Newsletter Archives - Korea Peace Now!

Korea Peace activists say no to Michelle Steel! May Newsletter

Posted on May 6, 2026May 18, 2026

Dear Friend,

Last month, President Trump nominated former Congresswoman Michelle Steel as U.S. Ambassador to South Korea. As Korea peace advocates, we strongly oppose the nomination of former U.S. Representative Steel as U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, the highest ranking diplomatic representative of the United States to South Korea. Here’s why:

Steel will undermine prospects for lasting peace in Korea. As Congresswoman, Steel took a staunchly conservative, hardline approach to China and North Korea, including by firmly opposing efforts to end the Korean War. Steel does not represent the interests of the majority of U.S. voters who want peace and dialogue with North Korea. Over 400 South Korean civic groups have already raised concerns about her appointment, while some far‑right fringe groups have been energized by it in part due to her prior support of the now-impeached and far-right former President Yoon Suk Yeol.
Steel has promoted increased U.S. military spending for forever war. Steel has advocated for increased military funding and a more aggressive defense posture under the theme of “deterring North Korea” and “countering China.” Increasing military spending fuels arms races, deepens mistrust between countries, and further destabilizes international relations and diverts critical funds away from genuine peace-building initiatives.
Steel has failed Korean American and Asian American communities. Steel has promoted divisive rhetoric and even used inflammatory “McCarthyist” imagery in campaign ads against political opponents of Asian descent, directly harming Asian American and immigrant communities.

Join our petition.

🎐 April Recap

Women Cross DMZ joined the Futures Beyond Militarism conference held at the University of Texas Austin, along with our Feminist Peace Initiative partners, Grassroots Global Justice Alliance and MADRE. This convening of scholars and activists examined global alternatives to militarism and ways communities envision and enact sustainable and interdependent futures. WCDMZ Executive Director Cathi Choi joined a panel with scholars Mark Tseng-Putterman and Kyle Kajihiro, moderated by Christine Ahn, WCDMZ Founder & Institute of Policy Studies Fellow on the opening panel, “U.S.-China Rivalry and the Militarization of the Pacific.” We were honored to join this collective and collectively imagine demilitarized futures. Read more here.

Women Cross DMZ joined the Korean Resource Center for “Saigu: What is Our Pain and What is Our Responsibility?”, a community dialogue in Los Angeles reflecting on the ‘92 LA Uprising for the Korean diaspora. WCDMZ Executive Director Cathi Choi shared a presentation highlighting critical connections between the Korean War, U.S. forever wars, and the increasing militarization of cities across the U.S. Read more here.

📌 Upcoming Events

May 7 at 4:30pm PT/7:30pm ET | Care, Not Warfare | Virtual Event

The costs of everything from energy bills to groceries are rising, and crises from the economy to the climate are hitting our communities. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is moving hundreds of billions of dollars to war abroad and militarization in our neighborhoods at home, instead of the things our people need. This webinar will feature long-time human rights defenders, anti-war activists, policy experts, faith leaders, climate activists, labor leaders, and others who will help us understand how to shift from an economy and democracy built around warfare to one built on care. RSVP here.

May 8 at 5pm PT/8pm ET | Korea Peace Study Group: Extended Discussion with Professor Pae | Virtual Event

KPNGN’s Korea Peace Study Group invites you to an extended discussion on Korean Christian Zionism with Dr. Keunjoo Christine Pae. Dr. Pae’s webinar last month provided definitions of Christian Zionism and connections to modern Korean history and global Christian nationalist political movements. There are many topics we can explore on the role Christian Zionism plays in the political and social landscape of Korea. In preparation, please view the webinar recording and bring your thoughts and questions for our discussion. Dr. Pae has generously shared some of her writings here, including her latest paper, “Political Economy of Christian Zionism and the Solidarity with Palestine Movement in South Korea.” RSVP here.

May 9 at 2-4pm ET | Boston K-Peace Culture Festival | Copley Square, Boston

Join our KPNGN Boston members this Saturday, May 9 from 2-4pm ET at Copley Square for a day of K-cultural and K-peace! For more information, contact nekoreapeacecampaign@gmail.com.

May 30 at 3pm ET | Crossings Screening | Ontario College of Art & Design University, Toronto

Join us for a free, in-person Crossings (2021) screening and Q&A discussion with award-winning director Deann Borshay Liem and Women Cross DMZ Organizing Director Echo on Saturday, May 30 at the Ontario College of Art & Design (OCAD) University! There are no advance ticket reservations, and seats are available first come first served.

🗣️ Changing the Narrative: Grassroots Educational Impact

Camptown Justice: South Korea Women’s Lawsuit. This article discusses the U.S. military camptown system in Korea and the new lawsuit led by 117 women suing the South Korean government for gender-based human rights abuses inflicted by U.S. forces stationed in Korea (U.S.F.K.), citing research from Women Cross DMZ’s Women’s Rights Under the Division System in Korea report.

Protecting the Environment is a Korea Peace Issue: Earth Day Presentation. New KPNGN member Yeonjin shared her Earth Day presentation at Central Arizona College, on the impact of U.S. military pollution on Jeju island and Mae-hyang Ri village, focusing on the connections between fighting for environmental protection and Korea peace. Yeonjin is also on the Membership Committee.

