long-range ballistic missile from China or North Korea heading to the US mainland or US army bases in Japan or Guam. Based on information provided by the South Korean government to the US and Japan, the rate of interception by the US Missile Defense strategy will increase.
2. More Difficulty in Resolving Nuclear Issues on the Korean Peninsula
We emphasize that deployment of the THAAD system in South Korea will make it more difficult to resolve nuclear issues on the peninsula, especially due to the strong opposition from China. China has been managing North Korea’s brinkmanship diplomacy through coordination of the Six-Party Talks and support for or even pressure on North Korea. Deployment of THAAD in South Korea will remove the motivation for China to play an active role in continuing to manage North Korea’s nuclear activity or play a constructive role in reopening the 6-party talks. In addition, rather than resolving the North Korean nuclear issue, deploying THAAD in South Korea will justify to North Korea the importance of developing the quality and increasing the numbers of its nuclear weapons to overwhelm the missile defense system.
Fundamentally, the North Korean nuclear crisis is the result of hostile relations between North Korea and the US. These hostile relations on the Korean peninsula can be resolved through dialogue and negotiations between the relevant stakeholders, including North Korea and the US. /END/
The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), the winner of the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize, will present a plan for the comprehensive, verifiable and permanent denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula at a press conference in Singapore on Monday, June 11. The Korean Peninsula Denuclearization Roadmap or “5R plan," was developed with input from leading nuclear disarmament experts from around the world. It lays out clear steps for the negotiating parties, Northeast Asia region, and the entire world to take in order to completely and irreversibly end the threat of nuclear war on the Korean Peninsula and in the region.
ICAN’s five steps to denuclearise the Korean peninsula
Peace is a complex process. If Trump and Kim really want tomorrow’s summit to do more than just capture the world’s attention, they must embark on a long-term plan to real and lasting peace. Denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula is possible, and can be achieved through following five steps:
Recognize the risk of nuclear use and the unacceptable humanitarian consequences of such use
Reject nuclear weapons by joining the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW)
Remove North Korea’s nuclear weapons through a verifiable and irreversible plan
Ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty
Rejoin the NPT and world community
Below, we give a brief description of what each step will entail. Or download the full roadmap including expert commentary.
Each step in a nutshell
#1 Recognize that nuclear weapons pose an unacceptable risk to humanity
The start to solving any problem is admitting that there is one. North Korea and the US must both recognize the risks and unacceptable humanitarian consequences of any use of nuclear weapons.
#2 Reject nuclear weapons, join the Nuclear Ban Treaty
Rather than risk the kind of disputes over verification and compliance that led to the collapse of previous talks, the United States and North Korea should agree to use a multilateral process through the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). The treaty, adopted by the UN in 2017, forbids the development, testing, possession, use, and threatening to use nuclear weapons. North and South Korea should immediately join the TPNW, rejecting any role for nuclear weapons in their security policies.
By joining the treaty, North Korea would commit to immediately cease any development, production, and manufacture of nuclear weapons, and irreversibly eliminating its nuclear weapons program. North Korea would be obliged to conclude and implement the highest level of IAEA non-proliferation safeguards.
South Korea would be obliged to reject the potential use of nuclear weapons on its behalf by the United States,i.e. to opt out of the US “nuclear umbrella”. The ROK would not have to end its military alliance with the United States; the TPNW does not prohibit military cooperation with nuclear-armed states and/or non-party states. The ROK could continue to rely on US extended deterrence, but not extended nucleardeterrence.
Together, these undertakings would denuclearise the Korean peninsula.
#3 Remove North Korea’s nuclear weapons in a verifiable and irreversible way
Under the TPNW, North Korea would work with a competent international authority to develop and implement a time-bound, verifiable, and irreversible plan for the total elimination of its nuclear-weapon programme. The international community would play a key role in this process by verifying the elimination of North Korea’s nuclear-weapon programme. While this is a big step, that obviously depends on North Korea’s full cooperation and willingness to disarm, verified destruction of the North Korea’s nuclear weapons could be accomplished in as little as a few years.
#4 Ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty
The United States and DPRK should both commit never to test nuclear weapons by ratifying the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. Ceasing all nuclear-weapon test explosions would provide an effective measure of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. As a legally-binding instrument founded on a robust verification system, the CTBT would also help overcome the trust deficit that is a real impediment to progress on denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.
#5 Rejoin the NPT and world community
Following the elimination of its nuclear weapons, North Korea should rejoin the Non-Proliferation Treaty. The United States should pursue multilateral nuclear disarmament negotiations as stipulated by NPT Article VI.
