Inauguration Paper of
"Korean Alliance against the KorUS FTA(KoA)"
Mar. 28, 2006
Stop the US-driven FTA!
No to the Neo-liberal Globalization!
The South Korea-US FTA Is the 2nd ?쁉apanese Annexation of Korea??
A Spectre is Haunting Korea: the Spectre of the 'Korea-US FTA'
There go on the measures for a speed-up schedule of launching the Korea-US FTA negotiations over the period of last four months. The agreements on: the suspension of pharmaceuticals mark-down in Oct. 2005; the lowering of the standards of automobile exhaust fumes in Nov. 2005; the forced settlement in the National Assembly on the sanction over rice negotiation in Dec. 2005; the resumption of American beef importation on Jan. 13, 2006; the strategic flexibility of the American forces in Korea on Jan. 19; the unilateral announcement of the screen quarter reduction on Jan. 26; the dismissal of the hearing committee on the Korea-US FTA on Feb. 2; the surprise announcement of the resuming the Korea-US FTA negotiations on Feb. 3; the commencement of the Korea-US FTA preliminary negotiations on Mar. 6; the State Council decision of the screen quarter reduction on Mar, etc.
We now fear thatthe US-driven FTA threaten an imminent Korean landing. Unless thislanding is successfully monitored, Korean economy and civil societysoon fall under the US unilateral economic agenda built upon thetransnational capital, Korea-US military alliance and the new strategicflexibility of the US forces in Korea.
The US FTA with SouthKorea whose economy now ranks as the 10th largest in the world mayprovide a crisis-solving breakthrough for the US now verging onnational bankruptcy as a consequence of the "twin deficit."
Butthis only means that South Korea, still enraptured by the notion ofneoliberalism and globalization, shows once again its inability to say"No!" to the United States.
The FTA Respects No National Interests and Has No National Approval
Withsome groundless delusions, the "participatory government" began asecretive move resembling a military operation to get through the FTA:"The Korea-US FTA is absolutely necessary to overcome the socialpolarization." "Given the growing intensity of Sino-Japanesecompetition, the strengthening of Korean-American Alliance willcontribute to striking balance among Northeast Asian countries.""Regardless of fierce nation-wide protests, I will dedicate myremaining terms of office to realizing the FTA." "For ourcompetitiveness, we ought to be able to contend with top-businessgroups of the world." The ?쐏articipatory government??casts us the darkimage of the past authoritative regimes. For do they not act like awolf in sheep's skin as an insidious missionary of neoliberalglobalization? The government representing the exclusive interests ofKorean and American financiers and capitalists is not to be considered'participatory' government. President Roh and his government officialsare throwbacks of the Pro-Japanese who sold out the country a centuryago. Both of them similarly argued that "the open-door policy is theway out" and that "the only alternative lies in the importation ofJapanese civilization."
Withthe FTA and the Strategic Flexibility of American Forces in Korea, theUnited States Will Strengthen Its Dominance over the Korean Penninsula
Whatthe United States demands in the FTA is nothing less than a 100%open-door policy from South Korea. It will not admit three basic laborrights. Nor will it allow Korea's sovereignty over food, culture,environment, and jurisdiction. Utilizing the terms of the existingmilitary alliance between the two countries, the United States alsopressured South Korea into agreement on strategic flexibility for arapid dispatch of American and Korean forces to troubled areas of theworld. We interpret the US demand for the FTA and strategic flexibilityas deriving directly from the plan on their part for absolute dominanceover the Korean Peninsula and for world hegemony. The measures attemptto turn South Korea into an outpost for US' strategy to contain China.
Like Torrents under Frozen Ice, Nation-wide Protests Are Under Way
Lastwinter in the turmoil of protests a couple of farmers died, and lastFebruary film directors and actors took to the streets to protestagainst the reduction od screen quota. Workers, farmers, intellctuals,arists, and other conscientious people in every walk of life are comingto form a nified front to stop the FTA. Countermove councils andcommittees comprising as various social sectors as film,agricultural-fishery, professors and academics, health-medicine,audio-visual media, cultural-artists, eduacational-PTA's andintellctual property rights have already been organized. In othersectors such as labor, law, public sevice, environment, feminism andfinance, attempts are being made to form similar organizations toprevent the agreement. These efforts are not confined to themetropolitan area either: the spread throughout the country. It is onlypolicy-makes and bureaucrats of commerce, plutocrats, conservativejounalists and politicians who have opted to support the FTA. Deaf tonation-wide protests against it, they have become traitors to their owncountry.
In the Name of History and People, We Stand up to Check the Korea-US FTA
Now,an all-out people's war is inevitable. We march against USunilaterlism. We oppose its neoliberal globalization, its strategicflexibility, its demand for the FTA with South Korea. We say "No!" toeconomic expolitation by transnational capital.
For us, therecan be no sidesteps, no hideouts. People gather all over the country toprotest against the FTA. United, We shall overcome small differences.Let us raise our torches up above to signal that we have risen up. WeShall creat festivals out of people's uprisings. In our joyfulrevolution, we shall terminate the US attempts to exploit the Koreanpeople. We shall also bring the treacherous supporters of the Korea-USFTA before the tribunal of conscience and justice.
Today, thus inagurates the "Korean Alliance against KorUS FTA"
Weappeal to every citizen of the country to join us to save our country.We need each everyone's participation. "The Center for NationalMovements against the South Korea-US FTA" will become a wild fire onthe prairie to start a nation-wide fight against the Korea-US FTA. Letus open up a new world for our future!
For more information, contact:
tel: + 82-2-775-2501--3
Fax: + 82-2-7752504
email: nofta@hanmail.net
homepage: http://www.nofta.or.kr
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