La Via Campesina supports and expresses solidarity with the struggle of peasants of South and North Koreas
La Via Campesina supports and expresses solidarity with the struggle of peasants of South and North Koreas who yearn for permanent peace in the Korean peninsula, and will be together for their wishes and aspiration.
The 27th of April, 2019 was the first anniversary of Panmoonjom Declaration where we announced the principle of nation’s autonomy that we ourselves decide the fate of our nation, reflecting the desire of 80 million Korean people. La Via Campesina celebrates the anniversary together with our member organizations, KPL (Korean Peasant League) and KWPA (Korean Women Peasants Association), and supports their struggle for peace, prosperity, autonomy and reunification of Koreas.
International Coordination Committee members of La Via Campesina visited DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) of Korea in April, 2018, witnessed the painful site of division of nation, and sympathized with Korean peasants and their desire for reunification.
Since the creation, KWPA (founded in 1989) and KPL (founded in 1990) have struggled and worked actively to bring peace to Korean peninsula and its autonomous reunification for last 30 years. As part of the effort, Korean peasant movement has conducted a number of initiatives including projects to provide North Korean peasants with fertilizer and farming materials, campaigns of sharing local seeds, and joint rice planting programs. Recently, KPL, with the support of people in South Korea, is making progress to the campaign of sending tractors to North Korea and exchanging agricultural labor between two Koreas. KPL and KWPA claim “Peasants in Koreas cannot cultivate safely without peace and reunification. State of division and tension in the peninsula restrain freedom of Korean peasants and 80 million people.
Donald Trump is forcing the North to abandon its nuclear program without any guarantee on lifting of the UN Security Council’s sanctions against the North nor securing its system. Peasants in Korea conceive that it is United States, not North Korea, who is blocking the peace process and aggravating unstable inter-Korean situation.
Therefore, La Via Campesina argues that it is an important point to inform the wishes and aspiration of Korean peasants and to support them on an international level with solidarity. La Via Campesina strongly supports the struggle of KPL and KWPA for peace and reunification and will work together to make the Korean Peninsula Peace Process realized.