South Korean Leaders -- on Their Way to Picket the White House over the Acquittal of U.S. Soldiers Who Killed Korean Girls -- to Stop in New York for Demonstration & Press Conference
Demonstration: Tuesday Dec 3, 2002, Noon at Ralph Bunch Park, UN, 43rd Street and First Avenue Press Conference: Tuesday Dec 3 1:00 at UN Church Center, 44th Street and First Avenue
NYC Solidarity Forum for South Korean Civic Leaders / pdf version of Solidariy Forum
The acquittal of two U.S. soldiers -- tried for negligent homicide in the killing of two Korean girls at a U.S. Army base in South Korea -- has sparked a wave of protest there. Last week’s demonstrations in South Korea included dozens of protesters storming one of the United States’ military bases. President George W. Bush’s apology on Wednesday has been largely rejected by all sectors of Korean society as not enough.
Leaders in this growing protest movement are taking their case directly to the White House. On Tuesday, December 3, a delegation from that movement will hold a rally and press conference in New York to announce their plans to picket the White House for four days to demand that President Bush accept petitions signed by 1.3 million Koreans.
The delegation was commissioned by the Pan-Korean Committee on the Two Girls Killed by a U.S. Armored Vehicle to bring the committee’s demands directly to the Bush Administration.
Since June 13, when the two girls were crushed to death by a U.S. Army vehicle, the Pan-Korean Committee has been leading a mass movement for justice in the case. It is composed of 150 civic groups from all sectors of Korean society. The deaths of Shin Hyo-Soon and Shim Mi-Sun and the heartless response and cover-up have led to an explosive struggle against the U.S. military, which has 37,000 troops in South Korea.
On Nov. 22, a U.S. military court acquitted the two soldiers involved of negligent homicide in what the Korean activists are calling a sham trial. The trial’s outcome confirmed the widespread view that U.S. military courts unfairly favor U.S. military personnel accused of crimes against Koreans. The military accord that governs U.S. troops in Korea--the Status of Forces Agreement--gives the U.S. jurisdiction over its soldiers in all cases.
Over 1.3 million Koreans have signed petitions demanding that Bush apologize for the deaths, turn over jurisdiction to the Korean government and revise the SOFA. After the U.S. Embassy refused to accept the petitions, the Pan-Korean Committee decided to take its demands and petitions directly to the White House.
U.S. Itinerary of the South Korean Delegation
Tues., Dec. 3, New York
12 noon: Rally at United Nations, Ralph Bunch Park, 43 Street & 1st Avenue
1 pm: Press Conference, UN Church Center, 44 Street & 1st Avenue
2-3 pm: March to Times Square for picketing of U.S. Military Recruiting Station
6:30 pm: Reception and Forum for the Delegation, 39 W. 14 Street, Manhattan
Weds., Dec. 4 - Saturday, Dec. 7, Washington, DC
Delegation pickets U.S. White House; Friday 9 A.M.
Press Conference, National Press Club
New York Committee for Shin Hyo-Soon & Shim Mi-Sun
c/o IAC 39 West 14 Street #206
New York, NY 10011
212-633-6646
Fax: 633-2889MEDIA ADVISORY
December 2, 2002
CONTACT:
Tony Murphy 212-633-6646
Kwan-Ho Choi 646-644-9446
International Action Center
39 West 14th Street, Room 206
New York, NY 10011
email: mailto:iacenter@action-mail.org
En Espanol: iac-cai@action-mail.org
Web: http://www.iacenter.org
Support Mumia Abu-Jamal: http://www.millions4mumia.org/
phone: 212 633-6646
fax: 212 633-2889
Make a donation to the IAC and its projects
The International Action Center
Home ActionAlerts Press
Share this page with a friend