San Francisco, CA – On the afternoon of August 15, 100 people gathered in front of the San Francisco Federal Building for a national day of action to demand, “U.S. out of Korea” and “No to a Pacific war.”

Protesters chanted, “No boots on the ground, no bombs in the air! U.S. out of everywhere!” and “From Korea to the Philippines, stop the U.S. war machine!”

From August 9 through August 17, Chrisley Carpio of the Central Committee of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization took part in the Jaju Solidarity Brigade, the first international delegation to attend the annual August 15 Korean Liberation Day March, in what is known as the Republic of Korea. The Jaju Solidarity Brigade visited U.S. bases and sites of historic importance to the progressive movement in Korea and learned about various fronts of struggle for Korean peace, sovereignty and reunification.

Fight Back!: Can you briefly summarize the political situation on the Korean Peninsula? And its relationship to the United States?

Chrisley Carpio: The people of the Korean Peninsula were once a united people. Today, its people are divided by U.S. imperialism at the 38th parallel. The North, known as the Democratic Peoples’ Republic of Korea, is a liberated, socialist state that is in charge of its own affairs, including its government, military, economy and society. In the DPRK, every person is guaranteed a job, a place to live, and groceries such as rice and soy sauce, no matter the state of the economy.

Seoul, SK – On August 15, the Jaju Solidarity Brigade, led by Nodutol, joined 10,000 people marching in Seoul, Republic of Korea to demand “U.S. out of Korea.” This was the first international delegation to ever join the annual National Liberation Day protest in South Korea, which has historically brought together the country’s most progressive trade unions, student organizations, women’s groups, and other civil society organizations to oppose the Ulchi Freedom Shield war drills.

June Colcol, the secretary general of BAYAN USA, explained the purpose of the delegation at a press conference for the delegation, “We aim to contribute to uplifting the Korean national liberation struggles against U.S. militarism by raising the people's resistance and linking our efforts to kick out the U.S. from our homelands. U.S. military presence continues to place our people in danger.”

21 international anti-war and progressive organizations, from the U.S., Hawai’i, Puerto Rico, Guåhan (Guam), the Philippines and India, participated in the Jaju Solidarity Brigade. The brigade spent a week visiting sites of U.S. military occupation, including Gusan Air Base, Camp Casey and Camp Humphreys. The delegation also met with people’s resistance leaders from across South Korea to learn about their fightbacks to U.S. occupation.

Minneapolis, MN – On August 15, community members gathered at Mayday Plaza to honor the 81st anniversary of Korean Liberation Day. The event was held in the Cedar Riverside neighborhood, right outside of Mayday Books.

The action was emceed by Trent Fast from the Minnesota Anti-War Committee and Leo Del Rio from About Face, who began with the acknowledgement of the U.S.’s ongoing presence and occupation in Korea.

New York, NY – On August 15, over 100 people gathered in the heart of Times Square, near the Army Recruiting Office, to mark Korean Liberation Day. The protest was organized by Nodutdol and Bayan USA.

Korean Liberation Day is a celebration of the Korean resistance rising up and overthrowing Japanese imperialism on August 15, 1945. Since that day, it has become a yearly celebration to remember the militancy of the Korean people against imperialism and occupation.

For this protest, Nodutdol and Bayan demanded “U.S. out of Korea” and an end to the Pacific war. The United States has long engaged in violent meddling and intervention in South Korea to oppose North Korea. Additionally, weapon trade and war games in the region have escalated deaths of civilians.

By Zainab Almehdi

Philadelphia, PA – On August 26, upon learning that Republic of Korea President Lee Jae Myung would be speaking at Hanwha’s Philadelphia shipyard, anti-imperialist activists quickly mobilized to oppose the war-mongering, $5 billion investment into Philly shipbuilding. This investment is a condition of the recent trade deal brokered by Lee and Trump, who met the day before in Washington, DC.

The deal entailed the lowering of the U.S. tariff rate for South Korean goods from the proposed 25% down to 15% in exchange for a direct investment of $150 billion into the U.S. shipbuilding industry, a deal proposed by Lee as “MASGA” or “Make American Shipbuilding Great Again.” $5 billion of that $150 billion will be spent on developing Hanwha’s shipbuilding venture in Philadelphia.

