Didn’t the Korean War end in 1953? The answer is NO.
Why should we end the Korean War? Korea Peace Appeal Campaign prepared a Q&A.
What is the impact of the unresolved Korean War? How have the two Koreas been improving their relations? Why should the US and the DPRK improve their relations? Should the issue of North Korea’s nuclear program be resolved first to achieve peace on the peninsula? How does the Korea Peace interact with North Korea’s humanitarian and human rights situation? Join the Korea Peace Appeal Campaign!
Shining moments of the Korea Peace Appeal Campaign in 2022
“There is no way to peace. Peace is the way.”
Now, the moments that we’ve worked to make peace here. We gathered the main activities of the Korea Peace Appeal Campaign in 2022. Thank you for being with us this year.
2023 marks the 70th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice. It’s time to cheer up to ease military tension and open the road to peace.
The world doesn’t get better on its own. If we don’t say peace, Peace is not coming.
Let’s make hope of peace together!
Signature Campaign to End the Korean War Sign the Korean Peace Appeal Now endthekoreanwar.net
On 10 Jan, the Korea Peace Appeal Campaign and the South Korean Committee on June 15th Joint Declaration had a press conference <Let’s work together to resolve war crsis and realize peace on the Korean Peninsula>.
Thourogh the press conference, they expressed concerns about the current crisis and strongly urged “to stop all military threats aggravating tensions on the Korean Peninsula, stop provocative actions and start crisis management together.”
Let’s Work Together to Resolve the War Crisis and Realize Peace on the Korean Peninsula
January 10th, 2023
The new year has begun full of anxiety over war. The military crisis on the Korean Peninsula gets worse without an exit. The peninsula has reached a dangerous situation where tensions have simmered as all communication channels between South and North have been cut off. And a realistic solution to prevent armed conflict and rebuild the condition for dialogue is nowhere in sight. President Yoon Suk-yeol is creating more anxiety by continuing remarks such as ‘prepared for entering the war,’ ‘superior war preparation,’ ‘review of the suspension of the September 19 military agreement’ and so on. The Ministry of Unification is also raising tensions by mentioning measures like installing loudspeakers or allowing leaflets to be sent which might lead to clashes in the border area.
We gathered here today with a desperate heart of ‘No more war on the Korean Peninsula under any circumstance.’ It is difficult to predict what catastrophe will happen if any unexpected armed conflict should occur in a strained atmosphere. Amid a vicious circle in the form of a chicken game on the Korean Peninsula and deepening confrontation between the ROK-the US-Japan and the DPRK-China-Russia, Northeast Asia is increasingly becoming a powder keg of the world.
All military threats aggravating tensions on the Korean Peninsula must be stopped.We strongly urge that the parties concerned stop provocative actions and start crisis management together. Hostile policies and force projection operations can never be a solution but only worsen the vicious circle. The current crisis is the result of the collapse of mutual trust as negotiations have failed after the agreements were not kept and hostile policies continued. The hard-won inter-Korean and DPRK-US agreements in 2018 must be implemented. What we need are realistic measures and preemptive actions to ease military tensions and shift to a dialogue phase. In particular, the suspension of large-scale ROK-US joint military exercises will play a key role in improving relationships and setting conditions for dialogues.
We can’t just stand idly by and let this crisis happen with anxiety. The more difficult it is to speak about peace, the louder our voice for peace should be. Moreover, this year 2023 is the 70th anniversary of the signing of the Korean War Armistice Agreement. However, even the 70-year-old unstable armistice cannot be guaranteed to remain the same in the future. It is a moment when the voices calling for no war and the realization of peace, as well as the efforts of civil society from all spheres, are more desperate than ever.
At this potential flashpoint a way out seems hard found, the South Korean Committee on June 15th Joint Declaration and the Korea Peace Appeal Campaign propose ‘2023 Korea Peace Action for the 70th Anniversary of the Armistice (tentative)’ and earnestly urge everyone who wants peace to join us.
