Text Fwd: Translation: Korean civic organizations’ joint press Interview against ROK’s joining of MD [영문 번역] 한국의 미사일 방어망 참여 반대, 한국 단체 공동 성명

* Image source & caption: Xinhua News Agency, Oct. 25, 2010
(* Informed at the StopNATO mail list, Oct. 26, 2010)

'South Korean people hold a protest against the Missile Defense (MD) system, in front of the Ministry of National Defense in Seoul, South Korea, on Oct. 25, 2010. The South Korean Defense Ministry said on Saturday that it has planned to strengthen cooperation with the United States in its anti-missile defense system to maintain peace and security on the Korean Peninsula, although it does not plan to join the U.S. system. (Xinhua/Park Jin-hee)'

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* Related blogs

Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Photos Fwd: 37 Civic orgs. denounce the Defense Minister’s remark on his consideration of the ROK involvement in the MD
김국방장관의 미사일방어(MD) 체제 참여 검토 규탄

Sunday, October 31, 2010
Text Fwd: Translation: [Cheong Wooksik] Would South Korea fall down into a ‘swamp of MD’?
[영문 번역] MB 정부, 결국 ‘MD의 늪’으로 빠져드나?
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* The below is an arbitrary translation, not officially approved by the stating organizations, yet.
아래는 국문 성명서의 자의적 번역으로 아직 단체들의 승인을 받은 것이 아닙니다.
* For the original Korean joint statement, go to HERE or HERE.
* 원 국문 성명서는 여기 또는 여기를 클릭
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* Bruce Gagnon thankfully introduced this in his blog on Nov. 1 and M. S., Japan thankfully translated this in Japanese (See HERE). M.S. translation of Koji Sugihara's message 'against the SM-3 launch by Japan's Maritime Self Defense Force, off Kauai,' on Oct. 28 can be also seen HERE (Japanese & English) and HERE (English & Korean).
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#ROK means Republic of Korea (South Korea)
*ROK MD is called as the Korean Air and Missile Defense (KAMD)
#The English translations of the Korean cited phrases from the English documents may not exactly match with the original English documents
# *marked organization names are temporary translation, which are not official English titles.
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- Civic organizations’ Joint Press Interview
to denounce the remark by Kim Tae-Young, the [ROK] Minister of National Defense, who said he was examining to join the MD system-

1. [If ROK joins the MD], it is inevitable that the ROK MD (KAMD) would be incorporated into the sub system of the US MD!

On [Oct.] 22, Kim Tae-Young, Minister of National Defense officially stated for the first time, on his examination on joining United States Missile Defense system, during the process of a National Assembly audit. Not to mention Kim Dae-Jung & Roh Moo-Hyun government but the Lee Myung-Bak government has said on its position that it ‘is difficult to join the U.S. MD system,’ despite the United States’ relentless demand since the Bush administration, because ROK involvement into the US system is a grave and sensitive issue which would shift the Northeast Asia security topography.’ Nevertheless, the Lee Myung-Bak government officially announced its joining the MD, taking the opportunity of the 42nd Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) that had been held for the first time after the Cheonan ship incident.

Even though the Ministry of National Defense quibbled that the Minister’s remark did not mean the [ROK] participation in the U. S. MD, as criticism upon [his remark in the audit] has spread, it is clear that its saying is a lie to hide the wavelength caused from the ROK involvement in the US MD as one sees through the traces of works by the ROK & US authorities.

The South Korean government has established so called the Korean MD based on the Patriot 2(PAC-2) ground-based sub-system and Standard Missile 2(SM-2) Aegis sea-based sub system. Further it has driven the plans to establish the Korean Theater High Altitude Area Defense (K-THAAD) by upgrading PAC 2 to PAC 3 while SM 2 to SM 6 and by improving the ‘Cheolmae II’; and to complete the establishment of the so called Korean MD system by 2012, by establishing an early warning system with the introduction of early warning radar from the Elta Co, Israel (500Km detection distance), along with the Airborne Warning And Control System (AWACS), and by the Air and Missile Defense Cell (AMD Cell).

It is known that the ROK and US authorities, following the transfer of the operational control right, would connect the C4I in the both nations’ militaries through the Allied Korea Joint Command and Control System (AKJCCS) and would integrate & operate AMD Cells in the both nations’ militaries. The thing that the both ROK, US authorities integrate and operate the AMD cells means that the ROK MD would be connected with the Joint Space Operations Center (JSpOC), U.S. 14th Air Force, which coordinates and executes the United Sates’ Air Force’s space operation, on behalf of the U.S. Strategic Command. It means the ROK MD would be wholly subordinated to the US MD system.

(For the related blog, click HERE)
'In addition, the sides are trying to develop an operating system for the joint combat command headquarters as well as a C4I system for the joint command. To this end, the ROK military is working to develop an Allied Korea Joint Command and Control System (AKJCCS) by 2011, which will then be linked to the U.S. military’s C4I system. (* Excerpt from the Ministry of the Defense Department, South Korea, Status of OPCON transfer Date 2009-02-16 16:16)'

In the ‘Ballistic Missile Defense Review (BMDR),’ that the United States has issued this February, she pointed out Iran and North Korea as “the objects for special concern” and declared that “ The primary purpose of the missile defense plan is to protect the mainland of the United States and her allied nations.” And then, calling South Korea as “an important partner of the United States MD system,” and saying “ the ROK and US are in negotiation on the requirement of the ROK missile defense,” she issued that “The United Sates is prepared to cooperate on the strengthening of the ROK missile defense ability against North Korea as the consulted requirement is decided and expects advanced measures for the cooperation in operation and cooperation in missile defense between the ROK and United States.”

