STATEMENT OF THE STAFFORDSHIRE COMMITTEE OF UK KFA
ON THE YONPHYONG INCIDENT
December 20 2010
In late November 2010 world public opinion was drawn to the shark reality of the consequence's of Korea's prolonged division by the recent incident on Yonphyong island, which is located in the Korean West Sea. Opinion both within Korea and internationally was extremely alarmed by this outbreak of hostilities.
The shelling of Yonphyong island was portrayed by the Western news corporations as an attack by north Korea upon the south.Whereas infact it was the south Korean army and navy which opened fire first on the north of the 38th parallel.Reuters news agency quoted south Korean military sources as saying that the south Korean army test fired its artillery on north Korean targets before the retaliatory barrage from the Korean Peoples Army. The south Korean authorities admission of firing first from the territory of Yonphyong island is one of many manufactured incidents by the Seoul regime, so as to provide a justification for its belligerent behaviour towards the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea.
Ten years ago the prospects for the peaceful and independent reunification of Korea was becoming a possible reality.Both north and south of Korea were advancing steadily towards the goal of the independent reunification of the Korean peninsula by the efforts of the Korean people themselves. North and south Korea were cooperating in various areas of national life under the influence of the June 15th 2000 inter-Korean agreement.
With the advent of the Li Myong Bak group into power in 2008, the south Korean authorities have been hellbent on a course of provocation and confrontation with the north.The regime of Li Myong Bak has consistently undone all the work of his predecessors, Kim Dae Jong and Roh Moo Hyun, for the reunification of the Korean peninsula. Regrettably Li Myong Bak has returned south Korea to the days of the anti-democratic and authoritarian rule of the 1970s and 1980s.
The strategy of the governing Grand National Party in south Korea is of intensifying tensions on the Korean peninsula is a extremely reckless one, with the possibility of a second Korean war or even a Third World War caused by Seoul's sabre rattling. Using different kinds of artificial pretexts, the Li Myong Bak clique is attempting to isolate and stifle the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea. As the 2003 invasion of Iraq demonstrated, the international community should be vigilant about exaggerated and invented claims for launching acts of aggression.
The Obama Administration, which promised a fundamental change in the direction of US foreign policy,is repeating the discredited course of the Washington neo-conservatives in-regard to Korea.On the issue of Korea, President Obama has been using the tactics of big power chauvinism and bullying. It is frankly ludicrous of the United States to conduct talks on the nuclear question, while excluding the DPRK in any negotiations.
Peoples Korea has expressed time and again its desire for peace and dialogue with south Korea. It is the DPRK's greatest aspiration to achieve the independent and peaceful reunification of Korea. The DPRK has continually called for a formal peace treaty with the USA, a call which is echoed by former US President Jimmy Carter.
The Staffordshire regional committee of the UK Korean Friendship Association calls upon all peace and anti-imperialist activists, indeed to all people who value justice and peace to work to avoid war and lessen tensions on the Korean peninsula. We in the Staffordshire KFA want to bring to the attention of public opinion the fact that is the Li Myong Bak group of south Korea and its US backers who are the bearers of war to Korea and the world. We urge media organisations and journalists not be manipulated into being war propagandists for the aggressive Seoul regime. The KFA in Staffordshire calls for an immediate stop for all provocative military execrises by south Korea and the US and instead strive towards the peaceful and independent reunification of Korea!
KOREA IS ONE!
Issued by the Staffordshire Regional Committee
of the UK Korean Friendship Association.