📚 Recommended Readings

From the Korea Peace Now! Grassroots Network Education Committee:

Tales of Korean Victims of Atomic Bombing: From Victim to Guardian Angel — Making Meaning from Historical Suffering. 한국인 원자폭탄 피해자들, 유엔에서 증언: 피해자에서 미래의 수호자로 — 역사적 고통에서 의미를 만들어 가는 여정. This article reflects on the Korean atomic bomb war survivors who are currently touring the US to tell their stories.
UN Resolution on Human Rights in the DPRK: South Korea Participates. This article shares analysis on why the ROK co-sponsored a UN human rights resolution targeting the DPRK, despite previous calls for inter-Korean dialogue.
군·한화시스템·제주도정 해상발사 중단 촉구…20개국 883 개인.단체 연명 모아지다. This Op-ed from activist Sung-hee Choi explains grassroots opposition to proposed maritime rocket launches at the Jeju Naval Base, which threaten wildlife and the environment and represent concerns over increasing militarization of the island.
Statement Opposing Michelle Park Steel as U.S. Ambassador to South Korea. This Seattle Evergreen Coalition petition outlines opposition to the nomination of Michelle Park Steel as the U.S. Ambassador to South Korea.

ICYMI:

Women and War: History of U.S. Militarism and Camptowns in Korea and more resources

KPNGN Faith-Based Causes Presents Chosen Peoples Nationalism: Christian Zionism in South Korea Webinar

🏵️ Take Further Action

Sign on to the petition today to oppose the nomination of Michelle Steel as U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea.
Write to your representative today to challenge exorbitant U.S. military spending in Korea by advocating for changes to the NDAA (National Defense Authorization Act).
Join us for 2026 Korea Peace Advocacy Summer! Sign up to organize with fellow grassroots community members and advocate for peace-focused policies through in-person rallies, educational events, as well as in-person and virtual meetings with representatives.
Urge your Member of Congress to Support Peace in Korea and co-sponsor H.R.1841, the Peace on the Korean Peninsula Act (PKPA), which calls for a formal end to the Korean War through a binding peace agreement and a review on current travel restrictions to the DPRK.

✌️Follow Korea Peace Now! and Women Cross DMZ on Instagram! Say hello and check out our accounts!

🛍 Support the Korea Peace Movement: Show your support for Korea peace with one of our tote bags, hats, baby onesies, and clothing, available here. All funds will support Korea Peace Now!, our U.S.-based movement for peace in Korea led by Women Cross DMZ. Art by Peter Holland and lazy blender.

In peace,

Korea Peace Now! Grassroots Network

Spring Momentum for Korea Peace | April Newsletter

Posted on April 2, 2026

Dear Friend,

Our April KPNGN meeting is happening on Thursday, April 9 at 5pm PT/8pm ET! We’ll share past and upcoming activities in our movement: come ready to share updates! We’ll also resume our three-part Orientation with a Korean War 101 presentation provided by the Education Committee. RVSP here.

🎐 March Recap

Thank you to everyone we met in Seattle, Washington DC, and NYC! This past weekend, KPNGN members mobilized at No Kings Protests in NYC, Washington DC, and across the country, joining millions of people around the country to protest immigration crackdowns, war, and authoritarianism.

In NYC, we held our parallel event at the UN 70th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), “Social Healing through Advocacy: Women’s Leadership in Historical Redress.” WCDMZ Executive Director Cathi Choi (moderator), WCDMZ Board Chair and scholar Ji-Yeon Yuh, MADRE Senior Director of Advocacy and Policy Diana Duarte, legal scholar Miyoko Pettit-Toledo, and Inclusive Global Leadership Initiative Program Manager Carly Paul explored women-led efforts to address historic wrongs through advocacy, legal recourse, community organizing, and creative practices across Korea, Haiti, Iraq, Colombia, and Guatemala.

In Washington DC, we organized a strategic planning retreat with our partner organizations in the Korea Peace Network where we cultivated a new path forward for a peace-first policy and legislative advocacy strategy to meet the current political moment. Partners included Korea Peace Now! Grassroots Network, Women Cross DMZ, Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns, United Methodist Church Global Ministries, and the American Friends Service Committee.

And in Seattle, we attended the University of Washington’s Partition & Solidarity Symposium on March 6. WCDMZ Executive Director Cathi Choi spoke at the Anticolonial Struggles in the Colonial Present panel on “Women’s Rights Under Division: Challenging U.S. Forever War and Militarism in Korea.” We also held a spirited Korea Peace Now! Grassroots Network regional gathering with local community members and grassroots organizers.

Thank you again and see you at our next programming!

🤝 Recent Anti-War Coalition Actions

WCDMZ signed onto the Coalition on Human Needs and Public Citizen’s Letter opposing the DoD Topline Budget.
WCDMZ endorsed Rep. Rashida Tlaib’s Resolution Standing with the People of Lebanon against the Illegal Invasion, War Crimes, and Ethnic Cleansing Perpetrated by the State of Israel.
KPNGN Faith-Based Caucus joined the Friends Committee on National Legislation and 60+ national Ecumenical organizations to urge Congress to oppose Iran War funding.
WCDMZ joined Public Citizen and 250+ Groups to oppose funding for Trump’s illegal Iran War.

📚 Recommended Readings

From the Korea Peace Now! Grassroots Network Education Committee:

South Korea calls for Korean War ‘peace declaration’ with North. This article reports on the ROK Unification Ministry’s calls for a peace agreement to end the Korean War in light of the US-ROK Freedom Shield military exercises.
South, U.S. conclude key springtime military drills amid North Korean threats. This article reports on the annual US-ROK Freedom Shield military exercises, with this year’s testing ROK operational control, as well as the DPRK’s ballistic missile test launch in response.
North’s Kim Jong-un formally calls South Korea the ‘most hostile state’. This article discusses Kim Jong-un’s recent remarks and vow to advance the DPRK’s nuclear deterrence at the first session of the Supreme People’s Assembly after re-election.
What does THAAD redeployment by US Forces Korea signal to the ROK? This article discusses the recent relocation of THAAD without approval from the ROK to wage war on Iran whose interests US military deployments in Korea serve.

The Case for Enabling Nongovernmental Engagement with North Korea. This article argues for opening opportunities for humanitarian engagement with North Korea and discusses how U.S.-based NGOs are currently being blocked from engaging by administrative restrictions.

