Korea on the Mersey!

by New Worker correspondent

Korean solidarity campaigners returned to the Casa Bar in the heart of Liverpool’s university district last week to hear a report from Dermot Hudson about what he saw in the DPR Korea when he was there in April.
Peter Hendy from the Liverpool NCP introduced the meeting saying that “imperialist aggression towards the DPRK continues to intensify with an escalation of lies and threats, A new propaganda offensive has been unleashed to justify US military aggression...for over six decades The DPRK has been subjected To US military intimidation, provocations, threats and extensive sanctions to politically isolate and destroy the DPRK economy. The US war-mongers want to destroy the DPRK”.
Dermot Hudson then demolished false reports about the DPRK and Ukraine saying that “It is also necessary to comment on the wild stories being floated in the mainstream media about the troops of the Korean People’s Army being in Ukraine. Neither Russia nor the DPRK have officially confirmed the despatch of KPA soldiers to Ukraine. Indeed DPRK vice-foreign minister Kim Jong Gyu on the 25^th October described it as a “rumour”.
He also denounced the visit of the new British Foreign Secretary Lammy to south Korea and the hostile policy of the British government towards People’s Korea. Dermot Hudson explained that the British authorities are joining hands with the US imperialists and south Korean puppets to overthrow the socialist system of the DPRK and also detailed the threats to the DPRK from US imperialism and the ROK puppet regime.
As to tales of " human rights violations " , the DPRK actually has a fairly minimal police presence compared to many other countries . The police only direct traffic. The situation seemed quite normal. That is the reality of People’s Korea , an advanced socialist society with free housing, free health care and free education. We must redouble our efforts to defend People’s Korea with No Ifs or Buts!”

Korean solidarity in Liverpool

by New Worker correspondent

The Korean Friendship Association of the UK took the fight to defend People’s Korea  to Merseyside by holding a vibrant afternoon meeting on Saturday 20th May at the Casa Bar in the heart of Liverpool’s university district.
Peter Hendy from the Liverpool NCP introduced the meeting saying that “the propaganda offensive against the DPRK remains unabated. To justify US military aggression against the DPRK the propaganda offensive remains relentless and continues unabated. For over six decades the DPRK has been subjected to US military intimidation, provocations, threats and extensive sanctions to politically isolate and destroy the DPRK economy. The US warmongers would like to destroy the DPRK”.
KFA UK Chairman Dermot Hudson addressed the meeting on the subject of the US threat to People’s Korea  pointing out that “In fact, the danger of war and threat to People’s Korea has increased greatly and taken a sinister turn. It is probably at its highest since the end of the Korean War or Fatherland Liberation War in 1953” . He denounced the recent US-south Korea summit and the so-called ‘Washington Declaration ‘ He also drew attention to the participation of British Royal Marines in recent military exercises in south Korea.
“The struggle to defend People’s Korea and expose the aggressive role of the US on the Korean peninsula is also part of the struggle for world peace and for anti-imperialist independence.
“KFA UK demands that all ongoing and planned military exercises by the US and south Korea in south Korea and the surrounding region should be cancelled . US troops should be withdrawn from south Korea along with any US nuclear weapons.

    "Dermot concluded by saying “We in the Korean Friendship Association of the UK(KFA UK) believe in defending People’s Korea , Korea of Juche with No Ifs or Buts . The DPRK is the most independent country in the world and has a unique socialist system . The DPRK is a country that abolished taxation yet has free healthcare , free education and even free housing".

The Casa Club was born during the epic struggle of the Liverpool dockers who were sacked when they refused to cross a picket line in the 1990s. The dockers’ struggle began in September 1995 and ended in a one-sided settlement in February 1998. But some of the dockers, who had been paid £130,000 for writing a drama about the dispute for Channel Four, used the money to buy a building to set up a communal hub, not-for-profit bar and an advice centre. It is now a charitable trust that welcomes labour movement use of its rooms and facilities.

Solidarity at the Casa

Peter Hendy speaking

by New Worker correspondent

Korean solidarity campaigners held their first public meeting in Liverpool for nearly five years when they returned to the Casa Bar to hear Dermot Hudson and Peter Hendy talk about the developments on the Korean peninsula last month. Despite the cold and windy weather and attention being focussed on the Ukraine crisis people still came to the meeting called by the Korean Friendship Association on 24th February.
    Peter opened the meeting by reminding people of the intense hostility by the US towards the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK ) which included wqr and sanctions while Dermot talked about the work of the KFA in building solidarity with Democratic Korea at home and abroad.
    The bar is run by the Community Advice Service Association (CASA) – a membership based organisation set-up by the former Liverpool dockers following their epic 28 month long struggle of the Liverpool dockers who were sacked when they refused to cross a picket line in 1995.

Korean friendship action in Liverpool

the Casa Club in Liverpool

By New Worker correspondent

KOREAN solidarity activists met in Liverpool last weekend to hear a report on the current situation in Korea and plan future work in the new year. 

Comrades met in the Casa Club, a community bar and venue in the heart of Liverpool’s university district, to hear Dermot Hudson of the Korean Friendship Association (KFA) talk about the imperialist threat to Democratic Korea, and the Korean people’s decisive steps to deter US imperialism and its lackeys from launching another war in the Korean peninsula.

This was followed by some questions and discussion. An exhibition of Democratic Korea and KFA publications was displayed, and some KFA literature was distributed.

The Casa Club was born during the epic struggle of the Liverpool dockers who were sacked when they refused to cross a picket line in the 1990s.

The dockers’ struggle began in September 1995 and ended in a one-sided settlement in February 1998. But some of the dockers, who had been paid £130,000 for writing a drama about the dispute for Channel Four, used the money to buy a building to set up a communal hub, not-for-profit bar and an advice centre.

It is now a charitable trust that welcomes labour movement use of its rooms and facilities.

Liverpool solidarity for Korea

By New Worker correspondent

 

Dermot speaking

Korean solidarity activists met in Liverpool last week to hear a report on the current situation in the US-occupied south of the country and discuss future solidarity work in Merseyside and the North West.

 The meeting, called by the UK Korean Friendship Association (KFA) in Liverpool was opened by Dermot Hudson, the KFA’s national chair, who said the south Korean puppet regime was the most corrupt state in the entire world.  He pointed out that "the south Korean fascist regime throws people of various circles in south Korea aspiring after social progress, reform and reunification behind bars on charges of violation of the "Security Law" labelling them "the forces following the north" and "the forces against social system" and cracked down on the peaceful rallies and demonstrations of the people demanding vital rights by terming them "illegal." The privileged and the rich who account for just one per cent of the population in south Korea treat the toiling masses holding 99 per cent of it as dogs and pigs, he said.

The meeting, on Tuesday 22^nd  November, also heard a report from a British delegate who went to the recent KFA International Meeting in Dublin that was attended by KFA delegations from many other countries.

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.