South Koreans Say No to War and Rally Against Joining the US Missile Shield Targeting China, Russia, and North Korea, By Heo Sooyoung

By Heo Sooyoung
Asia-Pacific Research, July 25, 2016

source: MinPlus 16 July 2016

The Korean people are one of the people that suffered the most during the Cold War, which was a hot war in the Korean Peninsula. The land of the Korean people was divided and ravaged by destruction. Real and imaginary lines divided entire communities and families while the Korean Peninsula saw one of the worst bombing campaigns in the history of humanity.

This is why many of the South Korean people do not want to be embroiled in any type of US tensions or confrontation against China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, and many other countries.  In this regard, the National THAAD Countermeasure Council in South Korea has begun a public campaign against the deployment of the US missile shield and THAAD to their country. One of their demonstrations was held in Seoul on July 16, 2016. Trying to obfuscate the facts, most of the media in South Korea overlooked the event or casually mentioned it. The following is a brief article from South Korean news outlet MinPlus about the event.

 Mahdi Darius Nazemroaya, Asia-Pacific Research Editor, 25 July 2016.

Seoul — The National THAAD Countermeasure Council (preparing committee) held a peaceful gathering that demands to lift the THAAD deployment decision on the 16th at Cheonggye Plaza.

At the gathering, representatives from various civic organizations gave speeches against the THAAD deployment. Despite the heavy rain, the citizens who gathered for the gathering marched to the US Embassy after the gathering, expressing their willfulness to demand the lift of the THAAD deployment decision.

Choi Jong Jin, the acting chairman to the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, said in his speech, “We now are here to show that the opposition against the THAAD deployment is the will of the whole Korean people, not just that of Seongju [where the missile shield is to be deployed] residents. The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions will be in the center of the struggle to block up the THAAD deployment which threatens peace in Northeast Asia and makes the conditions of the Korean economy even more difficult.”

Park Seok Woon, the Korean Alliance of Progressive Movements co-chairman, insisted, “It has already been proved that the THAAD cannot intercept the Northern missiles. We do have to block up the THAAD deployment that makes the Korean Peninsula the arena of military competition toward the new cold war.”

The National Countermeasure Council holds ‘the Nationwide Peace Gathering to stop the THAAD Deployment in South Korea’ next weekend.

This article was edited by Asia-Pacific Research.

The original source of this article is MinPlus