🏵️ Upcoming Events

April 23 at 8 pm ET | | KPNGN Faith-Based Caucus Presents Korean Christian Zionism: History, Theology, and Its Impact on Peace in Korea | Virtual Event

The Korea Peace Now! Grassroots Network Faith-based Caucus will host a learning and discussion space on the history and theology of Korean Christian Zionism and its impact on the Korea peace movement. Professor Keunjoo Christine Pae will trace connections between Korea’s wartime collective memories and modern Israeli history, show how those memories have been politically mobilized, and discuss why some non-Christian Koreans embrace Zionism. Professor Keunjoo Christine Pae, Ph.D. is the Chair of the Department of Religion and Professor of Religion/Ethics and Women’s and Gender Studies at Denison University. RSVP here.

April 23-24 | “U.S.-China Rivalry and the Militarization of the Pacific” at the Futures Beyond Militarism conference | Thompson Conference Center, University of Texas Austin | In-Person Event

WCDMZ Executive Director Cathi Choi will be speaking at the Futures Beyond Militarism conference, a convening of scholars and activists to examine global alternatives to militarism and ways communities envision and enact sustainable and interdependent futures. Cathi will join WCDMZ Founder Christine Ahn (moderator), Kyle Kajihiro, and Mark Tseng-Putterman on the “U.S.-China Rivalry and the Militarization of the Pacific” panel event on Friday, April 24 at 9:45am. RSVP and learn more here.

Tuesday, April 21 at 7pm ET | “Have You Heard Our Cries?”: Program on Korea Peace Journey hosted by the Presbyterian Peace Network for Korea | Virtual Event

The Presbyterian Peace Network for Korea, a major partner of KPNGN Faith-Based Caucus, is hosting a special program for attendees to share reflections on their recent Korea Peace Journey.

Last October, over a dozen people joined the Korea Peace Journey to travel to Korea to meet peacemakers from churches in Korea and grassroots activists, hear their stories, and understand their support for peace. The group traveled to Seoul, Jeju Island, Pyeongtaek, and the DMZ, listening, learning, and discussing how best to be in solidarity with partners working for peace on the Korean Peninsula. Join the meeting here.

✌️Follow Korea Peace Now! and Women Cross DMZ on Instagram! Say hello and check out our accounts!

In peace,

Korea Peace Now! Grassroots Network

Over 100 Global Women Leaders Call for Justice for Korean Women Survivors of U.S. Militarized Sex Trade | March Newsletter

Posted on March 2, 2026April 2, 2026

Dear Friend,

In honor of International Women’s Day, over 100 global women leaders and organizations have called on U.S. leaders to pursue accountability measures and redress for Korean women survivors of the U.S. militarized sex trade. Read the letter in full here.

On Saturday, the South Korean Gender Equality Minister Won Min-kyong issued a historic apology to these Korean women survivors whose rights were violated in “brothels built around U.S. military bases, marking the South Korean government’s first official apology.” Won said, “We will make every effort necessary to ensure that the history of human rights violations suffered by the victims is not forgotten and that they live the rest of their lives with dignity and fully restore their damaged honor.”

For more on International Women’s Day and the Korean War, read Executive Director Cathi Choi’s op-ed published today in Foreign Policy in Focus, “This International Women’s Day, Let’s Renew the Call to End Wars.” You can also learn more about the gendered impact of the Korean War here with analysis from Suzy Kim, Professor of Korean History at Rutgers University; Na-Young Lee, Professor at Chung-Ang University; and Women Cross DMZ Board Chair Ji-Yeon Yuh of Northwestern University.

Upcoming Events

Feminist Wins in a World on Fire: Stories of Power from Kenya, Korea and across Latin America | March 9, 2026 (TODAY) at 2pm EST | Virtual Event

Across the globe, feminists are confronting authoritarianism, gender backlash, and violence — and they are winning, even as backlash intensifies. From Kenya to Latin America to Korea, women organizers are changing laws, shifting public understanding, and building power for a more just future. In a world that often feels like it is on fire, join IGLI for an International Women’s Day webinar to hear these stories of hope, courage, and persistence. RSVP here.

Korea Peace Now! Grassroots Network Meeting | March 12, 2026 at 5pm PT/8pm PT | Virtual Event

We’re celebrating International Women’s Day and excited to host Women Cross DMZ Board Chair and Professor Ji-Yeon Yuh to discuss the role of women in the Korea peace movement. Immediately after, we’ll have Part 3 of our orientation, including a Q&A session and discussion on current political affairs. RSVP here.

Social Healing through Advocacy: Women’s Leadership in Historical Redress | 70th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70) Parallel Event | March 13, 2026 at 8:30am EST | In-Person Event

WCDMZ will be in New York at the 70th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70) hosting a parallel event: “Social Healing through Advocacy: Women’s Leadership in Historical Redress.” Register here.

Unbind Your Heart: Historical Grief Transmutation Ceremony | April 5, 2026 at 2:00-6:00 pm PST | Zucigim Farm, San Gregorio, CA | In-Person Event

WCDMZ is an organizational partner for Unbind Your Heart, a historical grief transmutation ceremony guided by trained healing practitioners with decades of ritual and clinical training. Join this afternoon of communal healing rituals by and for people whose lineages were forged in the violence of U.S. empire. Register here.

Take Action

Take Action on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) now!

Congress is beginning to draft the NDAA for Fiscal Year 2027; this is the bill that funds the Department of Defense, and by extension the U.S. military, and dictates a large chunk of U.S. defense policy. The 2026 NDAA exacerbated conditions by: (1) Locking the U.S. from returning wartime operational control of South Korea’s military back to the South Korean government for the first time ever; (2) Preventing the reduction of 28,500 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea for the first time in 5 years. Members of the House Armed Services Committee and Senate Armed Services Committee are now fielding policy and budget requests from the public before they draft the first version of the bill. Our main goal right now is to push elected officials to adopt policy language that will not block efforts for Korea peace. Our demands include:

An official plan for a peace process to formally end the Korean War
Challenge the joint U.S.-South Korea war drills
Stronger transparency around Pacific Deterrence Initiative spending

We must challenge these harmful, ineffective, and costly policies head-on. We can no longer spend endlessly to flame the fans of forever war in Korea. Urge your representatives to stop military escalation now.

