Korean Condolence Rally for Victim in Iraq

Dear friends,

It is sad to send this statement to you after a Korean person was killed in Iraq.
We know how serious Iraqi situation is. Maybe we do not know exactly what has
happened and how many people have been sacrificed in Iraq.

We are organizing vigils in the memory of Kim Seon Il, victim in Iraq and protest
actions against South Korean government’s policy to send its troops to Iraq. We will
hold Nationwide Condolence Rally for Kim Seon Il on June 26 in Seoul and other major
cities.

Below is a statement of People’s Action Against the Dispatch of Korean Troops to Iraq
after Kim Seon Il was killed in Iraq.

We continuously struggle with you for ending this US occupation in Iraq and against
sending Korean troops to Iraq.

In peace and solidarity,

Gyung-Lan Jung (Women Making Peace, humanrights@korea.com)
Young Mi Yang (People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, yang@pspd.org)
Chang Keun Lee (Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, inter@kctu.org)

People’s Action against the Dispatch of Korean Troops to Iraq

We pray for the repose of Kim Seon Il’s soul and send our condolence to his family.
We were more shocked with his death because we expected his safe return to us.

Kidnapping and killing an innocent person is a serious crime and cannot be justified
even though the Iraqi people are right to resist the US led invasion, occupation, and
carnage and the support of South Korean government for the US led war.

After Kim Seon Il was killed, South Korean government insisted that it could not
surrender to terrorist act, It continuously insists that sending troops to Iraq is in the
‘national interest’. Sending troops to Iraq is not in the ‘national interest’. There is no
national interest that is more important than protecting the life of a human being.
Whatever justification the government may use for sending its troops, the events that
are actually taking place are drawing citizens into the war that US is waging. Sending
troops will further add to the vicious cycle, leading more killings. This leads to the
inevitable: the continued sacrifice of soldiers and innocent people.

People’s Action against the Dispatch of Korean Troops to Iraq (People’s Action)
opposes the US occupation of Iraq; calls for the immediate withdrawal of multinational
armies led by the US, including the US. the UK, Korean and Japanese troops already in
Iraq; and campaigns to stop the dispatch of additional Korean troops to Iraq.

We are organizing vigils in the memory of Kim Seon Il and protest actions against
South Korean government’s policy to send its troops to Iraq. We will hold Nationwide
Condolence Rally for Kim Seon Il on June 26 in Seoul and other major cities.

We support various groups’ campaigns, including the activities of women’s, religious,
environmental, youth organizations and the trade union movement in the memory of
Kim Seon Il and to stop the sending of the troops to Iraq. Korean trade unions are
planning to refuse operating civilian aircrafts which carry Korean troops to Iraq.

* Plan of Action of People’s Action after Kim Seon Il’s death

1. Everyday at 7:00 pm, candlelight vigil in Seoul and other cities

2. June 26 at 7:00 pm,
Nationwide Condolence Rally for Kim Seon Il, Seoul and other cities

3. Set up memorial altars and install banners to stop sending Korean troops to Iraq at
all groups and all offices.

4. Black ribbon in the memory of Kim Seon Il.

5. On-line letter writing and signature collection campaigr Kim Seon Il and against
sending Korean troops to Iraq.

We join all peace-loving and peace-making people, peace action groups, and the
movements against war, to work in solidarity to end the war in Iraq.

June 25, 2004

People’s Action against the Dispatch of Korean Troops to Iraq