The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) is a coalition of non-governmental organizations in one hundred countries promoting adherence to and implementation of the United Nations nuclear weapon ban treaty. This landmark global agreement was adopted in New York on 7 July 2017. The campaign was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize 2017, for their “groundbreaking efforts to achieve a treaty-based prohibition” of nuclear weapons. PSPD is also ICAN partner organization. More information about ICAN can be found at: www.ICANw.org
<div class="xe_content"><h1>Statement Welcoming the DPRK-US Hanoi Summit</h1>
<h1>Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC)</h1>
<p> </p>
<p style="text-align:right;">February 25, 2019</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC), a global network of civil society peacebuilding organisations, welcomes the historic convening of the Second DPRK-US Summit in Hanoi, Viet Nam on February 27-28. Following on from the meeting of the leaders of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the United States (US) in Singapore in June, 2018, this is an important next step to ensure that diplomatic efforts are made to proceed with the peace process for the Korean Peninsula. We recognise and applaud the efforts of those who have enabled this environment for peace and dialogue, including those of the government and citizens of the Republic of Korea. We strongly hope that this upcoming Summit will result in detailed, concrete steps, including specifically a deal to finally put an end to the Korean War.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>We call on the United States to take steps towards lifting of sanctions - particularly those which are proving obstacles to the improvement of Inter-Korean relations, including the reopening of joint Korean initiatives such as the economic zone at Kaesong, tourism and exchange at Mount Kumgang, and other civil exchange activities. The Summit should also make steps towards the normalisation of relations between the DPRK and the US, including concrete initiatives such as the establishment of reciprocal liaison offices. This will in turn promote the transformation of relations between the DPRK and its regional neighbours, including the normalisation of relations between the DPRK and Japan.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The Summit must also result in concrete and detailed measures towards the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, including a roadmap of steps to be taken by both parties. Such steps towards denuclearisation should be grounded in international law. We advocate for the establishment of a Nuclear Weapons-Free Zone (NWFZ) in Northeast Asia, which would greatly contribute to confidence building and the development of regional mechanisms for peace and security.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Agreements made by governments can be delayed or impacted by various factors. In order to ensure that the results of the summit are sustainable and fully implemented, we also hope that each government will recognise the importance of the resumption of civil exchange, and the involvement of civil society in the peace process. Such participation will ensure that the respective societies can work towards the vision of pursuing a common, cooperative security, and building peace not only for the Korean Peninsula but for the broader Northeast Asian region. As civil society organisations working to build peace in the region and around the world, we pledge to make all efforts to support this peace process, and ensure that it continues to move forward, towards bringing about a genuine, irreversible and sustainable peace for Korea and for the world.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Statement <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MlCEzfsPU6NFFercOPkwf8UpW1eQsciUG1Y…; target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[See and Download]</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.peoplepower21.org/Peace/1613600" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Korean Ver >></a></p>
<p> </p></div>
The governments of the United States and South Korea will conduct a large-scale ROK-US Combined Military Exercise, Freedom Shield (FS), beginning March 13. According to the media, during this period, the ROK-US Combined Forces Command will practice scenarios such as beheading the North Korean leadership, ousting commanders, and stabilization operations in North Korea, and will also intensively conduct a large-scale field exercise named Warrior Shield (WS). US Strategic assets including strategic bombers are expected to be part of the exercise, and the ROK-US-Japan Ballistic Missile Defence drill has also been announced for later this month.
In response, on 7 March 2023, the held a press conference in front of the Yongsan Presidential Office and issued a joint statement. Military tensions on the Korean Peninsula are very high and are heading towards power-to-power confrontation without any measures to prevent a conflict. It is imperative that the ROK-US Combined Military Exercises are immediately suspended before they lead to a larger crisis. Suspending the ROK-US Combined Military Exercises could be a decisive step in reopening the door to dialogue and diplomacy between the two Koreas and the US and DPRK.
The joint statement was proposed by the <Korea Peace Appeal Campaign>, <Korea Peace Now Grassroots Network>, <Peace Treaty Now> and was endorsed by 745 South Korean organizations and 99 US and international civil society organizations. The statement was also delivered to the Office of the South Korean President and the US Embassy in Seoul.
ROK·US·International Civil Society Statement
Call to Resolve the Threat of War on the Korean Peninsula and Suspend ROK-US Combined Military Exercises
As people who act for peace in South Korea, the US, and worldwide, we are deeply concerned about the elevating military tension on the Korean Peninsula. We must suspend all military actions, including ROK-US Combined Military Exercises.
Despite the opening toward peace through the Inter-Korean and DPRK-US Summits in 2018, the once-discontinued ROK-US Combined Military Exercises resumed in just a year, and the relationship between the two Koreas and the DPRK-US has progressively deteriorated. Last year, North Korea withdrew its four-year commitment to suspend nuclear tests and ICBM test launches because of the US hostile policy and military threats.