To resolve the war crisis and realize peace on the Korean Peninsula this year, we are carrying forward
an intensive signature campaign to oppose the war and realize peace on the Korean Peninsula demand to stop the ROK-US joint military exercises and ROK-US-Japan military cooperation simultaneous peace actions in 300 places around the world including 200 Korean cities and towns a massive peace rally and a march on 22 July, Saturday a large-scale peace action around 15 August
Through this, we would like to resolve the war crisis and create a new turning point for peace as we meet people from all over the nation to firmly organize the voice of peace and stand in solidarity with people across the globe who want peace on the Korean Peninsula and East Asia.
Starting with today’s press conference proposal, we will meet civil society organizations across the nation to bring together wisdom and hearts, and launch ‘2023 Korea Peace Action for the 70th Anniversary of the Armistice (tentative)’ on 14 February, Tuesday to get into our stride with actions. We request all sorts of religious and civil society organizations to participate in ‘2023 Korea Peace Action for the 70th Anniversary of the Armistice’ to discuss and seek actions that we can take together here and now, and to show the strong power of the peace-wanting people. Let’s overcome this unprecedented war crisis with remarkably wide and robust solidarity and joint action so that we can open the way for peace again.
On December 8 2022, in partnership with the Permanent Mission of Mongolia to the United Nations, the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC) organised a roundtable discussion titled Building and Sustaining Peace at the Regional Level: The Network Approach to Regional Coordination in Northeast Asia during an advocacy visit of Ulaanbaatar Process participants to New York City.
ⒸGPPAC Northeast Asia
This discussion was an informal dialogue to share the learning from the Ulaanbaatar Process with global peacebuilding policy experts within the United Nations, Member States and regional organisations. The conversation outlined critical avenues to support regional peacebuilding coordination in policy and shared practical experiences for practical action. The discussion also outlined persistent challenges of regional peacebuilding coordination, and discussed recommendations to develop solutions to strengthen peacebuilding work in Northeast Asia.
During the roundtable, remarks were shared by Ulziibayar Vangansuren, Permanent Mission of Mongolia to the United Nations; Ambassador Enkhsaikhan Jargalsaikhan, Chair of NGO Blue Banner and former Mongolian Permanent Representative to the UN; Sonja Bachmann, Teamleader Northeast Asia and Pacific, UN Department of Peacebuilding Political Affairs (DPPA); Kajita Natsuha, learning designer and facilitator; Kim Jeongsoo, Standing Representative, Women Making Peace and Hwang Sooyoung, Manager, Centers for Peace and Disarmament and for International Solidarity, People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy (PSPD).
ⒸGPPAC Northeast Asia
Based on the experiences from Northeast Asia, the following key elements build an effective regional peacebuilding architecture:
Multi-stakeholder coordination is required and must be based on complementarity among partners.
The network approach to peacebuilding must be at the core of regional coordination.
Inclusivity is key for effective regional peacebuilding networks.
The following recommendations have thus been identified for the strengthening of the regional peacebuilding mechanisms:
The UN should take a more active convening role to bring together regional actors, the UN, national governments, and civil society, among others, to coordinate actions better and ensure a stronger impact of peacebuilding activities. Where regional peacebuilding networks play an essential role in building the foundation for regional dialogue, the UN should provide technical and political accompaniment to ensure the commitment to action.
Improved funding mechanisms are needed to support the civil society organizations’ network approach. A network approach creates empowering and equitable spaces for exchanging expertise for more impactful and informed action, sharing resources and access points at various levels, and enabling and supporting communities committed to peace. Donors should reflect on how to improve funding mechanisms to support better civil society organizations engaged in regional peacebuilding networks, allowing them, through effective funding, to fill the gaps in the regional peacebuilding infrastructure. It is crucial to ensure that all regions are fairly represented in the international discussion on peacebuilding and are given international attention, as this also impacts funding availability.
