Anti-war protesters formed a human chain, linked with pink ribbons and banners, around the 18-kilometre perimeter of the United States military base in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, on July 27, the 70th anniversary of the Korean War armistice.
This action, at the largest US foreign military base in the world, was part of a series of mass actions demanding that a peace agreement be made as a step towards demilitarising and unifying the Korean peninsula. A mass rally was also held in the capital, Seoul, on July 22.
Korean peace supporters also .
The independent South Korean newspaper reported that one protester was arrested at the Pyeongtaek action for trying to enter the US military base聽at the Doduri Gate聽to deliver a protest letter.聽
Participants in the human chain had tried unsuccessfully to deliver the protest letter at each of the gates to the military base.
Near the Yoon Gate, the Pungmul farmers musical troupe marched along the wall of the military base, singing 鈥淎 Song to Prevent Misfortune鈥.
Baek Ryong from the University Students Progressive Union Coalition in Korea said the US benefits the most from keeping the two Koreas in conflict.
鈥淭he US is trying to block the wind of unification鈥 he said, reported.
The withdrawal of US troops from South Korea would be the first step toward peaceful unification of Korea, the student activist added.
Sol-ip Oh from the National Sovereignty Party called on the conservative聽 South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to stop recklessly promoting war and turning聽 Korea into a 鈥淯S war practice range鈥.
The protest concluded with a car cavalcade to the Korea-US Combined Forces Command.
During this pro-peace action, participants were abused by members of extreme right-wing groups, who聽had gathered from all over South Korea. The police put all their efforts into guarding the US military and turned a blind eye to the provocations from pro-war groups.