The situation is getting worse after the inauguration of the Yoon Suk-yeol government. Both the US and South Korea announced plans to expand the scale of ROK-US Combined Military Exercises and enhance the Extended Deterrence Strategy, and for the first time in 5 years, military exercises with aircraft carriers and strategic bombers have resumed on the Korean Peninsula. North Korea has also declared corresponding military operations and started military exercises. Although it was in the open sea, North and South Korea exchanged missile launches close to their rivals’ sea border, causing tensions to ratchet up even further. At that time, a failed missile launch from South Korea crashed in Gangneung, leaving the residents in the dark for hours, terrified. Moreover, North and South Korea have crossed the Military Demarcation Line by deploying unmanned aerial vehicles. At the 70th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice, the reality is that the armistice itself is at stake.
ROK and US authorities are claiming that the ROK-US Combined Military Exercises are annual defense drills, but the truth is different. It appears that the drills are based on operation plans that reportedly include pre-emptive strikes and decapitation measures against North Korea, large-scale deployment of US troops and strategic assets assuming an all-out war, etc. Over the last several decades, air force bombers like B-1B, B-2, and B-52 which are nuclear-capable, nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, nuclear-powered submarines, large-scale deployments of US-ROK troops, etc. were mobilized. Due to their size and character, the ROK-US Combined Military Exercises have intensified the military and political tension on the Korean Peninsula.
The ROK and US governments have given notice that they would carry out the most extensive field exercises in March by mobilizing the largest number of troops and strategic assets ever, and have already started several ROK-US Combined Military Exercises since January. ROK-US-Japan Military Cooperation has also developed to the level of a military alliance. North Korea is also taking military action, including missile drills, warning that “We will respond at all times and take strong overwhelming actions”.
The situation is rapidly moving toward great power confrontation with no countermeasures to prevent conflict. Large-scale military action mobilized with real weapons only increases the risk of accidental clashes. We know well how a show of force has led to war in the case of several countries. It is only a matter of time before an unprecedented military crisis or war transpires.
War exercises that heighten the threat of war on the Korean Peninsula must stop. We must acknowledge that isolation, military pressure, and sanctions have not accomplished peace and denuclearization in Korea but only brought about resistance from North Korea, and we must lay down our hostility.
Today, the entire world, including the Korean Peninsula, is facing complex crises such as climate, infectious disease, food, and economic crises. We cannot solve these crises unless we cooperate and stop blocization and military confrontations. In particular, the reality is that there is no information or controls on the carbon emitted during large-scale military training and war preparations, such as deploying strategic bombers. Military drills threaten the Earth and human beings, and they must stop.
We must end the Korean war that has afflicted all members of the Korean Peninsula for over 70 years, and redirect the cost of destructive weapons to solving inequality and the climate crisis. It is time to end hostility and confrontation and strive for a peaceful and sustainable world through reconciliation and cooperation.
The suspension of the ROK-US combined military exercises will play a decisive role in re-establishing the forum for dialogue and diplomacy between the two Koreas and between the DPRK and the US. We call on the ROK and US governments to choose wisely.
7 March 2023
Korea Peace Appeal Organizations in South Korea (745)
