Welcome to BASE21

A rally has been jointly held by the FKTU and People’s action in front of the US Army Base stationing in Seoul, calling on the revision of ROK-USA Administrative Agreements (SOFA). The rally in whch a total of 300 workers, citizens and students took part lasted for one and half hours. After the rally, the participants made a short-distance march towards the Ministry of Military to submit the statement on demands of workers and civil society. A feeling of anger in the rally went up a zenith, as the representative of Maehangri Village has confessed their painful life due to the fire-training of the US military. Recently, a sentiment of anti-America has been seriously increasing, as the devastating situations threatening the living rights of Maehyangri people by the power training of the US military have been publicly informed. And also, the social antagonism against USA has exploded due to the unfair, unjust, and unequal regulations of SOFA. For example, even American soldiers who committed a crime such as murder, rape, and violence have been no longer punished by SOFA. Thus, our fighting to revise SOFA will continue. We urge the attention and solidarity of your organisation to our struggle against the US Military.

Statement

We Korean workers and people have been a deep concern on the fact that the US military has violated the rights of Korea as an independent state. An era of military competition and confrontation under the Cold War had gone long time ago, but Korea is still engulfed by the ideological competition of the powerhouse.

The unfair agreement of SOFA signed in 1967 is still in effect against the autonomy and authority of the Republic of Korea. And also, the figures of crime committed by the US soldiers show the evidence, being jeopardised the living rights of Korean people.

There are no other countries except for Korea that Americans and the US military enjoy almighty privileges in the stationing state under unfair agreements of SOFA.

Now, the American government and the US Military in Korea have to know a nationwide front of civil society movement, which has been recently formed and developed to protect our rights by revising SOFA. I firmly warn the US Military that Korean people’s increasing antagonism against the USA is now gone up to the dangerious level.

It is up to you and your attitude whether you be our friend or enemy. You will be our enemy when you work for only your own interests by infringing the freedom and rights of Korean people. However, you will be our friend when you work for mutual interests of both countries and their people.

We are well aware of the decisive and crucial role that the US military had and has played in the historical process of Korea’s state building, defensing the Communist attack. However, the continuity of amicable and fair relations between the Republic of Korea and the United States of America can be secured, as the unjust agreements of SOFA were entirely revised.

For the revision of SOFA, we will take actions making use of all methods including international solidarity activities with worldwide NGOs. Before then, I call on the Governments of Korea and USA to hear of our demands seriousely, and eventually to make all efforts to solve the increasing conflicts.

Our demands are to:
First, revise unfair agreements of SOFA on the full scale to build fair diplomatic relations between the two countries
Second, protect the rights of Korean workers at US military camp
Third, apologize the crimes which were committed by US soldiers and to present solvable measures against the recurrence of criminal.
Fourth, survey on the reality of environmental pollution by US Army
Fifth, have a rent contract for the 80 million square meters land which the US Military has used without any compensation
Sixth. close up military fire-training field in Maehyangri right now
Seventh, release Chon Man-Kyu, president of Maehyangri Countermeasurement Committee immediately
(FKTU(Federation of Korean Trade Unions) )