The inclusion of women and youth is key in regional peacebuilding networks and should be supported. Although women are strongly affected by conflicts, they are often excluded from negotiations and peace processes, especially in highly patriarchal contexts. The inclusion of local women within peacebuilding initiatives is essential to ensure that their unique perspectives can have a real impact at the decision-making level. Likewise, the meaningful participation of young people in dialogue on equal terms is essential to achieve and sustain peace. Young people in all their diversities should be considered as drivers for change, and their contributions should be held as relevant and valuable. Donors should prioritise supporting regional peacebuilding dialogues that ensure the meaningful participation of women and youth at all stages of the process. The UN and its Member States should use their influence and international platforms to ensure that the unique perspectives of local women and youth peacebuilders are heard and taken into account in the decision-making processes.
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
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
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)
(Bangkok/Kathmandu – 16 January 2023) – The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) and 30 of its member organisations strongly condemn the Taliban’s recent ban on women and girls from higher education and employment in non-governmental organisations (NGOs). “The Taliban’s complete exclusion of women from public life, denying them their human rights and fundamental freedoms, can only be described as gender apartheid,” said the rights group in a statement today.
Since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021, the Taliban has been persistent in erasing women from public life, denying women’s and girls’ rights to health, education, employment, freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, association and movement.
On December 21, 2022, the Taliban announced an indefinite ban on all Afghan women and girls from attending universities in Afghanistan. Subsequently, on December 24, 2022, the Taliban banned women from working in all local and international NGOs. These actions are an extension of prior restrictions on women and girls from attending secondary schools, working in government positions, going to public parks, female baths and gyms, and travelling without a male guardian. The Taliban has also ordered women-run small businesses in Balkh province to close their shop, for many of whom it was their only source of income. They have also directed hospitals to ensure that male doctors are no longer allowed to treat female patients, putting into jeopardy women’s access to healthcare. The Taliban has disallowed Afghans from travelling abroad without a valid reason and put a blanket ban on women travelling independently. Since the Taliban’s takeover, many western scholarships were rescinded, and now with these bans, it has become impossible for Afghan women to take advantage of diminished opportunities.
A survey by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) in Afghanistan found that 86% of 151 women-led/focused organisations surveyed were not operating or were only partially operating as a result of the ban. The survey also revealed that 1 in 3 women-led/focus organisations surveyed had to stop more than 70% of their activities due to the ban. Furthermore, 31% of these organizations were forced to cease all activities.
“Such bans have far-reaching consequences for not just Afghan women, but for all Afghans as female staff are essential to all humanitarian assistance and response in the country. With no access to education or opportunities, the future of Afghan women appears grim. Under Taliban rule, the country has unabashedly become an open prison for Afghan women and minorities, as well as for journalists and human rights defenders,” said the rights groups.
The Taliban has violently oppressed the peaceful protests by Afghan women and human rights defenders against the education ban. On December 22, 2022, a group of nearly 50 women protestors who intended to gather outside Kabul University, were physically assaulted and harassed, and some of them were detained along with journalists covering the protests.
These moves by the Taliban are against Afghanistan’s international human rights obligations and backslide from the Taliban’s initial promises of allowing women and girls a right to public participation.
We strongly condemn the Taliban’s continued abuse of human rights and its exclusionary policies, especially against women and girls, and demand that these bans be revoked immediately. We call upon the international community to ensure that the Taliban is held accountable for its unabated and grave human rights abuses and ensure that:
Afghan women’s and girls’ right to education is upheld and to call for these bans to be lifted to ensure access to education for women and girls.
Afghan women’s right to employment and livelihood, including access to work in governmental and non-governmental organisations, are respected and they are allowed to continue their work freely, without any fear of retaliation.
Afghan women’s personal autonomy and fundamental freedoms are respected, including their right to movement and participation in public life.
The Taliban respects and adheres to Afghanistan’s national and international obligations and commitments to human rights and protects all fundamental rights of women, girls and all minorities.
