BY LEE YU KYUNG
On November 17, following a meeting with US defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld, South Korea's defence minister Jo Young Gil announced that Seoul had agreed to send 3000 additional troops to Iraq, including combat troops. They will join the 700 "non-combat" Korean troops already in Iraq.
Rumsfeld told a joint press conference that Washington had asked that South Korea supply 5000 combat troops and hinted that Seoul may offer more in the future.
A majority of South Koreans oppose the sending of troops to Iraq. On November 17, People's Action against the Dispatching of Korean Troops to Iraq (PADKTI), an alliance of 351 organisations, issued a statement titled "Throw out Rumsfeld with nothing". It demanded that South Korea's President Roh Moo Hyun tell Rumsfeld that Koreans don't want any troops committed to the US-led occupation of Iraq.
During Rumsfeld's visit, anti-war activists held "shadow protests", following the "warmonger" wherever he went. On November 17 at 8am, they organised "one-person protests" (Korea has tough restrictions on street protests) in front of the Shilla Hotel, where Rumsfeld was staying. At 10am, there were demonstrations outside the nearby ministry of national defence building, the venue of the meeting between Jo Young Gil and Rumsfeld. Rumsfeld sneaked out through the back door.
At his next destination, Rumsfeld was "welcomed" by more protesters at the War Memorial Monument. When he arrived at the Blue House — South Korea's presidential residence — an "anti-dispatch" media conference was held outside.
Since early September, when the US asked for additional troops, President Roh has been promising that "the government will first consider public opinion" before taking a decision. This has proven to be a lie.
A poll conducted by the Jinju branch of People's Solidarity between September 27 and October 4 found that 92% of respondents opposed the sending of troops to Iraq, while just 7% were in support. Since October 13, the left-wing Korean Democratic Labour Party has been conducting street polls all over the country every Saturday and publishing the results on its web site. They have repeatedly found that more than 80% of respondents are opposed to sending South Korean troops to Iraq. Another poll taken in early October by the Student Coalition against the Dispatch of Troops and for Peace on the Korean Peninsula found 76.6% opposition, and only 22.2% support.
Roh asked his ministers for the additional troops to be sent only three days after listening to a PADKTI delegation on October 8.
The mass media have strongly promoted the dispatch of troops. For example, the right-wing daily Chosun Ilbo claimed on October 20: "The decision to dispatch additional troops to Iraq is expected to boost the Korean economy... Especially for a soldier, who usually only makes an incredible US$20.40 a month, this is a golden opportunity to earn money." (Members of Korea's medical and engineering units already stationed in Iraq get paid $1700 a month.)
Over the last two months, there have been several huge national demonstrations against the sending of troops, as well as numerous local and "sectoral" — i.e. students, workers — rallies.
Since November 17, some activists, including a 82-year-old pastor, have been on hunger strike near the Blue House. The police have repeatedly harassed and dispersed them, but they are staunchly resisting.
On November 21, a Korean soldier went AWOL (absent without leave), declaring: "I refuse to return to the military until President Roh withdraws his decision. It is not just to use Korean troops as tools for the invasion of another country". The National Council of Churches in Korea has expressed full support for the conscientious objector.
Roh's "liberal" government has been furiously attacked by South Korea's conservative opposition party, and the right-wing mass media. He has called a referendum for December to confirm public support for his presidency. However, with the commitment of more troops to Iraq, his government is losing the support of those to its left.
In addition, South Korea's workers are increasingly angry at Roh's continuing anti-labour policies. The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions has called for workers to vote against Roh in the referendum.
When it was elected, the Roh Moo Hyun government labelled itself a "participatory government". Now the South Korean people are increasingly saying: "We oppose this 'war-participatory' government."
From Green Left Weekly, December 3, 2003.
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