Tell Congress: Stop Trump’s Reckless Plan to Restart Nuclear Weapons Tests

For the first time in decades, a U.S. president is threatening to restart nuclear weapons testing — a dangerous and unnecessary move that would put countless lives, communities, and even our planet at risk. Experts agree that there is no military or technical justification for explosive nuclear weapons testing, but there are potentially devastating consequences if we test again. Congress has the power to stop this — they can block any funding that would allow explosive nuclear weapons testing to resume. This issue is too important to our future for our elected officials to stay silent: let your elected representatives know that we cannot allow Trump to drag us further into a disastrous global arms race.

April U.S.–China Summit and a Critical Opportunity for Lasting Peace on the Korean Peninsula: Letter Campaign

More than seventy years after the Armistice, the Korean War remains legally unresolved. With the U.S.–China summit expected this April, there is a rare opportunity for the United States to lead a diplomatic breakthrough and move from a ceasefire to lasting peace in Korea. We call on President Trump to take decisive action to formally end the Korean War and help secure lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula. Add your name to urge the President to choose peace over perpetual conflict.

Recommended Viewings

From the Korea Peace Now! Grassroots Network Education Committee:

Fresh reports of drone incursions in DPRK raise stakes on the Korean peninsula. This article takes a deeper look at the recent discovery of drone incursions into DPRK airspace from South Korea, including the alleged confession of the drone incursion by a member of a start-up drone manufacturing company which also runs anti-DPRK media publications.
한미일 연합 훈련 거절한 軍, 미중 전투기 대치하자 美에 항의. This article reports on the ROK’s refusal to participate in coalition war drills with the U.S. military and the recent China air force standoff.
UN Security Council to grant sanctions exemption for humanitarian aid to North Korea: Source. This article reports on the UNSC 1718 committee’s decision to approve a waiver for 17 humanitarian assistance projects led by South Korea, the U.S., and international organizations following talks between South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

✌️Follow Women Cross DMZ and Korea Peace Now! on Instagram! Say hello and check out our accounts!

In peace,

Korea Peace Now! Grassroots Network & Women Cross DMZ

Korean Women’s Historic Fight for Justice | February Newsletter

Posted on February 10, 2026February 10, 2026

Dear Friend,

While so much is challenging in today’s political landscape, we received a hopeful update: a new poll shows that a growing majority in the United States support ending the Korean War, lifting sanctions, and diplomacy over escalation.

Last month, Women Cross DMZ hosted a program on the costs of the ongoing Korean War. Over 300 registrants and 200 attendees worldwide tuned in to learn about Korean women’s decades-long fight for justice and redress for human rights abuses in U.S. military camptowns! Watch the full recording here and read excerpts below:

“I am in awe of the bravery of the amazing women in Korea who are standing up for the truth and pursuing justice to hold the U.S. military accountable for these gender-based crimes. Our country is addicted to war, and we know that war and militarism leads to human rights abuses that disproportionately harm women and girls. I stand with survivors of sexual violence from the United States to Korea, and I am with you in your fight for truth and justice.” – U.S. Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (D-MI)

“As members of the International Women’s Network Against Militarism, we honor and respect our Korean halmoni and demand that they receive their due. We also stand firmly to support all efforts to end militarized prostitution and violence against women in the Republic of Korea, the Philippines, Okinawa, Guam, and wherever else it exists.” – Margo Okazawa-Rey, International Women’s Network Against Militarism Founding Member

“By bringing to light these human rights abuses from the darkness of history, you are not only fighting for full justice but also educating other Korean women and the general public about one of the many terrible effects of U.S. militarism and U.S. military bases. We wish you further success in your courageous struggle.” – Susan Schnall, Veterans For Peace National President

“We hope this process will provide ample opportunity to listen to the testimonies of the women who were forced into prostitution by the U.S. military. Unveiling the historical reality of the U.S. military’s actions in the base towns is not only a way to redress the harm suffered by these women, but also a way to expose how the military structurally exploits women and how a powerful nation treats the sovereignty and human rights of another country.” – Ha Ju Hee, human rights attorney (translated from Korean)

“Generations of women are being sacrificed to this war. It is long past time for us to put an end to the War and to the accompanying suffering and violence. Understanding camptowns and the militarized sex trade, and understanding why the survivors of this violent system have turned to the legal system to seek accountability is a crucial component of revealing past and current structures of militarism as we work together to build peace.” – Ji-Yeon Yuh, WCDMZ Board Chair and race, gender, and diaspora scholar

Community members also shared heartfelt reflections on the impact of our gathering:

“WCDMZ’s webinar was equal parts inspiring and harrowing: inspiring in its calls to action, and harrowing in its unapologetic indictment of the decades of sexual violence and human rights abuses committed by the U.S. against Korean women. Nothing will ever be enough to truly rectify the trauma endured by these women. But listening to and honoring their demands is the least the U.S. owes, and a necessary step toward accountability and justice. I call on all those in the diaspora to stand in solidarity with survivors and aid in their ongoing reclamation of their stories, dignity, and healing.” – Michelle Mijung Kim, writer and producer

“As a veteran who was stationed in Korea during the time these human rights violations were occurring, I was aware of some of the ‘bar’ culture and STD monitoring done in the military base camptowns. WCDMZ’s webinar further opened my eyes to the extent of the oppression and racism evident in these practices, and this knowledge was so important to hear as someone based in the United States. I hope that fellow veterans and all people in the United States join me in committing to support their fight to secure proper justice and reparations.” – Ellen Barfield, Veterans For Peace

Upcoming Events

Korea Peace Now! Grassroots Network Monthly Meeting | February 12, 2026 at 5pm PT / 8pm ET | Virtual Event

In moments of uncertainty, having a neighbor who knows how to help can make all the difference. Youngwoon Han, Organizing Director at NAKASEC (National Korean American Service & Education Consortium) will join Korea Peace Now! Grassroots Network to share a Immigration Enforcement Bystander Training to help us look out for one another with confidence and care. You’ll learn how to identify enforcement activity in our neighborhoods and discover gentle, effective ways to stand in solidarity. It’s a chance for us to learn how to be a steady presence for our neighbors, ensuring that in our community, no one has to stand alone. RSVP here.