List of signatories:
Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK), Bangladesh Association of Women for Awareness & Motivation (AWAM), Pakistan BALAOD Mindanaw, Philippines Bir Duino Kyrgyzstan, Kyrgyzstan Bir Duino, Kyrgyzstan Bytes for All, Pakistan Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC), Cambodia Center for Human Rights and Development (CHRD), Mongolia Centre for the Sustainable Use of Natural and Social Resources (CSNR), India Covenants Watch, Taiwan Defence of Human Rights, Pakistan Globe International Center, Mongolia Human Rights Alliance, Nepal Indonesia Legal Aid Foundation – Yayasan Lembaga Bantuan Hukum Indonesia (YLBHI), Indonesia Informal Sector Service Centre (INSEC), Nepal International Legal Initiative Public Foundation (ILI), Kazakhstan Jagriti Child and Youth Concern Nepal (JCYCN), Nepal Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights and Rule of Law, Kazakhstan Korean House for International Solidarity (KHIS), South Korea Madaripur Legal Aid Association (MLAA), Bangladesh Maldivian Democracy Network, the Maldives National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP), Pakistan Odhikar, Bangladesh PBHI (Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association), Indonesia People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy (PSPD), South Korea People’s Watch, India Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA), Philippines Psychological Responsiveness NGO, Mongolia Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM), Malaysia Think Centre, Singapore
PSPD held the 2022 Public Interest Whistleblower Award Ceremony
Since 2010, the Public Interest Reporting Support Center of the People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy (PSPD) has been holding ‘The Whistle-blower of the Year Award’ every year to honor and recognize the whistle-blowers’ courage and dedication to the public interest. This year, 12 whistleblowing cases that were recommended by congresspeople, national organizations, civic groups, and journalists were reviewed. Three teams were announced as winners and two candidates as special awards on December 9th this year. The winners of the whistleblower award of the year are those who reported the corruption of the Smart School business at Uchon Elementary School, those on the human rights violations of the disabled living in Seongrakwon, and those on the leakage of radioactive material from the spent nuclear fuel storage tank at Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant. Special awards were given to two candidates who were first-generation whistleblowers for the contribution they made to the protection of whistleblowers in Korea. These candidates had resisted illegal and unfair instructions by the government and enacted the Anti-Corruption Act in an era when the word “whistleblower” was not very well known in Korea.
Revise Articles 2 and 3 of the Trade Union And Labor Relations Adjustment Act(TULRAA)!
On December 9, the general strike of the cargo union ended. The 16-day strike not only confirmed the poor treatment that cargo workers face but also revealed that the discussions on the “safe-rates system” and “expansion of goods” have not proceeded properly despite agreements made between the Cargo Truckers Solidarity union and the government in June. It is critical time to address the chronic problem of cargo workers’ long working hours, which will ultimately threaten the safety of workers and citizens. However, the Yoon administration chooses to respond with both anti-labor and hostile measures. The “back-to-work” order, which aroused controversies for being anti-constitutional, was issued, and a lawsuit against cargo unions for compensation for damage was mentioned by the Yoon Administration. Meanwhile, it has been almost a month since the ‘TULRAA Article 2·3 Revision Movement Headquarters’ launched a hunger strike for the guarantee of labor rights for all workers. PSPD is also working with the “TULRAA Article 2·3 Revision Movement Headquarters” as PSPD’s co-representatives, executives, and full-time activists have joined the hunger strike.
State audit on the relocation of the presidential office by the request of citizens, only partly accepted.
Last October, 700 citizens submitted an audit request for the inspection of the relocation of the presidential office, but the state auditor has only accepted parts of the requests, It still is a great achievement made by PSPD members and citizens, as it was the first inspection by the state audit on the Yoon Seok-yeol administration, but the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) decided to dismiss key claims—alleged violations of the National Finance Act due to waste of the national budget and legitimacy related to the presidential office’s employee recruitment. We cannot let the BAI act like a pawn for the president. We will keep urging the BAI to do proper inspections and keep working to get to the bottom of the presidential compound relocation process.
Shout for peace on the Korean Peninsula with the Nobel Peace Prize winners!
The Campaign to End the War on the Korean Peninsula asked former Nobel Peace Prize winners, who visited Gangwon-do to attend the <Nobel Peace Prize World Summit>, to work together for an end to the Korean War and peace on the Korean Peninsula. The representative of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (awarded in 2017), founder of the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet Organization (awarded in 2015), representative of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (awarded in 1985), Lima Bowie (awarded in 2011), etc have joined in the joint press conference (December 13) and shouted, “Let’s achieve peace on the Korean Peninsula and take a step toward world peace.”
