Seeds Will Grow

I just got off of the POWER HOUR call. I appreciated the updates on the diplomatic and humanitarian situations in the DPRK. Then, we all got a chance to call our Senators and Representatives to advocate for legislative changes that could lead toward peace on the Korean Peninsula.

Check the slides below to learn along with us, and please take a moment to find your representatives’ phone numbers and call to ask for their support for peace in Korea. (Simple scripts below!)

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The Korean War is unended. It started in 1950, and there was a ceasefire signed in 1953, but the conflict was NEVER brought to a peace agreement. Because of this, tension persists. The United States brought nuclear weapons to the Korean Peninsula in 1958 (in violation of the ceasefire agreement), threatened their use, and only removed them from Korea in the 1990s. By that time, the threat of nuclear war had led the leadership of the DPRK (N. Korea) to try to develop their own nuclear deterrent. An agreement was reached between the US and DPRK in 1994 to stop the DPRK’s nuclear development. The US walked away from that agreement in 2002, and in 2006, the DPRK conducted its first nuclear test. Now, the DPRK has nuclear weapons, which concerns the US and the ROK (S. Korea). However, the nuclear crisis is not the main problem – it is a symptom of an unended state of war. The Korean peninsula needs a PEACE FIRST approach.

To read more on this topic, I recommend this article.

Since 2019, the DPRK has had no diplomatic talks with the US. The DPRK has said it is open to further talks when the US reverses its “hostile policies.” A great first step to lead to talks would be stopping military exercises or lifting sanctions that harm DPRK citizens.

Most Americans think of the Korean War as a relic of history. It’s easy for Americans to forget that this war has still not ended – 76 years after it began. Koreans remember. They live in an unended state of war each day.

You can read this bill HERE.

If your Representative is listed here, please thank them for sponsoring H.R. 1841 when you call. You can additionally ask them to oppose the NDAA, particularly the provision that blocks OPCON transfer. More on that in the next slides.

The NDAA is the bill that sets the budget parameters for the military for the year ahead. Last year and this year, there is a provision that would prevent the ROK (S. Korea) from regaining its military operational control from the USA. Another consequence of the Korean War is that the ROK military is under the operational control of the USA during war time. This means that ROK soldiers report to the US chain of command. This is a basic question of S. Korean sovereignty over its own military – and the current President of S. Korea wants to regain operational control (OPCON). They US should not block that. Here’s more information about the NDAA provision we oppose (1235.Oversight of United States military posture on the Korean Peninsula):

You can make your calls now!

First, find phone numbers for your Representative (1) and Senators (2), by searching your address at THIS LINK.

Second, call your Representative (1) with this script:

“Hello, my name is [insert your name] and I am a constituent from [insert city, state, zipcode]. I am calling to ask [Representative’s name] to cosponsor H.R.1841, the Peace on the Korean Peninsula Act and oppose the NDAA, including the section that reauthorizes the provision that funds cannot be utilized to reduce troops in South Korea or transition wartime operational control.

The unresolved state of war is the root cause of tensions and militarism in Korea. The topline number in the NDAA and militaristic sections of the NDAA would undermine diplomacy and peace. Again, I ask that the Representative cosponsors H.R.1841, the Peace on the Korean Peninsula Act and opposes the NDAA. Thank you for your time and for considering my request for the Representative’s support.”

Third, call your Senators (2) with this script:

“Hello, my name is [insert your name] and I am a constituent from [insert city, state, zipcode]. I am calling to ask [Senator’s name] to oppose the NDAA that reauthorizes the provision that funds cannot be utilized to reduce troops in South Korea or transition wartime operational control.

This provision to prevent troop reduction and block the U.S. from returning wartime operational control of South Korea’s military back to the South Korean government for the first time ever undermines prospects for peace on the Korean Peninsula. We encourage the Senator to take actions to end the Korean War and support diplomacy between the U.S. and North Korea. Again, we ask that the Senator oppose the NDAA.”

THANK YOU for supporting peace on the Korean Peninsula!!!!!!

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