On the extended line of such move, the remarks by Kim Tae-Young, Minister of National Defense, embody the agreement “to provide and strengthen extended deterrence for the ROK, using the full range of military capabilities, to include the U.S. nuclear umbrella, conventional strike, and missile defense capabilities,” which were commonly mentioned both in endorsed 42nd SCM joint statement (* See its No. 6), and ‘ROK-US Defense Guidelines,’ in the scope of MD. It also carries out the agreement in the ROK-US Defense Guidelines’ that reads that the both authorities of the ROK-US “will more develop the ability to respond against the North Korean ballistic missile threat.”

Also when Minister Kim said that [the ROK would] discuss about sharing information and operating measure on the ‘regional MD’ of the United States to defend the Korean peninsula from the threat of North Korea’s weapons of mass destruction, as one of the agendas that would be dealt with in an Extended Deterrence Policy Committee (agreed on [No. 6], 42nd SCM), it meant that the Extended Deterrence Policy Committee would be the passage for the United States to fulfill the MD in South Korea. The thing that the both authorities of the ROK and US plan to discuss on the sharing information and operating measure regarding the regional MD that the United States would drive in each region, holding the 1st practical affairs meeting of the Extended Deterrence Policy Committee in coming December shows that the issue is now rapidly being processed. If the both authorities of the ROK and United States discuss on the sharing information and operating measure, it is clear that the United States would demand ROK an involvement in the SM-6 that the US navy is now developing, purchase of x-band radar or permission on the deployment of it in the Korean peninsula, as a price for her provision of the information on the North Korea’s nuclear & missile and of the MD means, to South Korea. It means that South Korea would join into the subordination system of the US MD system in the Northeast Asia region.

2. ROK’s involvement in the MD heightens danger of nuclear war and cause military subjugation to the US and tremendous cost charge!

Obama, the President of the United States has opened the possibility of strike against North Korea and Iran, excluding those countries from the objects of the Negative Security Assurances (NSA) in the ‘2010 Nuclear Posture Review (NPR)’. The US MD that is driven as a part of the extended deterrence is a measure for nuclear preemptive attack.

The ROK joining of the MD is not only dangerous to heighten the danger of nuclear war but problematic to provoke the nuclear arms race in the northeast Asia, causing the strengthening of nuclear arming in North Korea and China. It is against the current, that makes remote the peace agreement connected to the non-nuclearization of the Korean peninsula and brings the new cold war in the northeast Asia.

3. Immediately stop the examination on joining the MD that does more harm than good!

As above, South Korea’s participation in the US MD system does more harm than good, as it would bring nuclear war and nuclear arms sale, therefore would seriously threaten peace in the Korean peninsula & northeast Asia, aggravate her military subordination into the United States, and throw tremendous financial burden to her people. The United States is doing that to strengthen her military domination in the northeast Asia, positioning South Korea as her advanced base, while the Lee Myung-Bak government is enforcing that to secure its vested rights amidst the political situations in the inside and outside of the Korean peninsula, which are becoming disadvantageous to it hanging on the ROK-US alliance, and furthermore to drive the absorbing unification by force against North Korea.

We resolutely oppose South Korea’s joining the US MD system, which is really dangerous and unnecessary. We strongly demand the Lee Myung-Bak government to immediately stop the examination on the involvement in the US MD, and Kim Tae-Young, the Minister of National Defense, to promptly resign from his post. We will briskly struggle to prevent [South Korea’s] MD involvement, with our people who aspire complete non-nuclearization of the Korean peninsula, realization of the Peace agreement, and dissolution of the ROK-US alliance, the root of all kinds of subordination and peace-threat.

Oct. 25, 2010

Solidarity for Peace And Reunification of Korea, Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, Democratic Labor Party, New Progressive Party, Socialist Party of Korea, Labor Front*, People’s Solidarity for Social Progress, Revolution 4.19 Committee*, Korea Alliance of Progressive Movements (Christian Social Mission Solidarity Council*; Labor Human Rights Center; Farmers’ Pharmacy*; Supporting Committee for Prisoners of Conscience; Korea Council for Democratic Martyr; Institute for Research in Collaborationist Activities; Association of the Family Movements for Democracy Practice*; Buddhism Peace Solidarity*; Council for the Drive on Our Nation’s Unification through Federation System*; Korean Peasants League; Pan Korean Bereaved Families’ Association for Nation and Democracy*; Pan Korean Bereaved Families’ Association for Democracy Movement (Inc.)*; Pan Korean Poor People’s Association for Liberation*; Korean Women Peasant Association; The Central Association for National Unification of Korea; Pan Korean Association for Reconciliation (Minhwaryon); Korean Democratic Workers’ Council*; Solidarity for Democracy, Public-Welfare, Peace, Unification and Sovereignty*; Pan Korean Women’s Solidarity; Pan-Korean Alliance for Reunification of Korea, South Korea branch; Veterans for Peace, Corea; Unification Square; Korea Youth Solidarity; 21st Century Pan Korean University Students’ Association*; June 15 Youth and Student’s Solidarity*) Anti-War Peace Solidarity*, All Together, Asian Wide Campaign (AWC)_Korea Committee