Welcoming the enactment of the delivery unit price linkage system that has been delayed for 14 years
The “delivery unit price linkage system,” which had been delayed for 14 years, was finally passed. The delivery unit price linkage system is a system that allows raw material price fluctuations to be reflected in the delivery unit price in transactions between prime contractors and subcontractors. This system is expected to alleviate the hardships of small and medium-sized businesses. Last September, PSPD proposed through the National Assembly members an amendment to the Fair Transactions in Subcontracting Act, which covers not only raw materials but also labor costs. We will continue to work on further legislation.
Introducing the “sparkly” research of a budding researcher
Since 2018, the Participatory Society Research Institute has established and supported the ‘Twinkle Twinkle Distinguished Thesis Award’ to support emerging researchers who are raising their critical voices in the humanities and social sciences. Three winners and one honorable mention were selected among the research papers that shed light on the lives of minorities and the underprivileged. Congratulations to those who won the prizes! Also, we would like to express our gratitude to the 6,365 citizens who showed their support by raising funds for the “Kakao Together Value.” The award-winning papers can be viewed on the PSPD website.
Consolation, determination, and hope!
On the evening of December 15, the year-end party was held at the People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy (PSPD) for the first time in three years. Despite the sudden cold weather, thankfully, many still came to participate. Together, we wrote down the lists of wishes for the coming years and tied them up to the branches of a wish tree. We prepared a time to express our special thanks to the information desk volunteer members, who are always reliable and there for us, and also to the four sisters who became members of PSPD all together this year. We send our thanks to the members who have been strong supporters of the PSPD this year. We hope to have another great year with you!
We sincerely pray for the safe return of the missing.
We pray for all those who died in the magnitude 7.8 earthquake and the series of following earthquakes that occurred in southeastern Turkey on 6 February. In addition, we express our deep condolences to all those who lost their loved ones and their livelihoods due to this earthquake.
The number of deaths currently identified has already exceeded 10,000. The scale of damage is expected to increase even more if Northwestern Syria, which has been suffering from a long-lasting war, is included. Search and rescue operations are difficult due to aftershocks, and many people are still trapped in the rubble of buildings in the freezing cold. We sincerely pray for the safe return of the missing and a speedy recovery in the affected areas.
09 Feb 2023
People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy (PSPD)
On February 4th, just one day before the 100th day anniversary of the Itaewon tragedy that occurred on October 29th, family members of the victims and citizens set up a memorial altar at Seoul Plaza. However, even after 100 days have passed, the truth about that day has yet to be properly investigated. The police’s special investigation unit and the national assembly’s investigation have ended with little success, as they only questioned on-site personnel and did not investigate the fundamental causes of the tragedy. On January 13th, Park Hee-young, the mayor of Yongsan-gu, and Kim Kwang-ho, the chief of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, were arrested and charged on charges of negligent homicide in the performance of official duties. However, the special investigation team decided not to press charges against Yoon Hee-Geun, the chief of police who did not deploy riot police to prevent the tragedy, Lee Sang-min, the minister of interior and safety, who is in charge of commanding and overseeing the police, and Oh Se-hoon, the mayor of Seoul, who should have taken responsibility for the disaster that happened in the very heart of Seoul. The investigation said that they do not have “concrete” responsibility for the disaster and therefore their acts cannot constitute a crime. Without having one proper face questioning, the investigation ended.
A parliamentary probe into the Itaewon Tragedy was also found to be inadequate. While the state, local government, and police were found responsible at a comprehensive level, many important facts could not be properly checked due to perjury or refusal to submit relevant evidence by attending institutions. In particular, the family members demand to know the exact time and place of the death of victims as they are either unknown and listed merely as ‘on the streets of Itaewon,’ and to have a thorough investigation in which the families can participate. The families also accuse the government of unfair treatment by trying to prevent them from coming together. The families demand to know what actually triggered this man-made disaster given that many of the police officers on that night were said to be undercover to investigate drug offenses rather than crowd-controlling. There is so much truth yet to be revealed. We demand the launch of an independent body to lead the investigation of the Itaewon tragedy. We ask you to stand with us in the pursuit of finding the truth of the Itaewon tragedy.
