BY LEE YU KYUNG
On September 16, representatives of more than 360 South Korean organisations, including trade unions, student unions and progressive parties, announced their opposition to any decision by the Seoul government to send combat soldiers to Iraq.
In a joint statement, the groups demanded that the South Korean government reject the US demand for South Korean combat troops to help defend the "immoral" occupation of Iraq.
As US casualties mount in Iraq, Washington is attempting to spread the burden of its occupation of Iraq to other countries. The statement declared that Washington's request "reflects [the fact] that its attack on Iraq has failed".
The organisations insisted that "South Korea already [has] committed crimes against Iraqis by sending 'non-combat' soldiers to Iraq in May".
On September 12, the 310-organisation Coalition for World Anti-War Action (which is, with anti-war groups around the world, organising protests on September 27) demanded that all Korean troops be withdrawn from Iraq, and no more be sent. Two days earlier, the Munwha Broadcasting Corporation had reported that it is very likely that the government would agree to dispatch more troops to Iraq.
In a separate statement on September 15, the Citizens' Coalition for Democratic Media strongly criticised some mainstream South Korean newspapers, which had editorialised in favour of "the alliance with the US" and supported sending combat troops to Iraq.
Support for the "anti-dispatch movement" is not confined to activists. On September 18, a group of 18 reformist parliamentarians pledged to reject any bill to send combat troops to Iraq. Daily newspapers Hankyurae, Kyunghyang, Daehanmaeil and the popular webzine Ohmynews.com supported their move.
However, right-wing organisations and the big corporate media — Cho-sun, Dong-a and Jung-ang daily newspapers — have welcomed the US demand. On September 19, the People's Coalition against Kim Jung Il [president of North Korea] and Nuclear Armament demonstrated in favour of sending South Korean combat troops to Iraq. According to a report by Ohmynews, this right-wing coalition stressed that this was an "excellent chance to close the gap that has recently opened between South Korea and the US, so the government and the parliament shouldn't be indecisive".
Despite this "pro-dispatch" campaign, a recent poll by the daily Naeil newspaper found that 67.1% of the population is opposed to sending combat troops to Iraq, while 30.1% support such a move.
Many opposed to South Korea's participation in the Iraq war note the similarities to the situation during the Vietnam War. Like now, the government first sent non-combat troops — such as medical units — but then began to send increasing numbers of combat troops. South Korean soldiers in Vietnam were notorious for their brutality, killing many innocent people.
During the US onslaught on Iraq, North Korea's nuclear rearmament served as justification for the sending South Korean non-combat troops to Iraq. The government argued: "North Korea's nuclear problems should be solved peacefully. For that, it's inevitable that we cooperate with the US and be in accord with the US policy in Iraq".
However, the majority of South Korea's people, who were against the US invasion of Iraq, thought the argument was absurd.
Amid growing anti-war sentiment, South Korea's President No Mu Hyun told local journalists on September 17, that the government "will come to a decision with prudence, considering public opinion as first priority". Ohmynews analysed that No Mu Hyun's statement will stimulate the anti-war movement enormously to pressure the government to defy US demands.
According to Seoul's foreign affairs and trade minister Yoon Young Kwan, the decision on whether to send combat troops to Iraq will be made by the end of the year.
From Green Left Weekly, October 1, 2003.
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