(This article is based on observations and conversations with Korean movement activists during a one-month trip back to the homeland this past November.)

The Bush administration is bringing the Korean peninsula to the brink of war. U.S. threats against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (the DPRK, or North Korea) and Washington’s withdrawal from the 1994 nuclear accords have led to a dramatic escalation of tensions. A growing tide of demonstrations against the presence of U.S. troops has rocked South Korea.

Sun Hyung Lee traveled to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (north Korea) as part of a peace delegation of eight Korean Americans from Oakland, Los Angeles and New York in June of 2004. At a time when the Bush administration is carrying out war preparations against north Korea, the interview provides some important insights into developments on the Korean peninsula.

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following article from the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on the April 5 space launch by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).

Commenting on the May 25 nuclear test, the Korean Central News agency stated, “The test will contribute to defending the sovereignty of the country and the nation and socialism and ensuring peace and security on the Korean Peninsula.”