Philadelphia: Yoon’s impeachment is our win!

Demonstrators who gathered outside City Hall in Philadelphia on Dec. 14 for a rally celebrating the impeachment of South Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol had a message to deliver: This impeachment is OUR win! But the struggle to remove Yoon isn’t over yet.

The demonstration was called by Koreans4Decolonization@Penn after Yoon attempted to establish martial law, which only lasted a few hours before huge crowds and the National Assembly overturned his decree on Dec. 3.

Yeeun Yoo, with the Koreans4Decolonization@Penn and Our Lyagi, talked about her call with her father in Korea who reminded her that, while the Korean Congress took the vote, “it was the people who impeached Yoon. … But the fight is far from over. The impeachment is merely an indictment, but we know that Yoon’s pathetic and spineless followers will do anything to prevent this from happening.”

Yoo continued: “But we also know that it has been the people — millions in Korea and in the streets of New York, Los Angeles, the Bay Area and now Philly — it has been us, the masses, who have been out on the streets — and it will be us who ensure Yoon will not only be removed from office but also convicted.

“The fight against Yoon is a fight against the U.S. empire, a fight against militarism and imperialism. Under U.S.-occupied South Korea, we will never be safe nor sovereign until the U.S. empire CEASES to exist. Impeachment alone will not remove the U.S out of Korea nor prevent puppets like Yoon from rising again.”

Joe Piette, with Workers World Party, was stationed in Korea as a GI during the U.S. war in Vietnam. He said, “South Korea continues to be dominated by the U.S. When I heard that autocratic, anti-worker, pro-war President Yoon Seok Yeol declared martial law Dec. 4 and sent troops to seize the National Assembly building, my first reaction was to question the role of the U.S.

“The current commander is U.S. General Paul LaCamera, who has operational control over 700,000 active-duty troops, of whom 28,000 are from the U.S. The U.S. has been complicit in Korea’s earlier dictatorships, and I doubt Yoon could have sent those troops to the National Assembly building without General LaCamera’s knowledge.”

Sunhee Volz with Korea Peace Now Grassroots Network and Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance shared a statement released by the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions [KCTU] after news of the impeachment: [This is] “merely the beginning. The power of workers and citizens that prevented unconstitutional martial law and achieved Yoon’s impeachment must now be directed towards achieving major social reforms. The KCTU will lead the way. We shall be at the forefront of creating a new society.”

Volz added: “We must take the strength of the Korean people to stand up here against the U.S. empire and demand an end to America’s longest war. Both in Korea and here in the U.S. we must fight for an end to the war economy and build a people’s future that truly takes care of us and the planet. End the Korean War now!”

Dan Valenzuela from Anakbayan Philadelphia addressed the similarities between Yoon’s declaration of martial law and Filipino President Ferdinand Marcos’ response to alleged “anti-state forces” and a “communist threat” demonstrated through mass student uprisings in metro Manila in 1972.

Valenzuela stated: “The common factor was the presence of U.S. imperialism aimed to capture and maintain power over each of our country’s respective puppet governments. In both instances these betrayals were met with militant resistance by the very masses they sought to oppress.

“These are the defining moments that ultimately determine how events are seen through history. It should be defined not just by the cowardly irresponsibility of our nation’s leaders but by the heroic struggle of resistance that defeated these attempts on our freedoms as we seek justice and accountability for the countries they are sworn to serve.”

Valenzuela ended his comments with the chant: “U.S. out of Korea and the Philippines!”

Hannah Lee with Koreans4Decolonization@Penn moderated the rally.

The energetic group marched around the crowded Christmas Village area next to City Hall, chanting “U.S. out of Korea!” and other slogans before ending a few blocks away beneath the South Korean flag on Benjamin Franklin Parkway, lined with flags of countries from around the world.