Partition and Solidarity Symposium at the University of Washington | March 6, 2026 | In-Person Event

WCDMZ Executive Director Cathi Choi will speak on “Women’s Rights Under Division: Challenging U.S. Forever War and Militarism in Korea” at the Partition and Solidarity Symposium at the University of Washington. Register here.

70th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70) Parallel Event | March 13, 2026 at 8:30am EST | In-Person Event

Recommended Viewings

From the Korea Peace Now! Grassroots Network Education Committee:

USFK commander highlights ‘centrality’ of S. Korea in security of Indo-Pacific. This article analyzes the Commander General of the US Forces Korea’s recent remarks emphasizing “strategic” importance of US troops facing off with China.
The Dream of Korean Independence. This article provides a realistic analysis of how dreams of independence cannot be fully realized due to escalating U.S. domination and military brinkmanship.
How South Korean Billions Will Upgrade Trump’s War Machine. This article takes a deeper look at issues of economic coercion and how Trump’s “tariff war” supports the expansion of the U.S. war machine.
Civil society protests Trump’s 25% tariff hike, calling it a “violation of sovereignty.” This article reports on protests held in front of the U.S. embassy in Seoul against Trump’s 25% tariff hike on South Korean imports.

Congratulations to WCDMZ Advisory Council Member Elizabeth Son! Elizabeth’s article, “Stitching Korea Back Together”: Jogakbo Aesthetics of Care in Peace Advocacy,” was recognized at the Peace History Society’s 2025 biennial conference awards ceremony. “Stitching Korea Back Together” examines Women Cross DMZ’s Korean diasporic and women-led peace advocacy work on ending the Korean War and our historic 2015 crossing of the DMZ, focusing on WCDMZ’s use of the jogakbo, a traditional Korean patchwork-style cloth, and how such objects embody “technologies of care” through which people and collectives practice peace-building and care for one another. The article will be open access for 30 days here.

✌️Follow Women Cross DMZ and Korea Peace Now! on Instagram! Say hello and check out our accounts!

In peace,

Women Cross DMZ & Korea Peace Now! Grassroots Network

What Korea teaches us about U.S. forever wars | January Newsletter

Posted on January 15, 2026February 10, 2026

Dear Friend,

Like many of you, we are deeply outraged by the Trump administration’s actions in Venezuela, threats to strike Iran, and continued campaigns of state violence, including by ICE, across the U.S. It’s clear: U.S. militarism and forever wars are destroying lives, tearing apart families, and threatening the safety of communities at home and abroad.

We must understand that these recent events are part of an ongoing cycle of U.S. wars, militarism, and war profiteering. The Korean War, as the United States’ longest-running overseas conflict, set the precedent for much of what we see today. In 1950, President Truman bypassed Congress to begin what he called a “police action” in Korea, marking the first time a U.S. president authorized large-scale overseas combat without congressional approval. Over 70 years later, President Trump bypassed Congress to carry out what he called a “law enforcement operation” in Venezuela.

During the three years of active fighting in Korea, over 4 million Koreans died – over half civilians – and the U.S. quadrupled its military spending, inaugurating the modern-day military industrial complex. Today, the United States has a near $1 trillion military budget and nearly 800 military bases worldwide. Last July, President Trump’s budget bill tripled ICE’s budget, making it the 13th largest army in the world.

We must challenge the root causes of U.S. militarism and warmaking in Korea and across the globe!

DEMAND CONGRESS CONDEMN THE CRIMINAL OCCUPATION OF VENEZUELA AND OUR CITIES

🌐 Women and War: U.S. Militarism and Camptowns in South Korea (Online Webinar)

Monday, January 26, 2026 at 8:30pm EST | Online Webinar | Register here

Join us for our first program of 2026! Studies have long shown that in war and militarism, women are disproportionately harmed and sustain severe human rights abuses. For decades in South Korea, military camptowns surrounding bases have been the site of harm and human rights abuses against Korean women.

We will hear from South Korean organizer Ko Mira, director of Sae-oom-teo, and human rights lawyer Ha Ju Hee, in a conversation moderated by Professor Ji-Yeon Yuh on the disproportionate impact and harm sustained by women in Korea as a result of U.S. militarism. U.S. Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib and Veterans For Peace National President Susan Schnall will provide remarks. English and Korean translation will be provided.

Upcoming Events

Partition and Solidarity Symposium at the University of Washington | March 6, 2026 | In-Person Event

70th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70) Parallel Event | March 13, 2026 at 8:30am EST | In-Person Event

Recommended Viewings

From the Korea Peace Now! Grassroots Network Education Committee:

Moon Jae-in renews call for end-of-war declaration, peace treaty on Korean Peninsula details a recent conversation between the former South Korean president and former Japanese prime minister Yuko Hatoyama on geopolitical relationships in East Asia and a possible pathway to peace in Korea.
All eyes on whether N. Korea’s Kim will meet Trump next year speculates on whether President Trump is planning a trip to China in April and the possibility for a new Trump-Kim summit.
North Korean leader oversees construction of strategic submarine (Spanish-language) reports on Kim Jong-Un’s appearance in photos with a nuclear-powered submarine currently under construction and the nuclear submarine arms race under way on the Korean Peninsula.
How Jeju People Live (Korean-language) features Korean peace activist Choi Seong-hee, who has been on Jeju Island for 15 years resisting the ever-increasing militarization of the island.

