Preparatory Issue 22
June 2023 |
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Yearning for Peace at the 70th Anniversary of the Armistice |
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This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Korean Armistice Agreement. It signifies that the war has been ongoing for 70 years. However, the demand to end the war, establish a peace agreement, and promote dialogue and exchanges appears highly challenging in the current context of inter-Korean relations. The South Korea-U.S. summit intensified tensions by agreeing to establish a Nuclear Consultative Group(NCG) and allowing regular deployments of strategic assets, including strategic nuclear submarines, to the Korean Peninsula for extended deterrence against North Korea's nuclear threats. Additionally, the upcoming trilateral summit between South Korea, the U.S. and Japan in August is expected to focus on nuclear and missile responses, including North Korea's satellite launches. The Yoon administration seems to prioritize overwhelming power over dialogue as a solution. However, relying solely on coercion cannot guarantee peace, and the idea of achieving peace based on overwhelming power is not feasible. Such actions can only lead to a vicious cycle of an arms competition and security dilemmas.
Nevertheless, we cannot simply stand by and watch as the Yoon administration pushes the Korean Peninsula towards the brink of war again. There have always been people opposing the militarization of the Korean Peninsula, fighting for peace, even since the post-liberation and post-armistice periods. The residents of Daechuri in Pyeongtaek, who resisted the construction of the largest U.S. military base in the world in 2005, and the residents of Soseong-ri who have been fighting against the deployment of THAAD, are examples of such ongoing struggles. As we commemorate the 70th anniversary, it is time for us to join forces with people, who long for peace, and take action together.
The ISC is also preparing to hold an international forum in August, seeking peace and exploring struggles and actions to be taken within the context of the New Cold War. We look forward to your interest and participation.
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Fukushima Nuclear Wastewater Discharge : Why Must We Stop It?
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Original Text: Seunghyun Hong(Issue Briefing Team)
Translation: Jae Oh Lee (Translation Team)
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With the backing of the United States and the IAEA, it is only a matter of time before the wastewater dump begins. Once the discharge starts, the Pacific ocean will be contaminated with radiation for the next three decades. With no clear prediction on how the radioactive discharge might disrupt the ecosystem of the ocean and the planet, what choices should we make? It is time for the people around the world to come in solidarity with the people of Fukushima and international environmental organizations to engage in a sweeping campaign to fight against the wastewater dump. Such a global ecological catastrophe must be stopped.
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Japanese Fight Remilitarization |
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Interviewed by Dae-Han Song & Michael McGrath
Seishi Hinada is a National Executive Committee member of ZENKO (National Assembly for Peace and Democracy). ZENKO emerged in 1970 out of the student movement in the 1960s. He joined in 1981 as a university student activist in the anti-nuclear peace movement in Hiroshima. The interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
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Platform Socialism: Democratizing the Internet |
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The interview was part of the International Strategy Center’s Progressive Forum where we interviewed James Muldoon, a senior lecturer in political science at the University of Exeter, a research association at the Oxford Internet Institute, and head of digital research at the Autonomy think tank. The interview was conducted by Mariam Ibrahim and edited for clarity and brevity by Matthew Phillips. |
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Book & Beer
Pride Study Group
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ISC conducted queer study sessions through book club meetings in June, which will continue through July. On June 9th we watched the documentary "Disclosure" together, discussed queer theory alongside wider leftism after reading "The Red in the Rainbow" by Hannah Dee and "Sexuality and Socialism: History, Politics, and Theory of LGBT Liberation" by Sherry Wolf on the 16th and 28th. It was a time for presentations and heated discussions on the impact of capitalism on LGBTQ+ identities, self-definition within culture, and postmodern queer theories. We will also participate in the Seoul Queer Culture Festival on July 1st! Join us, and please bring along others as well!
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2023 ISC First Members Education Session
East Asia and New Cold War
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The ISC conducts member education sessions twice a year. It is an opportunity to study together, engage in discussions, and talk about the activities. In the first half of 2023, the member education focused on the theme "East Asia and the New Cold War." We explored the history before the New Cold War and discussed how the current New Cold War manifests itself. Thanks to the participation of members from Korea, Brazil, and the United States, the member education was successful. In August, the ISC plans to hold an international forum in collaboration with domestic and international organizations and activists, opposing the New Cold War and seeking peace. |
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The Korean War 70 Years On |
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On June 25th, the International Committee of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) co-hosted a webinar titled "The Korean War 70 Years On" in collaboration with the Blowback Podcast. The ISC participated by delivering a presentation on the current political situation in Korea and the struggles for peace. It was an opportunity to discuss the war crisis on the Korean Peninsula, the repression of labor and civic organizations by the Yoon government, and introduce social movements that stand against such actions. |
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2F, 2 Dosin-ro 47-gil, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul International Strategy Center
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