Researchers Honored at the ‘Twinkle Twinkle Distinguished Theis Award’ Ceremony for Shining Light on the Cold World.
On January 30th, the Participatory Society Research Institute hosted the presentation ceremony for the winners of the ‘Twinkle Twinkle Distinguished Thesis Award’ at the Areum-Dri hall in the PSPD. We offer our deep appreciation and encouragement to the researchers who expose the reality of our society and pursue practice-oriented research. These researchers include: Goo Ji-hye, who revealed in her research how labeling “teenage labor” as “deviant” on the pretext of protecting teenagers would lead to the denial of citizenship and labor rights for young women; Ahn Hwa-young, who shed light on how the urban poor, who were sacrificed in the brutal process of industrialization, gained their voice through the urban novels of the 1980s; Lee Hee-young, Jung Da-wool, and Jung Seong-jo, who tracked how the biopolitics in the K-covid19 strategy operated to exclude sexual minorities; and Shin Hyun-a, who studied Okpo Nobo, the newsletter of Dae-woo Shipbuilding Labor Union, and put together the process of how the workers tried to create and retain their own language in the contest with the capitalists after the ’87 Grand Struggle.
Two Years After Myanmar Coup, We Will Achieve The Spring Revolution With Myanmar People
On February 1st, it marked the two-year anniversary of the military coup in Myanmar. As of the end of January, the death toll of civilians in Myanmar had reached at least 2,901 people due to the military’s increasing violence against the people. Despite the military’s violent actions such as shooting, bombing, arson, and arrests, the people of Myanmar have not stopped fighting for democracy. In support of the pro-democracy movement, the Korean Civil Society in Support of Democracy in Myanmar, along with the Myanmar communities in Korea, held press conferences, rallies, and marches to condemn the Myanmar military and honor those who sacrificed their lives in the fight for democracy. It was a time for Korean civil society organizations to come together and raise their voices in support of the ongoing struggle for democracy in Myanmar.
NIS Urged to Relinquish Control of Espionage Investigations: A Core Reform for Democracy and Rule of Law
Concerns have been raised as the NIS raided the headquarters of labor unions over suspicions of anti-state activity, bringing back memories of the Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye administrations, which sought to create a police state by strengthening the authority of the NIS. As a result, the PSPD has joined the Democratic Oversight Networks of the NIS, a coalition of civil society organizations and congresspeople, to hold an emergency discussion. During the gathering, it was pointed out that attempts to reverse the core reform of the NIS – the transfer of authority to conduct anti-espionage investigations – are threatening both democracy and the rule of law, and must therefore be stopped.
South Korean Court Rules in Favor of Protesters’ Right to Pass in Front of Yoon’s Office
The PSPD has filed a lawsuit to revoke the ban on demonstrations near the presidential office imposed by the Yongsan Police Station. A Seoul Administrative Court ruled against the police, stating that the presidential office was not considered part of the presidential residence defined in Article 11, Paragraph 3 of the Assembly And Demonstration Act. This was the basis on which the police had issued dispositions banning gatherings. The court’s ruling is absolutely correct as it confirms that the police’s arbitrary interpretation was unlawful. Demonstrations that express the opinions of civilians about the president should take place where they can be seen and heard by the president.
“No” to E-Commerce Monopolies: Action Needed.
Recently, unfair practices by online platform operators such as Coupang, Kakao, and Naver Corp have been revealed one after another. The EU and the USA will soon put the Digital Market Act into force, which designates large online platforms as important gatekeepers and regulates anti-competitive behavior by companies. The “National Network for Fairness in Online Platforms,” of which the PSPD is a part, has proposed the “Online Platform Monopoly Regulation Act,” which is Korea’s version of the Digital Markets Act. They are working together with Rep. Lee Dong-ju of the Democratic Party to introduce this act.
What is the impact of the unresolved Korean War?
Signature Campaign to End the Korean War
an intensive signature campaign to oppose the war and realize peace on the Korean Peninsula
End The Korean War, Let Us Peace!
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