✌️Follow Women Cross DMZ and Korea Peace Now! on Instagram! Say hello and check out our accounts!

In peace,

Cathi Choi

🎄 2025 Reflections | December KPNGN Newsletter

Posted on December 10, 2025February 10, 2026

Dear Friend,

Join us for our final KPNGN meeting of 2025, where we’ll reflect on our mobilizing and advocacy work for Korea peace with a special video presentation. Come festive! Bring a drink! RSVP here.

Upcoming Event

Thursday, Dec. 11 at 11am PT/2pm ET | Korea Peace Power Hour: Support the Peace on the Korean Peninsula Act

Join us for an end-of-year virtual power hour phone-banking session to urge members of Congress to support H.R.1841, the Peace on the Korean Peninsula Act. KPNGN is co-hosting this session alongside the American Friends Service Committee, Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), Church & Society and Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church, Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns, Korean American Peace Fund, and Women Cross DMZ. RSVP here.

Recommended Viewings

From the Education Committee:

1. Another Eulsa Year, another blow to Korea’s sovereignty examines the unfavorable outcome of recent U.S.-ROK tariff negotiations in the context of Korea’s painful history of colonization by Japan.
2. South Korea is not a US outpost offers critical analysis on U.S.F.K. Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson’s argument for “turning the Korean Peninsula into a launchpad that is always available for US military contingencies.”
3. Korean military expert calls pursuit of nuclear submarine ‘vanity of a nation drunk on delusion of becoming world power’ provides a scathing critique of President Lee Jae Myung’s plans to develop nuclear-powered submarines for South Korea’s arsenal.
4. Lee hints at willingness to scale back drills with US to resume dialogue with North Korea. The article also discusses possibilities for Lee Jae

✌️Follow Korea Peace Now! on Bluesky! Say hello and check out our account!

Support the Korea Peace Movement: Show your support for Korea peace with one of our tote bags, hats, baby onesies, and clothing, available here. All funds will support Korea Peace Now!, our U.S.-based movement for peace in Korea led by Women Cross DMZ. Art by Peter Holland and lazy blender.

Sincerely,

Korea Peace Now! Grassroots Network

🍂 November KPNGN Newsletter

Posted on November 15, 2025February 10, 2026

Dear Friend,

Our November KPNGN Meeting is taking place this Thursday, November 13 at 5pm PT/8pm ET! Continuing from our October meeting, this month we’ll host a group discussion on the landmark lawsuit filed by a group of 117 South Korean women against the U.S. military for sex trafficking, sexual abuse, and multiple human rights violations, as well as updates and answer questions about the lawsuit. RSVP here.

Immediately after, we’ll resume our Korea Peace Now! Grassroots Network Orientation. We’ll open for Q&A about the Korea peace movement and current political affairs.

Stay tuned for a webinar featuring lawsuit organizers, civil society advocates, and more. For a primer on these issues, view Women Cross DMZ’s coverage below:

Call for Veteran Outreach: Korean Women File Landmark Suit Over Sex Trafficking and Human Rights Violations Against the U.S. Military

Women’s Rights Under the Division System Report: Multi-Media Zine

Women’s Rights Under the Division System Report

Women Cross DMZ 10 Year Anniversary Trek Day 3: Dongducheon

Following the meeting, at 6pm PT/9pm ET, join our KPNGN New Member Orientation series on the same Zoom link. The Membership Committee will host Part 2 of this ongoing series, presenting an overview of the Korea Peace Now! Grassroots Network, followed by a small group discussion.

Upcoming Events

Friday, November 14 at 5pm PT/8pm ET | Korea Peace Study Group session on Dangerous Women: Gender & Korean Nationalism

Korea Peace Study Group will hear from Eunsun and June Nho Ivers, who’ll present on Dangerous Women: Gender & Korean Nationalism (Routledge: 1998), an edited volume exploring Korean nationalism, gender construction, and colonization. We’ll discuss themes from the book, including: imperialism, double patriarchy, militarism and gendered violence, and more. Join us here.

From the KPNGN Coalition-Building Committee:

Friday, November 14 at 5pm PT/8pm ET | Securing a Pacific Ocean of Peace

The Pacific Peace Network invites you to a webinar on Friday, November 14 to discuss the recent Declaration for an Ocean of Peace issued at the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) in September. Keynote speaker Rev James Bhagwan, General Secretary of the Pacific Conference of Churches, will share how the Declaration was developed and presented and what the challenges are in effective implementation. Voices from across the Pacific including Sunghee Choi from Jeju Island, PNG, Fiji, Japan, Philippines, and Australia Aotearoa will then reflect on their local context and plans for achieving peaceful self-determination for the ocean wide community.

Please join us to share and learn how we can better coordinate and collaborate to realise a nuclear free and independent Pacific. RSVP here.

Recommended Viewings

Haecho is back home! After a mass petition with over 8,000 signatures demanding her release, supporting her flotilla mission to bring humanitarian aid to and lift the blockade on Gaza. We met Haecho in May when she captained the sailboat, sailing from Jeju Island to the DMZ, calling for peace in Korea. View more about that day here.

From the Education Committee:

After Hyundai ICE Raid, Even South Korea’s Capitalists Question US Relations reports on the anger in Korea due to U.S. attempts at economic coercion and the shocking, inhumane detainment of hundreds of Koreans during an ICE raid at a new Hyundai plant in Georgia.
South Korea: Beyond the blockade, toward solidarity and connection! Haecho is one of many Jeju Island activists supporting Palestinian liberation and a Global Sumud Flotilla participant demanding that the U.S. and ROK governments and corporations end their complicity in the Gaza genocide.
What parallel visits to both Koreas by leaders of China, Russia may mean for NE Asia discusses recent diplomatic visits to Korea by heads of state from China and Russia and potential shifts in the bloc politics that have emerged in East Asia since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war.
Anti-Trump protests continue in Seoul reports on protests criticizing Trump’s absence at the multilateral APEC summit and the recent trade deal finalized between South Korea and the U.S., described as “one-sided” and “disproportionately favorable to American interests.”

