In a show of support for the U.S., a group of South Koreans has presented chocolates and other Valentine’s Day gifts to U.S. military personnel in South Korea, hoping to counter recent anti-U.S. demonstrations in the nation.
A report of the gesture appeared in the Korean-language newspaper the Independent Times. Below a photo of the event was a statement the paper’s president, Shin Heay-Shik, delivered to the U.S. soldiers at the gift presentation. He praised the United States, calling for continued presence of U.S. troops in South Korea.
The recent controversy over North Korea’s nuclear weapons program and the U.S. response to it have resulted in anti-U.S. protests in South Korea. Underreported, however, have been the demonstrations of support for the U.S. and its policies.
Last month, a massive pro-U.S. rally was held in Seoul, complete with American flags and supportive signs in English. (Click here to watch a Windows Media video report of the rally.)
 U.S. military personnel accept Valentine’s Day gifts. (Photo: Independent Times) |
Heay-Shik announced in his address that a “large-scale peace demonstration” will be held in Seoul on March 1 in support of the United States. Here is the text of his speech, which is headlined in the paper: “We love freedom, we love freedom-fighters!”
America is South Korea’s blood brother. Together we fought against Communism from 1950 to 1953. We are here today because we are concerned that the recent spread of the anti-US demonstrations might have a negative impact on the friendship between America and South Korea.
These days, North Korea’s nuclear weapons program is threatening the security of South Korea and the world as a whole. The majority of South Koreans believe that overcoming this grave challenge and settling peace in the Korean peninsula is possible only when the American forces stay in South Korea and the strong and steady alliance between America and South Korea continues.
American soldiers have come a long way from home to protect the security of South Korea. To them, a series of anti-U.S. demonstrations that have occurred recently might have led you to question your reason for being here. Also, the American forces and America have been told incorrectly that the mistaken beliefs by some Koreans represent the beliefs of the great majority of Koreans.
However, many young South Koreans see America as our reliable friend who protects the peace in the Korean peninsula, and they oppose the withdrawal of the American forces from South Korea.
But the great majority of South Koreans tend not to actively speak their minds.
Thus, although the majority of South Koreans realize and want the American forces to stay in South Korea, they did not actively express their thoughts, and this only deepened the misunderstanding.
Today we gather here together and we hope to resolve this misunderstanding by actively speaking our minds: why we need you, why we think of you as our good friend.
While this present is a small expression of our appreciation, it also carries the deep friendship of young South Koreans.
Also, although a few people have gathered here today, we hope that you will see that there are a lot of Koreans who greatly appreciate the American forces.
Friends! On March 1, we are going to hold a large-scale peace demonstration. That day, 1 million people will gather in front of the city hall and voice our opposition to North Korea’s nuclear weapons program and the withdrawal of the American forces from South Korea.
All South Koreans are rising up to establish peace in the Korean peninsula. We might have seemed indifferent to our friend America these days. We’d like to ask you for your understanding on this point.
We love freedom. We love freedom-fighters!
On Thursday, Secretary of State Colin Powell told Congress that the U.S. had told North Korea that its Asian neighbors have a stake in putting the “nuclear genie back in the bottle,” and corking it. He said that North Korea had turned down a proposal by the Bush administration to involve China and other nations in talks with the United States, according to an Associated Press report.
