DEFEND PEOPLES KOREA!

 By New Worker correspondent

‘NO OTHER country is attacked and abused like the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’ said Dermot Hudson of the Korea Friendship Association at a public meeting in Liverpool. He described the relentless propaganda against the DPRK as being at an intensity and ferocity that outstrips the worst days of the cold war.

The meeting was held on the 17th March at the Quakers Meeting House in Central Liverpool. Peter Hendy, who chaired the meeting, opened it by identifying the United States as the major imperialist power provoking war and conflict around the world.

For over 60 years the US has promoted international hatred towards the DPRK through disinformation, fabrication and counterfeit arguments – the objective being to isolate, provoke confrontation and to subjugate the DPRK.

The lack of validity in the propaganda directed against the DPRK was emphasised by Dermot Hudson, a longstanding Korean solidarity activist, in his speech. He found the extreme hostility, demonization and lies hard to understand.

“Peoples Korea was not responsible for 9/11 or beheading hostages. In contrast the US has 700 military bases outside its borders, 255,065 military personnel based worldwide and has invaded over 60 countries since the end of the second world war.”

Dermot warned of the actual physical threats posed by US imperialists and south Korean lackeys carried out in the Foal Eagle and Key Resolve annual exercises in south Korea. These involve a total of 12,000 US troops and 200,000 south Korean troops.

These are nuclear war exercises and a test run for invading the DPRK. Dismissing claims that they were “defensive” in nature he posed several questions: “Why do they continue to hold exercises practicing an invasion of the DPRK? Why does the US keep 1000’s of troops in South Korea? What would be the response if the DPRK or China or Russia were to conduct military exercises in Mexico or Canada? Would they been seen as ‘defensive’ exercises?”

Dermot attacked attempts by US imperialists to escalate so called human rights issues. This was a blatant strategy to undermine the DPRK politically and ideologically by distorting the reality of life in Peoples Korea. The Commission of Enquiry formed by the United Nations was one-sided with the DPRK allowed no representation to defend itself.

No visits to the DPRK were even proposed with evidence being provided from so called “defectors”. The credibility of those involved in the Commission was suspect when it was revealed individuals had links with human rights violations and CIA-fronted organisations.

He refuted the testimony of “defectors” as unreliable and inaccurate pointing out that some had masqueraded as coming from the DPRK but had in fact South Korea accents! Others had been found to have committed serious crimes such as murder, rape, theft and corruption underlying the dubious and deviant characters making the claims.

Dermot cited the celebrity Pak Eun or Yeonmi Park, whose stories were found to be inconsistent and lies. All defectors are under the control of the South Korean National Intelligence Service and live on funds provided by the south Korean regime which further undermines their testimony.

Dermot examined the contradictory figures and speculative figures provided by the anti-DPRK lobby about those allegedly held in prisons. A forensic examination of some of the ludicrous claims made was provided before Dermot posed the question: “So who are the real human rights abusers in the world?”

He recounted the catalogue of abuses that the US has perpetrated around the world including the use of germ warfare during the Korean War when it carried out 800 germ warfare sorties. 

It was evident that the diverse audience enjoyed the opportunity to learn about the DPRK countering the lies and myths peddled in the western media. Concluding the meeting Dermot Hudson urged everyone to take an active role in the Korean Friendship Association to defend People’s Korea, its socialist development and independence.