New York, NY- On August 15, 100 New Yorkers gathered in Herald Square, joining protesters around the country to demand U.S. out of Korea. The rally was part of a National Day of Action organized by Nodutdol, an organization of Koreans in the U.S. fighting for the national liberation and reunification of Korea.

By Trent Fast and Cedar Larson

New York, NY – On the weekend of July 25-27, the Anti-War Action Network sent members from the Minnesota Anti-War Committee, Women Against Military Madness, Detroit Anti-War Committee, Tucson Anti-War, and Seattle Against War to the first ever People’s Summit for Korea in New York City.

On February 15 there was a meeting in Munich, Germany, which included U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the south Korean authorities and the Japanese foreign minister, where they inflamed the situation on the Korean peninsula.

Oakland, CA – On November 17, Nodutdol held an educational film screening and fundraiser highlighting solidarity between Korea and Palestine. Around 100 people gathered at East Side Arts Alliance in Oakland for the event, which was co-sponsored by Palestinian Youth Movement.

Denver, CO – On Saturday, September 14, 30 people from Denver and Aurora met at James Bible Park in Denver, Colorado to oppose the U,S. occupation of Korea. A striking banner at the rally read “U.S. out of Korea! End the War Economy!”

This action was organized in solidarity with Nodutdol’s “U.S. Out of Korea” campaign. The energy of Nodutdol’s campaign can was felt those who gathered for the rally. Opposing the rising tensions of war from the continued sanctions on North Korea and U.S. war games is a priority for anti-imperialist groups.

New York, NY - On Sunday, August 18, hundreds of New Yorkers gathered to attend Nodutdol’s “No to Nuclear War Games: U.S. Out of Korea” rally. Held in Greeley Square in the Koreatown neighborhood, the event was one of several held across the country over the past week to protest the U.S. and South Korea’s conducting of nuclear war game exercises that rehearse aggressive scenarios, including launching a nuclear strike against North Korea.

New York, NY – Several hundred people gathered in midtown Manhattan at The People’s Forum to launch Nodutdol’s U.S. Out of Korea campaign. Hundreds more gathered at events in Oakland and Los Angeles for similar launch events.

According to a January 14 report from the Korean Central News Agency, the Foreign Ministry of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) said that that north Korea would continue to take measures to defend itself against the U.S. and other hostile powers.

Washington, DC – According to a March 20 report from the Korean Central News Agency, the government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) has formed the Central Emergency Anti-Epidemic Headquarters to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The headquarters is also tasked with summing up experience and popularizing achievements in the fight against the illness.

Washington DC – The Democratic People's Republic of Korea tested a new rocket launching system on November 29.

On October 18 a group of Korean students entered the U.S. ambassador’s residential compound in Seoul, Korea to protest the continuing presence of U.S. troops in their country. 20 people, who belong to a coalition of progressive students, scaled the wall of the diplomatic compound and began a demonstration against the U.S. occupation of their county. The students chanted “We don’t need U.S. troops,” and “Get out!” before being escorted out by police. 19 of the students were detained and questioned by south Korean police.

Washington, DC – Responding to news reports that U.S. special units in Japan staged a drill aimed at “the infiltration into Pyongyang,” Rodong Sinmun ,the leading newspaper of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), stated in an August 26 commentary, “Such acts prove that the U.S. is hatching a criminal plot to unleash a war against the DPRK and commit a crime which deserves merciless divine punishment in case the U.S. fails in the scenario of the DPRK's unjust and brigandish ‘denuclearization first.’”

Washington DC – A June 16 article in Rodong Sinmun, the leading daily newspaper in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) stated, “capitalism is a gloomy society as it has no future.”

The people of Korea and the peace-loving peoples of the world are celebrating the four-point peace pledge between President Trump of the U.S. and the Chairman Kim Jong Un of the socialist Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK). It is a big victory for the people of Korea, who want an official end to the U.S. war in Korea, denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, and the return home of U.S. troops. Koreans hope for the unity of their historic homeland, much like the Irish and Palestinian peoples do.