Stop the War Drills!
<Emergency Statement by Peace Mothers>Abolish the National Security Law and Halt U.S.–ROK Joint Military Drills ImmediatelyMany Koreans commemorate the U.S. participation in the Korean War and regard the United States as a benevolent ally. However, the reality is that since its founding in 1776, the United States has been at war with other countries for more than 230 years, except for only 17 years. That is why former President Jimmy Carter once remarked that “the most warlike nation in the world is the United States.”Today, the United States is once again openly displaying the face of a warmonger. The whole world knows that the kidnapping of the Venezuelan president and his wife was driven by oil interests. Although Iran has not insisted on nuclear armament, Israel and the United States have used the excuse of “future threats,” pretending to negotiate while ultimately launching a brutal attack. Looking at the faces of Trump and his aides, as well as Netanyahu and his advisors, one can find no trace of respect for peace or human life. It is as if embodiments of greed and evil have descended upon the world.The U.S.–ROK alliance, which was said to exist to defend South Korea from a “belligerent North Korea,” is now being transformed through deceptive terms such as “alliance modernization” and “strategic flexibility.” By drawing Japan into the framework, the United States seeks to use both Korea and Japan as its instruments. As seen in the recent clashes in the West Sea, it is becoming increasingly clear that Washington intends to use South Korea as the frontline force in a potential war against China.The United States has not only imposed the unequal U.S.–ROK alliance but has also operated a so-called “UN Command,” which in reality has little to do with the United Nations. Through this structure, it has deceived the Korean people and repeatedly obstructed inter-Korean relations. In 2019, citizens and organizations pursuing peace, reunification, and sovereignty launched the International Campaign to Dismantle the Fake “UN Command.” This campaign has revealed that the UN Command is in fact a U.S.-led multinational force that should have been dissolved under the 1975 UN General Assembly resolution.However, the UN Command did not disappear. Even after creating the U.S.–ROK Combined Forces Command, it continued to exist. Recently, under the pretext of “revitalization,” it has expanded further—bringing in Germany, a country defeated in World War II, and opening the door for Japanese forces to enter as well. All of this reflects Washington’s frantic effort to expand its hegemony in Asia.When the Yoon Suk-yeol administration sent 18 drones northward and released massive balloons carrying tens of tons of propaganda leaflets in order to provoke the North, the United States and the UN Command—both of which hold the highest responsibility for South Korea’s defense—cannot claim to be innocent. The Yoon administration, the United States, and the UN Command are joint perpetrators. Yet even after the full truth has emerged, President Lee Jae-myung has not issued an official apology to the North, citing concerns about accusations of being “pro-North.”The same applies to the North’s nuclear program. The government continues to insist that “denuclearization” must be a precondition for inter-Korean dialogue. But for more than 70 years since the armistice, the United States and South Korea have conducted continuous joint military exercises that threaten the North, while the promises made by the United States have repeatedly gone unfulfilled. Under such circumstances, it is only natural that the North has sought to strengthen its defensive capabilities through nuclear weapons.We have witnessed how the North exercised restraint despite dozens of war provocations by the Yoon administration. The truly belligerent side was the coup-minded forces in the South backed by the United States.Therefore, the path to peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and in the Republic of Korea is not deeper military cooperation with the United States and Japan. For the past 80 years, the United States has failed to build peace on the Korean Peninsula. Today, it is widely criticized around the world as a warmonger.For ordinary citizens, the solution is clear. North and South must communicate and move toward unity. The National Security Law—maintained to gaslight the Korean public with anti-North hatred through U.S.-backed authoritarian rulers—must be abolished. U.S.–ROK joint military exercises must be halted immediately. It is time to stop looking to Washington for approval and to end the role of a subordinate colonial follower.If the truth is so obvious to the people, why do those sitting in the highest offices of power continue to move in the wrong direction?Haewol, the second leader of the Donghak movement, once answered disciples who asked, “When will the great new world finally come?”He replied:“When the armies of all nations withdraw, and when all nations trade freely with one another, then the new world will arrive.”It is time to stop the shameful habit—shared by both ruling and opposition parties—of endlessly chanting the phrase “ironclad U.S.–ROK alliance.” In the age of artificial intelligence, the practice of silencing citizens with the National Security Law must also come to an end. When we free ourselves from the grip of foreign powers and act with true independence, the Korean Peninsula can become the very heart of world peace.March 8, 2026Peace Mothers of Korea
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