2004 World Conference against A & H Bombs

Ji-Seon Koh
GreenKorea United

This is my honor to have a chance to meet the poeple here in Japan.

Last June, one of Korean young men, Kim Seon-il, was kidnapped and killed in Iraq. The demand was to withdraw the Korean troops from Iraq within 48 hours. Thousands of Korean people held gcandle light vigilh praying for his safe release across the country. However, we could not save his life. My government did not withdraw the sending of troops and failed to attend to him. We watched the picture of him crying. He appealed to us: gI do not want to die. I want to live. President Roh, you are making a mistakeh. It was a source of unspeakable sadness for his family and the Korean people. This feeling of sadness and shock is the same for the many Koreans who have opposed that U.S. unjust invasion in and deployment of Korean troops to Iraq.

My government has given the priority to national interest and sending the troops. I'd like to ask you.
What is more important than a personfs life? I believe that the people here would understand how we felt because you have experienced the disastrous atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Around the world, there are only a few countries which support the unjust Iraqi war by U.S. Disgracefully, Korea is one of them.
After the death of Mr.Kim, the Korean people, especially young people protested against sending the troops by demonstrating in front of the U.S Embassy in Korea, the National Assembly, and the military base.

There was a fast of days by several representatives from the left, one to the point of exhaustion. Despite their efforts, the government sent troops without informing the Korean people. On August 3, the Korean soldiers went to Iraq.

We are opposed to deciding people's life by a few politicians. Who decided to drop the Atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki? Who were the thousands of people, suffering and dying?

Iraq is not the only place to have this happen but also around the world. As U.S. forces have been relocated in Japan, the deployment is going on in Korea, either. In Pyoungtaek, U.S. bases have been expanding because of the strategic location, which is possible to check North Korea and China at the same time. The Korean government intends to give the land to U.S. without the agreement of the people, living there. But we do not accept giving the base for U.S. militarism and imperialism any more. We have bought g1 pyoung fieldh (#pyoung : one of the unit) not to give it to them, called gpeace fieldh . This Sunday, on August 8, we will have the unveilling of ceremony for that, giving our voice against the expanding of U.S bases.

Now we have to finish the war and people's agony. We have to abolish nuclear weapons. It is not the time to drop the bomb but to interact each other in language.

Thank you for your attention.

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Japan Council
against A & H Bombs
(GENSUIKYO)
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