Cross-Movement Reflections and Post-Election Gathering | November KPNGN Newsletter
Like many of you, we are grieving the results of the U.S. elections and are deeply concerned about the most vulnerable in our communities, our democracy, and the potential consequences for the Korean Peninsula. Arguably no other U.S. president has had a more wildly unpredictable and extreme relationship with North Korea than Donald Trump. In his first year in office, Trump threatened North Korea with “fire and fury like the world has never seen.” He also instituted a travel ban on North Korea.
Trump squandered the opportunity for peace at the 2019 Hanoi summit by insisting that North Korea hand over its nuclear weapons program without any U.S. concessions or security guarantees, badly damaging relations with North Korea. Throughout his most recent campaign, he boasted that North Korea is “afraid” of him and said South Korea should be a “money machine” based on the U.S. troops stationed there.
As we look towards the future, we know that there is urgent and critical work to be done as U.S.-based peace activists to forge peace in Korea. Ultimately, this work will not bound to any one election cycle, but instead depends entirely on the political will that we, the people, build. Our growing Korea Peace Now! Grassroots Network must organize our communities and build solidarity with fellow anti-war activists and movements across generations and national boundaries. Read our full statement here.
Join our November National Meeting this Thursday, November 14, at 5pm PT // 8pm ET where we’ll be joined by fellow organizers from Nodutdol, who will discuss their US Out of Korea Campaign, and Veterans for Peace, who will report back on their June trip to South Korea and the Hyosun MiSeon Peace Park Project. RSVP here.
TAKE ACTION
Sign the Petition: Lift the Ban on Christine Ahn’s Travel to South Korea
On October 30, 2024, Women Cross DMZ Founder and Co-Director Christine Ahn was barred from boarding an Asiana Airlines flight from Honolulu to the Republic of Korea, citing R.O.K. immigration authorities. Ahn was on her way to deliver the keynote address at the International Youth Peace Forum in Gyeonggi Province, set to be hosted by the provincial government on November 2, 2024.
We are outraged that Ahn – a respected Korean American peace activist – has been barred from traveling to South Korea without any reason or justification, which is a violation of her human rights. This restriction prevents her from participating in an important international civil society forum and violates her right to defend human rights.
The barring of Christine Ahn now is particularly concerning, given the current geopolitical tensions and the urgent need for dialogue. With the increasing likelihood of military confrontation on the Korean Peninsula, the voices of those advocating for peace must be heard, not silenced. Women Cross DMZ calls upon the Yoon government to uphold its democratic values by allowing Christine Ahn to freely travel to South Korea.
Sign and share the petition, available in English and Korean.
RSVP: Collaborative WARmerica Screening in Seattle
Join Nodutdol, Sông2Sea, Korea Peace Now!, and Resist US-Led War Seattle on Thursday, November 14, from 3:30-5:30pm PST for a screening and discussion of WARmerica’s Fate, a South Korean documentary by the filmmaker Kim Cheol-min 김철민. This film focuses on the impacts of American warmongering and imperialism, tracing connections between its settler-colonial roots and ongoing efforts to ensure economic and military dominance.
The event will be hosted near the University of Washington Seattle campus. There is a hybrid option available and snacks will be provided. RSVP here. Please contact Echo at echo@womencrossdmz.org if you want to organize a screening in your community.
RSVP: Post-Election Webinar Discussion on December 2, 5pm PT // 8 pm ET
Join us for a moderated panel discussion and strategy session on Monday, December 2 at 5pm PT // 8pm ET. Co-hosted by Nodutdol and Korea Peace Now, this panel will feature Cathi Choi (Women Cross DMZ), KJ Noh (Pivot to Peace), and Dae Han Song (International Strategy Center). The discussion will be in English and Korean interpretation will be provided. RSVP here.
READ
From the Education Committee:
- Dan Leaf and Christine Ahn: The next president must defuse the Korean crisis to avoid nuclear catastrophe: This op-ed highlights the need for diplomacy and engagement with North Korea and identifies concrete steps that can be taken to move away from the possibility of a nuclear arms race on the Korean Peninsula and towards a lasting peace.
- A recent article about the winner of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature – Korean author Han Kang. Kang’s most recent novel, We Do Not Part, portrays the tragic 1948 Jeju massacre through the perspective of three women. The English translation will be available in January 2025 and members of the Korea Peace Study group will read the book and later make a presentation. If you are interested in participating in the Han Kang study sub-group, please contact Tasha at tessen27@gmail.com.
Looking forward to seeing you this Thursday!
Sincerely,
Cathi Choi and Echo