WATCH: WCDMZ Executive Director Cathi Choi joined the International People’s Conference Against APEC 2025 and Trump to discuss the importance of building a peace economy and disrupting the normalization of militarism.

✌️Follow Korea Peace Now! on Bluesky! Say hello and check out our account!

Sincerely,

Korea Peace Now! Grassroots Network

A Historic Lawsuit for Justice | October KPNGN Newsletter

Posted on October 10, 2025February 10, 2026

Dear Friend,

Our October KPNGN meeting is happening this Thursday, October 9 at 5pm PT/8pm ET! We will focus on the recent landmark lawsuit filed by a group of 117 South Korean women against the U.S. military for sex trafficking, sexual abuse, and multiple human rights violations. The lawsuit organizers intend to hold the U.S. military accountable for its role in managing a vast network of prostitution around U.S. military bases in South Korea, including various human rights abuses against Korean women at bars and brothels catering to U.S. military personnel and medical detention centers colloquially known as “monkey houses,” where women would be detained and forcibly treated for STDs.

Join us on Thursday for a critical teach-in on this lawsuit, the extensive history of U.S. militarism and gendered violence in Korea, and how U.S.-based grassroots advocates can support these women’ s efforts. RSVP here.

Stay tuned for a webinar featuring lawsuit organizers, civil society advocates, and more. For a primer on these issues, view Women Cross DMZ’s coverage below:

Call for Veteran Outreach: Korean Women File Landmark Suit Over Sex Trafficking and Human Rights Violations Against the U.S. Military

Women’s Rights Under the Division System Report: Multi-Media Zine

Women’s Rights Under the Division System Report

Women Cross DMZ 10 Year Anniversary Trek Day 3: Dongducheon

Recommended Viewings

WCDMZ Executive Director Cathi Choi writes in Challenging Militarism: Feminist Lessons from Korea on how U.S. militarism impacts women everywhere and what we can learn from those challenging the violence of military occupation, authoritarianism, and state repression. “Korean women have offered examples of challenging militarism, confronting patriarchy, and building transnational solidarity,” Cathi writes. “Feminists all across the globe can follow suit. We must build stronger transnational coalitions to end forever wars; increase public awareness of militarism’s impact on our lives; and redefine security through the lens of safety, dignity, and well-being.”

From the KPNGN Education Committee:

A Bridge Over Troubled Waters analyzes South Korean President Lee Jae-Myung’s self-ascribed position as a “bridge of exchanges and cooperation” and how his administration seeks to build new relationships with Asian countries and the U.S.
Lee says he won’t sign any tariff deal with U.S. that doesn’t benefit Korea reports on the status of tariff negotiations between South Korea and the U.S. and Lee Jae-Myung’s approach to making progress towards a written agreement between the two countries.
Reality check: North Korea won’t give up its nukes provides analysis on North Korean President Kim Jong Un’s recent remarks on diplomacy with the U.S. and denuclearization and what the U.S. must reassess to create new opportunities for diplomatic engagement between Kim and Trump.
Decarbonization and demilitarization of Korea must go hand in hand reflects on the devastating impact unended war and militarism has on the climate crisis in Korea and elsewhere, and how bringing a formal end to the Korean War and reducing military tensions is critical to stopping the environmental destruction of the planet.

✌️Follow Korea Peace Now! on Bluesky! Say hello and check out our account!

Sincerely,

Korea Peace Now! Grassroots Network

Grassroots Updates and Post-Summer Reflections | September KPNGN Newsletter

Posted on September 4, 2025January 23, 2026

Dear Friend,

Our September KPNGN meeting will take place next Thursday, September 11 at 5pm PT/8pm ET! We will debrief our summer mobilizations, including the People’s Summit for Korea, share committee reports, and discuss upcoming regional events and political updates. Immediately after, on the same zoom link, we will also resume our three-part Korea Peace Now! Grassroots Network Orientation this month! In Part 1, we’ll be covering the history of the Korean War 101. RSVP here.

????️ Upcoming Events

TODAY! Deals, Dilemmas, and Diplomacy: Analyzing the Lee-Trump Summit at 5pm PT/8pm ET

Join us today at 5pm PT/8pm ET (Sept. 3 at 9am KST) for a webinar debriefing South Korean President Lee Jae-myung’s first meeting with U.S. President Trump. We’ll hear from speakers Youngmi Cho (PEACEMOMO), Paul Liem (Korea Policy Institute), and Dae-Han Song (International Strategy Center), moderated by Cathi Choi (Women Cross DMZ). View the recording here.

September 15-19, 2025 | Commemorating 80 Years of Liberation and 60 Years of Korea–Japan Relations “East Asia–North America Peace Workshop & Campaign: Ending the Korean War and Colonial Legacy”

Women Cross DMZ and Korea Peace Now! are sponsoring “East Asia–North America Peace Workshop & Campaign: Ending the Korean War and Colonial Legacy,” a collaborative multi-workshop campaign taking place from September 15-19 in Pennsylvania and Washington D.C. Objectives of the campaign include strengthening the role of civil society and academia in advancing peace on the Korean Peninsula and in East Asia and building networks of cooperation between U.S. and East Asian organizations. Some of the workshops and events will be open to the public. Learn more about the campaign and partners here. Please contact Echo at echo@womencrossdmz.org if you are interested in joining us in Washington D.C.

