South Korea

Movements Worldwide Call For End To US Military Exercises In Koreas

March 13, 2025 Abdul Rahman, People's Dispatch. Resist! Military Exercises, South Korea, United States, US army, Wars and Militarism

Pressure continues to grow against the ongoing Freedom Shield 25, a joint military exercise between the US and South Korea. The International People’s Assembly (IPA) and International League of Peoples Struggle (ILPS) joined Nodutdol, an anti-imperialist Korean diaspora group, in launching a joint statement calling for the Freedom Shield military exercises to be cancelled, claiming it is drumming up threats of war on the Korean peninsula. The anti-imperialist and anti-war platforms bring together hundreds of people’s movements and organizations across the world.

South Korean Workers Unite Against The US-Backed Far Right

March 12, 2025 Otis Grotewohl, Workers World. Strategize! Far Right, South Korea, US Intervention, Worker Rights and Jobs, Yoon Suk-Yeol

South Korea’s U.S.-backed President Yoon Suk Yeol was released from the Seoul Detention Center on March 8. Yoon was impeached on Dec. 27, 2024, for his role in ordering a right-wing coup, an order that failed earlier that month. Yoon’s release was based on a legal technicality, and it is already sparking some resistance and some chaos. Yoon had declared martial law on Dec. 3 during a televised address. The declaration aroused fierce and massive resistance, particularly from organized labor, students and two opposition parties that participate in the Korean Congress.

Activists Call For Cancellation Of US-ROK Military Exercises In Korea

March 6, 2025 Nodutdol. Resist! Anti-war Movement, Militarization, Military Exercises, South Korea

On March 1, the US out of Korea campaign held rallies across New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Seattle, bringing together hundreds of people in opposition to the upcoming Freedom Shield military exercises taking place between March 10 to March 19 in South Korea. In New York, over 200 people gathered in Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza, joined by Korean survivors of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima who shared the devastating impact of the US nuclear bomb. Member of European Parliament Marc Botenga also spoke on the necessity of diverting resources away from militarism and war towards peace and international solidarity.

New Yorkers Demand Cancelation Of U.S./South Korea Military Exercises

March 4, 2025 Fight Back! News. Resist! Anti-War, Militarization, Military Exercises, New York City (NYC), South Korea

New York, NY – About 200 people gathered in Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza on the beautiful Saturday afternoon, March 1, to protest the U.S./Republic of Korea (ROK) Freedom Shield exercises in Korea. Nodutdol organized the action, and it was part of a day of action where protests took place in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Seattle to demand an end to U.S. militarization and escalation towards war. The Freedom Shield exercises will be taking place between March 10 and March 19 in South Korea. Freedom Shield is a routine defensive training event that occurs between the U.S. and one of its allies, in this case the Republic of Korea, to strengthen its alliance with that nation.

The US Can Learn From South Koreans Who Stopped An Authoritarian

February 18, 2025 Jungmin Choi, Waging Nonviolence. Strategize! Authoritarianism, DOGE, Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Martial Law, South Korea, Trump Administration, Yoon Suk-Yeol

As Elon Musk and his DOGE team set about dismantling government agencies, many Americans expected a strong response from Congressional Democrats. Instead, party leaders offered weak statements and little resistance to being refused entry to the very agencies they are tasked with overseeing. This lack of urgency amid what’s being called an administrative coup stoked a wave of angry calls to “do more.” In their outrage on social media, many pointed to decisive action taken by politicians in other countries facing crisis. For example, someone on BlueSky noted that “South Korean politicians were literally scaling fences to protect their government,” while “our senators are sending out pre-scheduled tweets about the Super Bowl.”

Washington’s (Not So) Strong Man In Seoul Is Defying Arrest

January 7, 2025 In Jeong Kim, Orinoco Tribune. Educate! Coup Attempt, Martial Law, Repression, South Korea, US Imperialism, Yoon Suk-Yeol

On January 3, three days after a South Korean court issued an arrest warrant for suspended president Yoon Suk Yeol on charges of leading an insurrection and abusing authority, investigators from the Corruption Investigation Office went to the presidential residence to execute the warrant—the first against a sitting president in Korean history. When investigators tried to arrest Yoon, they were confronted by hundreds of his supporters who had camped out to shield him. Following a dramatic five-hour standoff with the presidential security team, who had formed a “human wall” to block the path to Yoon, the investigators eventually retreated. The warrant remains valid until January 6.

United States’ Role In The Coup Attempt And Effort To Reignite The Korean War

December 23, 2024 Margaret Flowers, Clearing the FOG. Podcast - Clearing The FOG Korean War, South Korea, US coup, Wars and Militarism

On December 3, President Yoon Suk-Yeol attempted to impose martial law in South Korea as part of an effort to take more power and reignite the Korean War. Social movements took to the streets en masse and stopped the coup. Legislators then successfully voted to impeach President Yoon, who is refusing to resign. Clearing the FOG speaks with Ju-Hyun Park of the Korean diaspora organization Nodutdol about long-term US intervention in South Korea, how the coup attempt was thwarted, alleged plans to create a false flag event implicating the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and what happens next.

