White Paper Released on S. Korean Human Rights Abuses

White Paper Released on S. Korean Human Rights Abuses

Pyongyang, April 29 (KCNA) -- The National Reunification Institute released a white paper Thursday indicting the fascist clique for having reduced south Korea to the land with the worst human rights record through sycophancy and treachery, fascist dictatorship and confrontation with fellow countrymen. The white paper said: It is the most hideous human rights abuses committed by the fascist clique that it forced south Koreans to fall victim to outsiders' domination and war policies and wantonly violated their human rights. The U.S. imperialist aggression forces' more than six decade-long presence in south Korea is the crime-woven history with aggression, war, massacre, plunder and human rights abuses. The results of "the inspection of state administration" submitted to the puppet National Assembly disclosed that the U.S. imperialist aggression troops in south Korea committed hundreds of crimes of all forms on an annual average and such high-profile crimes as murder, robbery, rape and blow accounted for 60 percent of them. The U.S. imperialist aggression forces occupy vast areas extending more than 73.2 million phyong in over 100 regions of south Korea at present. If the areas around their bases are polluted, they move to other areas, grabbing a large area of land and turning it barren. The puppet group of traitors imported American beef seriously harming the health and life security of south Koreans and touching off outcries among them. This is the hideous human rights abuse of special mention. The group introduced to south Korea more than 1,000 U.S. nukes enough to destroy the Korean nation dozens or hundreds of times. It, however, has persistently taken issue with the DPRK's nuclear deterrent, while zealously shielding and conniving at the U.S. nukes which may inflict a nuclear holocaust upon the fellow countrymen. It is also staging together with the U.S. the dangerous nuclear war exercises against the fellow countrymen in a bid to force Koreans to fall victim to a nuclear war to be launched by its master. It is, at the same time, hurling young and middle-aged Koreans to the shambles of wars of aggression being waged by the U.S. in different parts of the world, forcing them to meet grievous deaths. It is another hideous human rights abuse committed by the puppet group that it revived fascist dictatorship and turned south Korea into a tundra of human rights where democracy is cruelly violated. Talking about "the lost decade", the group trampled down even sprouts of democracy won in the days of the preceding regime and drastically reinforced repressive machines and comprehensively revived all kinds of fascist laws and systems. There occurred unprecedented tragic incidents last year in which the two former "presidents" met unnatural deaths due to the fascist authorities' despicable politically-motivated harassment and retaliation. This clearly indicates what a deplorable phase the human rights performance has reached in south Korea. The number of the political parties and organizations that were labeled "illegal organizations" by the authorities since the conservative group's seizure of power reached more than 1 840. Politically-motivated investigation and surveillances are openly carried out and crackdown upon media is throwing people into consternation. The south Koreans' freedom of assembly, demonstration and association are ruthlessly violated and torture, violence and inhuman insults are rampant. The cases of human rights abuses committed by prosecution and police and in prisons, etc. numbered more than 3,490 out of over 5,000 cases reported to the puppet Human Rights Committee in 2008, accounting for nearly 70 percent of all reported cases. After its seizure of power the puppet group adopted anti-reunification and confrontation with fellow countrymen as a policy toward the DPRK and totally violated the north-south joint declarations reflecting the unanimous wishes of all Koreans. It has stepped up the moves for a nuclear war against the DPRK and kicked up smear human rights campaigns, pushing the north-south relations to a catastrophe. This only brought into bolder relief its true colors as a heinous human rights abuser. It is busy whipping together all types of human scum and riff-raffs in a bid to escalate confrontation with the DPRK and false propaganda against it. The group is getting frantic with the operations to lure and kidnap compatriots. Any activities for relations with the north and for reunification are labeled "enemy-benefiting ones" and suppressed and dialogue, contacts and cooperation between people of all strata and NGOs of the north and the south have been blocked since the puppet group came to power. The puppet conservative group will never be allowed to go scot-free for committing such human rights abuses as turning south Korea into the worst tundra of human rights but will certainly face a stern punishment by the nation.

S. Korean Puppet Authorities' Moves to Suppress Labor Movement Flailed

S. Korean Puppet Authorities' Moves to Suppress Labor Movement Flailed

Pyongyang, December 31 (KCNA) -- The south Korean Confederation of Trade Unions held a press conference in Seoul on Dec. 28 at which it denounced the puppet authorities for their moves to suppress the labor movement, according to the south Korean KBS. The organization charged at the press conference that the authorities' moves to pass a "draft amendment to the law on trade unions" which calls for disallowing the payment of wages to the full- time trade union leaders, etc. are aimed at suppressing the workers' rights and holding in check the trade union activities, demanding the authorities immediately stop such action. The organization warned that if the authorities enforce such anti-workers law defying their protest, it will call a general strike at once.

Struggle of Unionists for Right to Existence

Struggle of Unionists for Right to Existence

More than 16,000 railway unionists of south Korea launched an indefinite strike for the right to existence on November 26.

The Korean Rail Workers’ Union which had held several rounds of negotiations with the managements for the restoration of the dismissed workers, wage hike and other issues began the strike after the Railway Corporation totally rejected their demands and annulled the agreements with the union.

