Seeds Will Grow

In the January 2026 session of the Korea Peace Study Group (which occurs virtually, on the second Friday evening of the month, USA time), we marked 5 years of collective study of Korea peace.

We also discussed our interests in Korea peace studies moving forward. Some of the ideas for future study which emerged in our discussion included:

• Korean Solidarity with Global Liberation Movements
• Empowering the Poor: Saemaeul Undong in ROK, Juche Ideology in DPRK
• Korean Queer History
• Global Propaganda about DPRK
• Korean Disability Politics
• Russia-China-DPRK Relationship
• DPRK-Pacific Nations Relations
• Donroe Doctrine: Trump’s National Security Strategy & US Imperialism in 2026
• South Korean Alignment with US Empire
• DMZ Tourism / Ecology

Members made some reading and viewing recommendations, too.

Reading:

• Song of Arirang, Kim San
• The Hidden History of the Korean War, ﾠI.F. Stone
• Tastes Like Warﾠ, Grace Cho
• Quest for Peaceﾠ, ﾠHan S. Park
• Mirror Nationﾠ, ﾠDon Mee Choi
• We Do Not Partﾠ, ﾠHan Kang
• Korea’s Place in the Sunﾠ, ﾠBruce Cumings
• Everyday Life in the North Korean Revolution, Suzy Kim
• Internationalism in Practice – Claudia Jones, Black Liberation, and the ‘Bestial’ War in Korea, Edited Volume
• Among Women Among Worlds, Suzy Kim
• We Accuse Report, 1951 report by international women to UN
• Barbarism Unleashed, US Foreign Policy
• With the Century, Kim Il Sung

Viewing:

• WARmerica’s Fate 1: The Resistance Beginsﾠ, Kim Cheol-min
• Haewon (2018)ﾠ, Ja-Hywan Gu
• South Korea’s Adoption Reckoningﾠ, ﾠFRONTLINE & AP
• Jiseul (2012)ﾠ, Meul O
• We Went to North Korea to Get a Haircut, Boy Boy

Would you join us for study in 2026? As for your study plans this year, you could choose an interesting book to read with friends – OR, review original sources and literature to build out a presentation on any topic related to Korea peace.

If you can join us, please make an individual study plan and get in touch to let me know your study plans and to schedule a presentation date.

You’re invited to join us for our online sessions on the 2nd Friday of each month at 8 pm US Eastern Time: tinyurl.com/koreapeacestudygroup

As always, United States’ citizens can urge their government to end the Korean War and return sovereignty to the Korean people. One way to do this is by supporting the “Peace on the Korean Peninsula” bill in Congress (H.R. 1841). Contact your member of Congress today about the Peace on the Korean Peninsula bill HERE.

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