Advance Genuine Liberation in Korea and End 80 Years of US Occupation!
ILPS-US Country Chapter stands firmly with the Korean people as they rise up in their homeland and in six major cities across the US on August 15th - National Liberation Day in commemoration of the ending of Japanese colonization and in continued struggle against the ongoing US occupation.
In fact, US occupation continues to sow division among the people and in the region while stoking war and wreaking havoc on the country’s economy. Adding insult to injury, on the same date, the US will lead its annual Ulchi Freedom Shield war exercises where it will actively gear up South Korean troops to militarily repress their own people while playing out schemes to invade the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK - North Korea). These provocative war games, along with massive US military basing and the tens of thousands of US troops, put South Koreans’ lives on the frontlines of any counter attacks. While these military exercises drain the economy of much needed social services for the people, the US under President Trump recently tacked on 15% tariffs and deals on semiconductors, energy and shipbuilding to siphon off billions to American companies and further its parasitic relations with South Korea.
South Koreans have already been suffering under the neocolonial domination of the US which has put the country on the brink of recession - hitting workers especially hard with skyrocketing prices of goods and job uncertainty. South Korea has one of the highest suicide rates in the world - one of many symptoms of an economy that does not support its own people. As workers struggle against neoliberal policies and for rights and livelihood, they lead the way for the entire country’s fight for genuine national liberation.
US imperial interests divided the nation of Korea in the first place - pitting the people against each other and then vilifying those who opposed US domination. Today, the US continues to paint the DPRK as a villain while imposing sanctions to cut off the people from much needed goods and vital trade relations. However, the US is the real villain, constantly stoking the flames of aggression with its joint military endeavors in the Asia Pacific, using the Korean people as cannon fodder in its scheme to usurp China’s dominant role in the region.
While internationally, the people under the boot of US imperialism suffer, domestically the Trump Administration is making the working class foot the bill. With the passing of Trump’s Big Ugly Bill, fundamental needs and services have been cut that will greatly affect the working and poor people of the US. While funding for medicaid, food stamps, etc have been slashed, “defense” spending has reached over a trillion dollars, with billions going toward nuclear weapons, space technology, and a “Golden Dome” missile system, mirroring that of the Zionist entity. . The US is selling people short to kill people abroad.
Attempts to fight back against the US brutal regime are met with repression. The peoples’ movements domestically and overseas are targeted with violence. Three students who stated their demands of ending US-ROK (Republic of Korea) joint military exercises at the US Embassy in South Korea were recently arrested and the community fought for their release. The most recent tool the US has weaponized against organizers is ICE. Columbia Student, Yunseo Chung, was targeted for her activism and faced detention and deportation simply for speaking out. The people gathered together and fought back! As the empire begins to crumble, it will continue to lash out against the people in an attempt to survive. Now is not the time to retreat, but to build a fighting mass movement that can weather the storm of repression!
The people in the US have a vested interest in national liberation and self-determination for countries oppressed by imperialism. As the US continues to invade, bomb, raid, and deport, conditions in the US itself continue to worsen. With each war and genocide facilitated by our misappropriated tax dollars, let us not be complicit and instead build solidarity with all who are oppressed by this imperialist system. We demand that the US stop spending on imperialist plunder, and instead invest in the needs of the people. We must fight to put People Over Profit!
Supporting movements abroad and in our own neighborhoods, we can unite and fight back against the many-headed imperialist monster, our common enemy. The advance of their fight for liberation advances the struggle of the whole movement against imperialism and fascism. We must all take the task to raise up our struggles to greater heights and unite our fights together. To win the final victory against imperialism, we must win together.
On August 15th and 16th, unite with the many to oppose the US- ROK War Games and celebrate the 80 years victory against Japanese imperialism! We will be joining Nodutdol and organizations around the country to cement the victory of the Korean people and to commit to the ongoing battle before us. We are stronger together, and on August 15th we will stand united!