In solidarity with them many local headquarters in Seoul, Busan, Daejeon, Suncheon, Youngju and other areas conducted full-scale struggle, thus the struggle of the railway unionists spread across south Korea.

The strikers exposed that the Railway Corporation resorted to illegal actions such as appeasing the workers not to take part in the strike, stating that the current struggle is the eruption of the indignation toward the managements who rendered the agreements gained by the workers’ blood, sweat and sacrifice dead-paper, and a struggle to defend the union from all sorts of unreasonable suppression.

They demonstrated their will of struggle chanting slogans such as “Stop the business restructuring!”, “Implement the labor-management agreements!”, “The railway to the people!” and “We will never give up to the suppression”.

On November 28 over 12,000 unionists affiliated with the Public Transportation League of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions and the public sectors league of the Federation of Korean Trade Unions held in Seoul a solidarity rally to demand the authorities repeal the anti-worker policy.

Prior to that, the Kyeonggnam headquarters of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions held a rally in Changweon for securing the basic rights of workers, frustrating the dismissal and opposing the legislation for privatizing medical service.

The south Korean authorities mercilessly suppress the righteous struggle of the workers for defending the rights of labor and existence by mobilizing security forces, branding it as “illegal” far from accepting their just demands.

Though the regime often publicized that it pursues the policy for ordinary people, it has done nothing but pro-business policy only for a handful of the conglomerates.

From the outset of the current regime the number of the unemployed is on steady increase and the wage of those who hardly keep their job is incessantly falling, triggering a great anger among different social strata.

All the facts show that the anti-people nature of the regime can never change.

The south Korean workers should vigorously wage the struggle to gain their rights and interests, never harboring

KCTU Launches Anti-"government" Struggle

KCTU Launches Anti-"government" Struggle

Pyongyang, December 11 (KCNA) -- The south Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) kicked off an anti-"government" struggle across south Korea on Dec. 8 in protest against the suppression of the labor movement. The organization held a rally in Seoul for "denouncing the collusion behind the closed doors, defending democratic unions and forcing the regime step down". Participants in the rally accused the south Korean Ministry of Labor, the Federation of south Korean Trade Unions and the "General Association of Korean Businessmen" of "agreeing" on Dec. 4 on the "amendment to the Law on Trade Unions" the keynote of which calls for banning the payment of wages to full-time officials of trade unions, etc. They charged that their collusion was aimed to trample down upon the rights of workers and block the activities of trade unions. They declared trade unions in various fields under the KCTU would launch anti- "government" actions one after another with the rally as a prelude. They also stated that they would simultaneously hold mass rallies across south Korea on Dec. 19, in particular, in an effort to escalate their actions. The regional headquarters of the KCTU in different areas such as Taegu, Pusan and Ulsan launched sit-in strikes in protest against the authorities' moves to crack down upon the labor movement on the same day.

Corruptness of South Korean Society

Corruptness of South Korean Society

South Korea is a mammonish society where money and power are almighty, a society where the law of the jungle prevails, and a decadent society where all sorts of crimes such as swindle and fraud, killing and robbery, and human traffic are rampant.

- Uninterrupted Crimes

In 2008 1,966,000 cases of different crimes were committed in south Korea, 7.6% more than that of the previous year.

In 2008 the murder increased by 5.6%, robbery by 8.3%, sex violence by 4.1%, assault and other crimes of violence by 32.7%, and in particular the number of the young criminals of violence by 15.4% in comparison with 2007.

More than 1.54 million cases of living-related crimes occurred in 2008, among which the larcenies increased by 11.3% and the fraud and criminal negligence by more than 30% as compared with that of 2007.

In 2008 49,631 cases of arson were committed (3.7% more than 47,882 cases of 2007).

81.2% of them were deliberate crimes and arsons by young people increased by 65.5%.

- Employment Crisis

At present the completely unemployed are 3.77 million and 5,200 jobs are reduced every day. Jobless people will increase more than those in the period of the financial crisis in 1997 owing to the mass dismissal by the business “restructuring”.

Now in south Korea one fourth of the population are unemployed or underemployed.

2.6 million families have householders with no job and even the employed are suffering from the phobia about unemployment.

Owing to the anti-people policy of the treacherous Lee Myung-bak regime, deteriorating economy and rampant social ills, the people's living fall into misery more and more and various crimes prevail.

This is the reality of south Korea today.

To ten million workers

To ten million workers

Dear ten million south Korean workers!

Now south Korea is indignant over the south Korean authorities and the vicious conglomerate that forced death to Park Jong-tae, a head of Gwangju branch of transportation solidarity headquarter under the Korean Confederation of Trade Union.

He, unable to bear the inhumane measure and suppression of the trade union by the Daehan Tongun that in league with the Lee Myung-bak regime, closed his life on May 3.

His sorrowful death was a murder produced by the present regime and the vicious conglomerate that seriously violates the rights and liberty of the working class and a tragedy of an abnormal reality of south Korea.