US Civil Society Organizations (48) Action One Korea American Peace Information Center Answer Coalition Atlanta Civic Action Channing and Popai Liem Education Foundation China-US Solidarity Network Coalition of Koreans in America (CKA) CODEPINK Education Center for Tomorrow Environmentalists Against War Friends Peace Teams-Asia West Pacific GA Peace Forum Gandhi Alliance for Peace Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space HOA–Hawaiʻi Okinawa Alliance Korea Peace Now Grassroots Network Korea Peace Now! Korea Policy Institute Korean American National Coordinating Council, Inc. Korean American Public Action Committee (KAPAC) Korean Americans for the Progressive Party of Korea (KAPP) KPNGN PNW Maine Natural Guard Massachusetts Peace Action Military Poisons MinKwon Center for Community Action New England Korea Peace Campaign NH Peace Action Nodutdol for Korean Community Development Parallax Perspectives Peace Action Peace Action of San Mateo County Peaceworkers Phil Berrigan Memorial Chapter Veterans For Peace Presbyterian Peace Network for Korea Proposition One Campaign for a Nuclear-Free Future RootsAction Seattle Evergreen Coalition Show Up! America The Least of These Church Justice & Peace Committee Utah Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (UCAN) Veterans For Peace, Spokane Chapter #35 Veterans For Peace’s Korea Peace Campaign Washington Butterfly for Hope Women Against War Women Cross DMZ Women for Genuine Security Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) US
International Civil Society Organizations (51) 6.15공동선언실천 해외측위원회 6.16공동선언실천 일본지역위원회 재일한국민주여성회 재일한국민주통일일연합 도쿄본부 재일한국민주통일일연합 중앙본부 한민족유럽연대 1923 Korea-Japan Citizens’ Solidarity Blue Banner, Mongolia Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), Canada Center for Peace Education, Philippines Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies (CPCS), Cambodia Commission 4 of the ILPS, Canada Coop Anti-War Cafe Berlin, Germany Freante Antiimperialista Internacionalista, Spain German East Asia Mission (DOAM), Germany Ingenieurkonsulent für Kulturtechnik und Wasserwirtschaft, Europe International Peace Bureau (IPB), Germany International Women’s Network against Militarism Northeast Asia Regional Peacebuilding Institute (NARPI) Peace Boat, Japan Peace Depot Inc. Japan Peace for East Asia (PEASIA), Canada Peace Treaty Now (PTN) Peace Women Across The Globe (PWAG), Switzerland Peace Women Partners, Philippines Prutehi Litekyan Save Ritidian, Guam Queen’s Collegiate, Canada Stop the War Coalition Philippines The Hwamok Fellowship The United Church of Canada Unity of Women for Freedom – Philippines Women Against Nuclear Power, Finland Women for Peace, Finland Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) Kyoto World Beyond War 福岡県日朝協会 原水爆禁止日本国民会議 日本朝鮮学術教育交流協会 日朝友好連帯群馬県民会議 日朝友好連帯埼玉県民会議 日朝友好連帯千葉県の会 日朝友好神奈川県民会議 朝鮮女性と連帯する日本婦人連絡会 朝鮮学校「無償化」排除に反対する連絡会 朝鮮の自主的平和統一支持する京都委員会 朝鮮の自主的平和統一を支持する日本委員会 朝鮮の自主的平和統一を支持する長野県民会議 平和憲法を守る荒川の会 戦争への道を許さない北・板橋・豊島の女たちの会 フォーラム平和・人権・環境
- [새누리당 공약이행 평가 프로젝트] 집권여당은 유권자와 한 약속, 얼마나 지켰나
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- [3분 총선] 총선 관한 모든 정보를 한 손에 (http://www.vote0413.net)
- [홈페이지] 열려라 국회 - 국회의원들의 성적표를 속속들이 보여드려요! (바로가기 클릭)
오늘 홍준표 경남지사를 소환하기 위한 주민소환 서명이 검수에 들어간다. 그 서명은 아집과 독선으로 똘똘 뭉쳐 패악을 일삼던 홍준표 지사를 심판하기 위해 수많은 사람들이 120일 동안 거리에서, 마을에서, 직장에서 하나하나 받았던 서명이다. 또한 그 서명은 안하무인 도지사에 의해 유린당한 도정을 끝내고 도민을 위한 민주적 도정이 실현되기를 바라는 36만 도민의 소중한 의지가 담긴 서명이다. 따라서 선관위는 서명 하나 하나를 소중히 여기고 빠른 시간 안에 검수를 마무리해야 할 것이다.
지난 20대 총선에서 국민의 민주를 향한 의지가 강하게 표출되었으며 우리는 총선을 통해 국민들의 민주에 대한 염원이 얼마나 강한지를 알 수 있었다. 경남에서도 새누리당은 도민에게 심판 당했다. 그리고 그것은 박근혜 정권의 독재회귀와 민생파탄에 대한 심판이자 패악적인 홍준표 도정에 대한 심판이었다. 그럼에도 불구하고 홍준표도지사의 막말은 이어지고 안하무인의 태도는 바뀌지 않고 있다. 홍준표 지사는 자신의 잘못을 뉘우치지도 않고 도민에게 사과하지도 않고 있다. 그는 스스로 변할 수 없음을 지금까지도 명확히 보여주고 있다.
하여 우리는 홍준표지사에 대한 아무런 기대도 하지 않는다. 다만 우리는 홍준표 소환의 그날을 기다린다. 도민의 손으로 홍준표를 심판하고 도민의 힘으로 민주적 도정을 세우는 그날을 손꼽아 기다린다. 다시는 홍준표와 같은 독선적 인물이 도정을 유린하고 패악을 일삼지 못하도록 단호히 응징하고 도민의 요구에 따라 도정이 이루어지는 민주적 도정을 튼튼한 반석위에 세우는 그날을 간절히 기다린다.
이제 민주는 거스를 수 없는 대세이고 흐름이다. 이제 민주는 거부할 수 없는 도민의 염원이자 요구이다. 선관위는 도민의 염원을 명심하고 신속하게 주민소환 서명에 대한 검수를 완료할 것을 요구한다.
End The Korean War, Let Us Peace!
Korea Peace Appeal Signature Campaign
Signature Campaign to End the Korean War
1st Session 
시민들의 의견
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