Postcards from Ohyun-ri

Last fall, the Pan-Korean Committee against the Expansion of the Mugun-ri Military Training Fields(tentative title, website in construction, Chair by Kim, Jong-Il, contact: peace_oh@hanmail.net) near the Korean Demilitarized Zone produced the package of the 10 postcards as a part of the raising funds for the struggle which had started on August, 2008. The beautiful photos were taken by the Hyunjang Sazin Yeonkuso(Meaning the field photo research center, Head by Lee, Yong-Nam) who has lead the photo activism long time, especially near the U.S. bases of City of Paju, vicinity of the DMZ of Korea.

I selected five postcards among them, scanned and added the English title of the websites of the two organizations in the bottom of the each scanned image of a postcard and then, collected in an image(Seemed a little stupid later).

I wanted to share the bits of these beautiful postcards with people before I load the summary on the current struggles by people in Ohyun-ri, who live nearby Mugun-ri and are threatened of eviction from their hometown by the SK government’s decision of the expansion of the Mugun-ri military training fields. It would not have happened without the U.S. military strategy change in the Korean peninsula.

The photos taken by the photo activists in the Hyunjang Sazin Yeonkuso reflect the growing tension of struggle behind the beautiful sceneries of a small cattle-raising and farming village of roughly 100 household, 400 people. Koreans concern about that Daechuri, Pyeongtaek where the people there were evicted in April, 2007, for the triple enlargement of Camp Humphreys, a planned north east military hub of the U.S.A. may be the future of the Ohyun-ri.

But like the people in Daechu-ri, the people desperately want to live in their hometown which is often disturbed by the military training fields nearby and losing its clean nature due to the soldiers’ military trainings. But it is their most beloved hometown inherited from their respected and loved ancestors. If one visits Ohyun-ri, one would see the endless wave of the banners starting even before the gate of the village as in the leftist postcard. The yellow banner in the photo says, “We Want to Live in Our Hometown, Stop the Madness [of the Expansion Plan]!” The struggle has been going fierce. The people in Ohyun-ri have even made their mock tombstones in the wood panels, reflecting their will to fight to the end.

And now the Pan-Korean Committee against the Expansion of the Mugun-ri Military Training Fields is being enlarged by the increasingly participating civil organizations' solidarity with the people in Ohyun-ri.

I would love to share the stories with you. And urge your concern for the future solidarity with the people in Ohyun-ri. Please check this blog from time to time .