Lee, who had advocated “the economy for the people” and “stable employment”, threw away his commitments after he took presidency and stimulated avarice and arbitrariness of the handful conglomerate and the privileged class with policy favorable for them, while ignoring the lives of the working people.

The Kumho group and its underling Daehan Tonghun totally cancelled a raise of transportation fee 30 won agreed with the part-workers and dismissed 78 workers demanding the agreement; moreover, they ruthlessly suppressed them by mobilizing the riot police.

Demanding the higher wages cannot be a guilt and target of suppression.

Park sacrificed his life to indict the abnormal reality of south Korea where the haves violate the haves-not, power and money is rampant and injustice prevails over justice.

The Lee regime, instead of apologizing the crime, impeded his funeral ceremony.

The working masses would suffer misfortune and disaster as long as the Lee regime’s policy against the workers and suppression remain intact.

The Lee regime’s policies against the workers and people are more pronounced as it drove the ten million workers to precipice of death.

Now the Lee clique and the ruling Grand National Party made the millions of workers jobless and tries to fabricate murderous labor law that allows the handful capitalist class to dismiss the workers, cut wages and violate the rights of work at random.

Backed by the Lee clique, the conglomerates dismissed millions of workers under the signboard of the economic debacle by launching “restructuring” and “lay offs”. Consequently, the streets are full of jobless people; family discord and suicide are frequent.

The south Korean workers are on the crossroads of life or death.

Dear ten million workers!

This is no time to give way simply to sorrow. The current situation urgently requests the working class to turn out in the struggle against Lee Myung-bak.

The workers should sternly punish Lee and the conglomerates to make a new country free from capital oppression and to lead worthwhile life.

Take the lead in the struggle against Lee Myung-bak as a creator of history and driving force of the revolution.

Intensify the struggle against policy of Lee who drives the working people to death.

Continue the struggle until the higher wages, the abolition of part-time jobs, guarantee for working rights and reinstatement of the dismissed prove success.

Liquidation of the trade unions is tantamount to a declaration of war.

Turn out in the struggle against the Lee regime and vicious capitalists’ suppression against the working movement.

Dear fellow countrymen!

The death of Park Jong-tae requests the all the working peoples not only the working class to turn out in the struggle against Lee Myung-bak.

Lee’s evil policy shows no mercy to workers, peasants, youth and students, and intellectuals.

Many people fell to victim of anti-national misrule and were executed by barbarous fascist suppression.

The south Koreans should intensify a nationwide struggle to liquidate the treacherous Lee clique, a notorious fascist cutthroat.

The south Koreans from all social standings vehemently denounce the Lee regime that drove Park to death in a national meeting of the workers to be held on May 16 and are full of a determination to make the Lee regime pay dear for his death.

Make the forthcoming meeting, a place of punishment against Lee Myung-bak, by enlarging the struggle against Lee across south Korea.

Make south Korea full of voices against Lee by taking part in the meeting.

The strength is inexhaustible when the entire south Korean is united and the unity is able to smash any formidable forces.

Let us bring about a new country for the working people through the struggle that Park and the south Koreans wish, wiping out the Lee regime by the nationwide drive.

Workers and Peasants’ Department of the AINDF Central Committee

Seoul

May 15, Juche 98

Rodong Sinmun on Reactionary Nature of Capitalist Society

Rodong Sinmun on Reactionary Nature of Capitalist Society

Pyongyang, November 22 (KCNA) -- What should be most strictly guarded against by those who value the sovereignty and dignity of each nation and want progress and prosperity is illusions about capitalism, Rodong Sinmun Sunday says in a signed article. Capitalist society is not a "free, democratic and prosperous society," but it is the most reactionary and anti-popular society which ruthlessly tramples down the freedom and democratic rights of the overwhelming majority of working masses while spawning all sorts of socio-economic inequality and the ideological and moral poverty, the article says, and goes on: The developed capitalist countries seem to be prosperous outwardly but are getting further corrupt from within due to the daily escalating contradictions. Its basic factor is the decadent material life, poor mental and cultural life and reactionary political life. In capitalist society where exploitation and plunder by capital are getting evermore pronounced and the people are not allowed to be put under the state protection, it is impossible to expect the equality in material life no matter how much material wealth increases. The rich are steadily getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. The capitalist class massively spreads the reactionary and anti-popular idea and culture and the way of corrupt bourgeois life in a bid to benumb the independent ideological consciousness of the working masses, make the people meekly serve the capitalist system of exploitation and reduce them further into the slaves of money. The escalated pauperization in mental and cultural life can never be deterred in those countries under the capitalist social system which is based on extreme selfishness and the almighty dollar principle and governed by the law of the jungle. The imperialists and monopoly capitalists are enforcing the reactionary politics in a craftier way while more tightly taking hold of the state mechanism to keep their ruling system which is worsening day by day. On one hand they oppress and keep the working masses under their control by means of appeasement and deception and, on the other hand, fascistize the reactionary ruling mechanism and intensify the aggression and war policy. For its anti-popular nature, the capitalist system can never tide over imbalance between the deformed material life and the mental and cultural life getting poorer and imbalance between the popular masses' growing demand for independence and the political life getting more reactionary.