South Korea’s Problem: The United States

December 19, 2024 Workers World. Resist! North Korea, South Korea, US Imperialism, Yoon Seok-Yeol

Since his Dec. 3 attempt to impose martial law, mass demonstrations of hundreds of thousands of people involving the most important labor unions and popular organizations from around the country came out in the streets of Seoul demanding that South Korean President Yoon Seok-Yeol be deposed. After a popular rebellion repulsed Yoon’s Dec. 3 coup attempt, the National Assembly reversed the call for martial law, and Yoon was forced to retreat – but refused to step down. Following continuous popular demonstrations, the National Assembly finally voted on Dec. 14 with more than the needed two-thirds majority to impeach Yoon.

Was South Korea’s Coup An Attempt To Restart The Korean War?

December 13, 2024 Ju Hyun-Park, People's Dispatch. Educate! Korean War, North Korea, South Korea, Wars and Militarism

As South Korea’s political crisis continues following President Yoon’s failed attempt to declare martial law on December 3, new details are emerging in the country’s legislature that suggest the full scope of Yoon’s coup plot may have included plans to trigger a “limited war” with North Korea. Planning documents circulated among accomplices prior to the martial law order also demonstrate that Yoon and former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun looked to past martial law orders as precedents, including those issued prior to the Gwangju Massacre and the Jeju Massacre.

South Korea’s Impeachment Fails—What’s Next?

December 10, 2024 Ju-Hyun Park, People's Dispatch. Educate! Impeachment, Martial Law, New Cold War, South Korea, Yoon Seok-Yeol

South Korean President Yoon Seok Yeol remains in power following a much-anticipated impeachment vote in parliament that was scuttled when the ruling People’s Power Party (PPP) boycotted the measure. While a handful of PPP lawmakers ultimately broke ranks to support impeachment, a sufficient majority to pass the measure could not be reached. The impeachment vote was held days after Yoon attempted (and failed) to establish martial law in the country. Opposition parliamentarians have vowed to continue impeachment efforts until Yoon’s tenure in office ends.

South Korea’s Martial Law Fiasco

December 8, 2024 K. J. Noh, Counter Punch. Educate! Coup Attempt, Martial Law, Propaganda, South Korea, Yoon Suk-Yeol

In the wake of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s 6-hour coup, Western pundits have opined that this was an affirmation of South Korean democracy’s robustness and resilience, its institutional maturity and strength. This is like saying after a survivor fights off an assault, that this demonstrates a mature state of legal order. Hardly. It signals the opposite. Certainly, it highlights courage, but it isn’t a demonstration of a robust state of rights. It demonstrates a gaping, terrifying lack of order.

People Across US Mobilize In Solidarity With South Koreans

December 6, 2024 People's Dispatch. Resist! International Solidarity, Korean-Americans, Martial Law, South Korea, United States, White House, Yoon Suk-Yeol

People in cities across the US are mobilizing in solidarity with people in South Korea, who are demanding the resignation of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol following his failed attempt to impose martial law. The North America-based Korean diaspora group Nodutdol organized rallies in Los Angeles, New York City, and San Francisco on the night of December 4, which were joined by organizations such as the Korea Peace Now Grassroots Network, Korean Americans for the Progressive Party, the Palestinian Youth Movement, the People’s Forum, and the Party for Socialism and Liberation.

Calls For Resignation Of Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol Grow

December 5, 2024 People's Dispatch. Resist! Democracy, General Strike, Martial Law, Military dictatorship, South Korea, Unions, Worker Rights and Jobs, Yoon Seok-Yeol

Trade unions, political parties, and civil society organizations in South Korea have called for the resignation of President Yoon Suk Yeol following his attempt to impose martial law. Opposition parties, including the Democratic Party and the Rebuilding Korea Party, have sponsored a motion in the parliament to impeach Yoon. Thousands participated in a candlelight vigil on Wednesday to demand the same. The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), the largest trade union confederation in the country, announced that they will stage a general strike until President Yoon steps down.

Support Koreans against Yoon!

December 5, 2024 Workers' World. Resist! Coup Attempt, Coups, Martial Law, Solidarity, South Korea, US Imperialism, Worker Rights and Jobs, Yoon Suk-Yeol

The labor unions and mass organizations of the people of South Korea deserve the support of everyone who wants to struggle against war and dictatorship. They are fighting at this time — Dec. 4, 2024 — to rid the Seoul regime of its autocratic, anti-worker, pro-war President Yoon Suk-Yeol. On Dec. 3 Yoon declared martial law and sent elite troops to seize the National Assembly. His coup attempt failed, and the Congress voted to lift the coup. Yoon’s own cabinet members had dissented in fear of defeat, and Yoon was forced to retreat within hours of his martial law declaration.

South Korea’s Six-Hour Martial Law

December 4, 2024 Kiji Noh, Scheer Post. Educate! Impeachment, Martial Law, North Korea, South Korea

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday declared martial law, suspended the South Korean legislature and banned elected representatives from accessing the National Assembly building using massive police presence. And then six hours later he rescinded the order. President Yoon had declared in a public address to the Korean people that the move was to protect a “liberal South Korea from the threats posed by North Korea’s communist forces and to eliminate anti-state elements.”

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