Statement on the war tensions around North Korea from International Communist Perspective (South Korea)

We are publishing here a statement by International Communist Perspective (South Korea) on the imperialist tensions in the Korean Peninsula.

We do have some criticisms of this statement, in particular its focus on the installation of THAAD, which could give rise to the idea that single-issue campaigns are the equivalent of the workers’ struggle to defend their interests against the demands of the war machine.  It is not by campaigning against this or that weapons system that the working class can develop its consciousness. The task of revolutionaries is to expose the impasse of the whole system, while participating in struggles for class demands that can tear apart the illusions of a “national unity” and develop a real solidarity with workers in other countries.

Nonetheless, we recognise the voice of the international working class in this statement: a voice that denounces the imperialists of the entire capitalist class (including those that are supposedly "communist"). We thus unreservedly stand in solidarity with the ICP comrades and all those fighting for real internationalism in this region.

For the ICC's analysis of the situation, please see here.

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We criticize the Moon Jae‐In government and the United States for the deployment of THAAD.

Removal of THAAD! Struggle against the capitalist state! Struggle against capitalist governments and the threat of imperialist war!

On Sept. 7, the Moon Jae‐In government and the United States coercively deployed Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) on Sungju-gun Sogong‐ri against most of the Korean people’s opposition including the residents. The deployment of the THAAD in South Korea does not contribute to a resolution of issues on nuclear weapon of North Korea and the peace of East Asia. It is just a hypocritical security game. It is not only a programme heightening the threat of war for the sake of US imperialist force but also a scheme to assign South Korea at the front of imperialist war.

We once again confirm that the purpose of North Korea's nuclear weapons development is a genocidal massacre against civilians, especially the working class, even though North Korea insists that the nuclear weapon is a guarantee of its regime. In addition, we never forget that the only force using the nuclear weapons which slaughtered civilians indiscriminately in the war was US imperialism. History has shown that the two systems, which are different in the Korean peninsula, are the same in terms of the exploitation of the working class and are the absolute enemy of the working class. Workers should not take either side.

The maximization of tension in East Asia shows the destructive tendencies of capitalism. However, recent conflicts have raised the risk for humanity far more than before. This time, there is a growing clash among many forces. The United States, China and Japan as well as North Korea are stepping up the arms race.

Two world wars, the Korean War and numerous wars have always brought irreplaceable pain to the working class. Today, the working class in East Asia should no longer sacrifice itself in the deadly vicious cycle of capitalism. Only the working class can save humanity from barbarism. To that end, the working class must escape from the vicious circle of nationalism and militarism. The only solution is that workers from South and North Korea including workers form China, US, and Japan struggle against their own ruling class.

The deployment of THAAD of the Moon government, which is pretending to pursue the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, would not contribute to constrain the North Korea’s nuclear weapon development but rather pour oil on the fire of military confrontation involving nuclear weapon competition. The decision to add and deploy the THAAD also shows the hypocrisy and the incompetence of the Moon government’s claim that it pursues a peace policy, a democratic process, and an independent diplomacy. It is an expression of the political and the class nature of the current government serving the interests of the imperialist and ruling classes.

Against the government of Moon Jae‐In, which committed crimes no better than that of Park Geun-hae government in less than four months after the presidential election victory,

The working class must break with the "Moon Jae‐In fantasy", which the Moon government pursues about cleaning up an accumulated evil and changing the regime.

The working class should oppose forming a united front and cooperating with the Moon government.

The working class should fight against the deployment of THAAD, as well as against the capitalist government, and the Korean War threat.

1. We oppose both imperialist U.S. and its allies' threats to North Korea (threats of war, security campaigns) and the North Korea’s development of nuclear weapons against them.
    
2.  Both US imperialism, which actually slaughtered civilians with nuclear weapons, and North Korea's nuclear weapons, which is headed for another war, are the greatest disasters to the working class. The working class opposes all nuclear weapons.
    
3. We cannot believe any 'peace policy' of the capitalist‐imperialist countries that claim 'peace' on the one hand, while instigating arms competition and threat of war in the interest of their own capitalist regime.
    
4. We declare that only the workers’ international struggle and the workers' revolution can end the threat of barbarism, imperialist war, and nuclear destruction threatening humanity under capitalism.
    
5. Removal of THAAD! Struggle against capitalist governments and their threat of imperialist war beyond the borders of all capitalist states.

The workers have no country to defend

Workers of the world, unite!

 

 

September 7, 2017

International Communist Perspective