????️ Community Report-Back

8.15 National Liberation Day Rallies

From Washington D.C. to Philly to Los Angeles, KPNGN members joined rallies for National Liberation Day on Friday, August 15. On the 80th anniversary of division, we called for an end to the ongoing Korean War alongside dozens of partner organizations. We also called to halt Ulchi Freedom Shield war drills. These massive war drills escalate tensions, renew the threat of war, and exact serious tolls on civilian lives. Thank you to Sheen Kim, a Nodutdol and KPNGN member, for co-organizing the DC rally.

???? Ongoing Advocacy

On August 28, KPNGN Members and allied peace activists met with Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s office to advocate for new language in the National Defense Authorization Act, the national military spending bill. In July, the Senate Armed Services Committee passed a version of the bill that would prohibit military spending on withdrawing U.S. troops from South Korea; this is the first time in five years that the NDAA includes this ban. The bill also contains a new ban for the first time prohibiting the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) over troops in South Korea unless in U.S. national security interest. Some highlights from constituents and local peace leaders below:

“South Korea is one of the only nations over which America has operational control (OPCON). South Korea has been at war for over 70 years. It is utterly incomprehensible that a nation as developed as South Korea, with the economic standing that it has, that over the decades has accomplished what it has, doesn’t have operational control over its own military. And it’s high time to start to treat South Korea as an actual ally, not a vassal.”

“We have the military exercises going on now. And were the Senate version to be adopted ultimately, this sends a really hard message to North Korea. . . . How would we feel if France or Korea could control our troops? I mean, it’s ridiculous.”

“Why does this have to be an endless confrontation? And I think Senator Warren is there in her thinking and we’d love to hear her take an initiative on this.”

We celebrate the constituents who advocated for peace!

???? Recommended Viewings

From the Education Committee:

U.S. threats against Korea in a changing world: Remarks from the People’s Summit for Korea. Save the date for a Korea Peace Study Group report-back on October 10th at 8 pm ET!
Disfigured, shamed and forgotten: BBC visits the Korean survivors of the Hiroshima bomb discusses issues facing ethnic Korean survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and perspectives on peace, reparation, and apology.
Why North Korea Is Coming Clean on Its Role in the Russia-Ukraine War provides analysis on recent public acknowledgement of North Korean troops in the Russia-Ukraine War by North Korean leadership and what it means for regional alliances and joint military operations.
North Korea slams South’s president over denuclearisation remarks reports on the critical response from North Korea towards Lee Jae-myung’s recent remarks on the U.S.-ROK alliance and denuclearization.
Lee-Trump summit highlights risk posed by far right’s growing international network analyzes concerning developments in and connections between the U.S. and Korea’s far-right movements, including conspiracy theories and the recent travels of far-right figures in the U.S. to Korea.

✌️Follow Korea Peace Now! on Bluesky! Say hello and check out our account!

???? Support the Korea Peace Movement: Show your support for Korea peace with one of our tote bags, hats, baby onesies, and clothing, available here. All funds will support Korea Peace Now!, our U.S.-based movement for peace in Korea led by Women Cross DMZ. Art by Peter Holland and lazy blender.

Sincerely,

Korea Peace Now! Grassroots Network

🌼 Summer Mobilizing for Peace | July KPNGN Newsletter

Posted on July 17, 2025January 23, 2026

Dear Friend,

Thank you to everyone who participated in our 2025 Korea Peace Advocacy Week! We successfully registered 152 constituents from 29 states and requested 152 meetings with congressional leaders. Many participated for the first time, including 84-year-old Myung Ja Yoon.

Myung Ja met with the offices of her congressional representatives, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD-8) to share her personal story and why she advocates for peace: “I have visited all 50 states of America and traveled to almost 100 countries, crossing many borders on foot all over the world. Yet I cannot go to North Korea because we are at war. I am almost 84 years old. I don’t have many more years left. I want to go and see the other half of my origin and heritage. I want to talk with the people there and share food with them. Sponsoring H.R.1841 will put you on this honored path with peacemakers.” Read more about Myung Ja’s story here, and read our full Advocacy Week recap here.

Join our monthly KPNGN Meeting this Thursday, July 10 at 5pm PT/8pm ET! We will provide updates on the July NYC People’s Summit for Korea and discuss upcoming regional and committee events. RSVP at bit.ly/julykpn.

????️ Upcoming Event

July 25-27 | People’s Summit for Korea

The People’s Summit for Korea is taking place July 25-27 in New York! The People’s Summit will be a three-day convening featuring plenaries, panels, workshops, breakout sessions, and cultural performances led by key figures in the Korean liberation movement and the global anti-imperialist struggle. Learn more and register here.

????Recommended Viewings:

ICYMI:

Can South Korea Achieve Peace in a Chaotic World? | By Ji-Yeon Yuh, Northwestern University Associate Professor & Women Cross DMZ Board Chair

A Recap of Women Cross DMZ’s 10-Year Anniversary Solidarity Trek to Korea

Asian American Heritage Month Brings Somberness and Solidarity | By Deepa Iyer

From the Education Committee:

The Moral Distortions of the Official Korean War Narrative explores the distorted narrative about the Korean War and the hidden atrocities and war crimes that took place with the support of the U.S. government.
Film and the forgotten war: The Korean War on the silver screen discusses how films can be used as tools for ideological control and how Hollywood’s story of the Korean War was shaped by a “humanitarian Orientalism” trend which “presented white Americans as benevolent saviors while reducing Koreans as infantile objects in need of rescue and moral guidance from the West.”
Lee Jae-myung’s ‘Pragmatic Diplomacy’ Stands at the Start of a Difficult Journey takes a look at President Lee’s “Pragmatic Diplomacy” approach and what this could mean for South Korea’s relationship with the U.S. and neighboring East Asian countries.

✌️Follow Korea Peace Now! on Bluesky! Say hello and check out our account!

Sincerely,

Cathi Choi & Echo