Today, the US and south Korea begins live military exercises against north Korea after a 4 year pause. This year’s drills are unprecedented in scale, upping the tensions on the Korean peninsula.
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The US & south Korea typically hold joint military exercises 2x a year. Exercises can involve up to 300k soldiers & rehearse invasions of north Korea and assassination of north Korean leadership.
The first US-south Korea joint exercises took place in 1955, 16 months after the Armistice agreement was signed.
Since then, the war exercises have expanded and advanced, and north Korea has developed nuclear weapons.
This year, south Korea and the US restore field drills and conduct expanded exercises.
For the past few years, the US and south Korea had canceled some drills and scaled others back to computer simulations, to reduce tensions and because of COVID.
South Korea’s new president, Yoon Seok-yeol has worsened tensions with north Korea.
Yoon met with Biden just weeks into his presidency, agreeing to large-scale joint military exercises. Yoon has also supported preemptive missile strikes against north Korea.
For decades, north Korea has opposed these joint exercises, arguing that they increase tension.
North Korea hasn’t tested nuclear weapons since 2017 in good faith. Now many predict their next test will happen in response to expanded military threats from the US and south Korea.
Meanwhile Koreans in the south have been protesting the US military aliance.
On August 13th, thousands of protesters in Seoul called for the suspension of joint military exercises. They also demanded the dissolution of the US-south Korea alliance and the withdrawal of US forces.
US war exercises expand to all of Asia.
Recently, the US gathered 25 countries for RIMPAC naval exercises. Officially, these exercises are not aimed at any particular country, but they were a clear show of force against China and north Korea.
Some north Korean defectors have achieved global fame for their horrific and tear-jerking stories about north Korea. But behind their stories is a web of political schemes and cash incentives, intended to advance US imperialism.
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A handful of north Korean defectors have become human rights celebrities. But not everyone who leaves north Korea identifies as a defector. "Defector" implies a political motive, but most leave for economic reasons, and some plan to return.
Defectors get cash incentives for juicy stories. In 2017, the south Korean government announced it would pay defectors up to $860,000 for “sensitive information” about north Korea, like details about the government or military.
On this day in 1945, Koreans celebrated liberation from Japanese colonialism. Japan annexed Korea in 1910, and the colonial government pursued a policy of brutal repression as it oversaw the pillaging of the peninsula.
Koreans fought back and freed themselves. THREAD🧵
Korean students in Japan became radicalized and challenged the colonial government.
On Feb 8 1919, 600 Korean students gathered in Tokyo to declare Korean independence. They threatened ‘endless bloody war’ if demands were not met, and called for support from Western powers.
Inspired by the student movement in Japan, 33 religious and academic leaders drafted and signed a Declaration of Independence on March 1, 1919.
Shinzo Abe, former Japanese prime minister, was assassinated. A powerful figure among Japan’s right-wing, Abe was an apologist for imperial Japan’s war crimes and supported US imperialist efforts in the Asia Pacific.
A thread on Abe 🧵
Abe was a member of fascist group Nippon Kaigi.
They claim Imperial Japan’s war crimes were exaggerated or fabricated, and praise Japanese colonialism for “liberating” Asia from the West. In 2014, 15/18 of Abe's cabinet were Nippon Kaigi members.
Abe praised his grandfather, Nobusuke Kishi, who played a leadership role for Imperial Japan.
At the end of WWII, Kishi was imprisoned as a suspected Class A war criminal, but the US govt never charged him. Instead, he became Japan’s prime minister.
Today commemorates the 72nd anniversary of the “start” of the Korean War. Education is central to reviving the repressed histories of those fighting for Korea’s liberation and so today we share with you a few resources to learn the real history of the Korean War.
Korea’s Grievous War by Sukyoung Hwang: an account of civilian experiences with anti-communist violence from the Jeju Uprising through the Korean War, drawing on personal interviews and survivor testimony
Patriots, Traitors and Empires: The Story of Korea’s Struggle for Freedom by Stephen Gowans: Gowans details the fight for Korean liberation, dating from Japanese Colonialism in 1905 through current threats against the DPRK from the US
On May 10, 2022, Yoon Seok-yeol officially takes office as the president of south Korea. Yoon’s presidency marks a return to power for the south Korean right. How will this impact Koreans and the world at large?
Yoon pledged to abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality & Family - a division that oversees prevention of domestic violence & support for survivors. By accusing the ministry of “reverse gender discrimination,” he secured support from anti-feminist orgs. bbc.com/news/world-asi…
One of his strong supporters included the “New Men’s Solidarity” group - an active anti-feminist org - whose founder, Bae In-kyu, said, “Feminists are a social evil” during an anti-feminist rally in December 2021.
From 1964 - 1973, south Korea deployed over 300,000 soldiers in the US invasion of Vietnam.
Today is Reunification Day in Vietnam. Let’s take the occasion to reflect on south Korea’s role in imperialist aggression against Vietnam.
Why did south Korea join the war?
Bc of the Korean War, south Korea has one of the world’s largest militaries. The US sought to use this large military in Vietnam to save costs. But Park Chung-hee, south Korea’s right-wing strongman ruler, wouldn’t send troops without a price.
In exchange for deploying 300,000 troops and 100,000 civilian workers to Vietnam, the US gave south Korea a $150 million development loan, and paid over $1 billion in salaries and other deployment costs. South Korean troops joined the war more or less as mercenaries.