36 members of the International Socialists of South Korea (ISSK) were
arrested on October 15. Below is a call for support from the International
Socialists of Canada, and an update by Alex Callinicos of the Socialist
Workers Party in Britain. Please send all messages to me and I will forward
them to the appropriate committee - committees exist in several countries.
Please also indicate whether we can use your name, institution, union, etc.
in public lists of supporters. If you do not wish to go public, you can add
your name to a petition calling on the Korean government to drop the charges.
Finally, if you would like to know about any upcoming demonstrations or
other activities let me know and I'll pass your name onto the committee
nearest you.
Dan Shoom <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
=============================================================
COMMITTEE TO DEFEND SOUTH KOREAN SOCIALISTS
C\O INTERNATIONAL SOCIALISTS CANADA PO BOX 339 STATION E
TORONTO, ONTARIO M6H 4E3
Phone: 1-(416)-972-6391 or 1-(416)-406-6569
Fax: 1-(416)-469-5930 email [EMAIL PROTECTED]
October 20, 1994
Dear brothers and sisters,
The Committee to Defend South Korean Socialists is once again
writing to ask for your personal and organizational support to
defend the 24 members of the International Socialists of South
Korea (ISSK) who were arrested by the South Korean government on
October 15, 1994. Among those arrested where Il-bung Choi a
leading member of ISSK and Sun-bong Park, who runs the left wing
press Chadegkalpi.
It is clear that the South Korean government has once again
launched a concerted attack on the Left, and the ISSK in
particular, to reduce the influence of open socialists. Many of
those arrested are trade unionists and students.
As you may remember, Il-bung Choi was sentenced to two years in
prison on January 7, 1993 for his political activities as an open
socialist and publisher of left-wing literature. After a
successful international campaign his sentence was reduced to six
months in prison. At that time Choi was charged under The
National Security Law passed in 1959, which curtails civil rights
because of the perceived threat from North Korea. Il-bung Choi is
not a supporter of the North Korean regime, neither however, is
he a supporter of the South Korean government. It is for this
reason he and others are being persecuted. South Korea's
president, Kim Young Sam, claims that he is abandoning the
traditions of military rule by supporting a new era of democracy.
We must make him uphold his promise.
We are calling on all trade unionists, women's organizations,
academics, MPs (federal and provincial), journalists and members
of progressive organizations to endorse our campaign and
publicize the case wherever they can. We believe that defending
these brothers and sisters is in the interest of everyone who
supports the right to free speech and open political debate.
These are rights won at great cost by ordinary people in other
parts of the world. Please join those in the United States,
England, Germany, Australia, Greece, Japan, South Africa Ireland
etc. to oppose this repression.
Yours in Solidarity
Kogan Pillay
Oct. 24/94
As this letter was being prepared, an urgent appeal was received
to organize an international day of protest in support of the
jailed Korean socialists Wednesday, October 26. Already protests
have been held in San Francisco, New York and Chicago. On
Tuesday, October 25, protests are planned in London England. And
on Wednesday October 26, protests are planned world wide. In
Canada, pickets, speakouts and leaflettings are being planned in
Vancouver, Victoria, Windsor, Guelph, Toronto, Kingston, Ottawa,
Montreal, Fredericton and Halifax. These actions are being
planned on short notice, because the level of repression in Korea
has intensified. We now know that at least 36 socialists have
been sent to jail.
All those who defend freedom of speech, all those who defend
workers' rights, all those opposed to dictatatorial methods, all
those who defend the right of socialists to argue for the
interests of working people are urged to support the actions in
these cities.
They will be the first of many. We must keep up the pressure
until all the jailed socialists are released.
Kogan Pillay
======================================================================== 86
'Socialist Workers Party
25 October 1994
Dear Comrades,
The number of supporters of the ISSK arrested ten days ago stands at an
estimated 36. It seems as if they will be charged under the National
Security Law as members of an "enemy-supporting organization", i.e. one
that supports North Korea. I enclose a list of those whose names we have.
Protests against their arrest are already taking place. There were pickets
in New York, Chicago, and San Francisco last week, and there will be on in
London tomorrow. Please send (if possible by fax) information about what
you are doing/have done as quickly as possible so that we can publicize it.
Yours fraternally,
Alex Callinicos
SUPPORTERS OF THE ISSK ARRESTED ON 15 OCTOBER 1994
Han, Kyu-hahn (student, aged 26, male)
Han, Eun-sol (student, 22, female)
Kim, Seong-hak (student, 21, male)
Lim, Mi-chong (student, 24, female)
Yi, Hye-suk (worker, 25, female)
Nam, Su-kyong (unemployed, 25, female)
Yang, Hyo-sik (college lecturer, 35, male)
Choi, Il-bung (publisher, 36, male)
Park, Soon-bong (publisher, 29, male)
Jung, Won-hyun (student, 25)
Kuk, Kyong-ha (teacher, 25, female)
Yi, Taeg-gyu (studnet, 25)
An, Wu-chun (student, 21)
Kim, Dong-chul (student, 25)
Han, Eun-hec (25, female)
Seo, Su-jin (chief of women's section of International Press, 24)
Jung, Eun-gyung (shop steward at Daewoo Jungmil Union, 25)
Jung, Do-geun (strike leader at Bonsaeng Hospital Union, 32)
Park, Jung-ju (teacher, 25)
Lim, Chui-jin (unemployed)
Choi, Eun-lang (transport worker)
Lim, Yun-sum (worker)
Lee Taek-kyu (25)
Lee Hye-suk (23, female)
Chong, Won-hyon'
