In the late 1940s and throughout the 1950s, following the second world imperialist slaughter, a series of anticolonial struggles erupted in Korea, China, Vietnam, and later Cuba. Following Tokyo's surrender to Washington in 1945, the Japanese rulers relinquished their control over Korea. Working people began setting up "people's committees" that, together with other anticolonial forces, called for workers' and peasants' rights.

A government was formed with close ties to these organizations. It planned to carry out massive land reform, institute broad nationalizations, and expand democratic rights.

Washington landed troops into southern Korea just two days after this government was formed, aiming to crush it. The U.S. imperialists informed Tokyo they would accept its surrender just south of the 38 parallel. The Moscow regime headed by Joseph Stalin accepted Tokyo's surrender in the northern portion of Korea, agreeing to the national division of the peninsula as laid out by Uncle Sam. Korean workers, peasants, and youth, however, refused to hand over their right to self-determination. And so in 1950 Washington, at the orders of Harry Truman, launched a military assault on Korea. Bombers, tanks, and napalm leveled Pyongyang, wiping out the infrastructure and killing an estimated 4 million people.

Volunteers from the victorious Chinese revolution came to Korea's aid by the hundreds of thousands. Unable to conquer the Korean fighters, Washington established the 38th parallel as the dividing line and constructed a wall, aimed at isolating workers and peasants in the north and south from each other.

From that point on Washington has sought to overturn the workers state in the north and break the solidarity felt between toilers in the forcibly divided nation. Together with the south Korean regime, U.S. forces regularly carry out military exercises feigning combat with Pyongyang, as well as other intentional provocations. To this day 37,000 U.S. troops sit along the dividing line to enforce the partition of Korea.

Now, when working people face the onset of a possible famine, the imperialist powers would have them starve in an attempt to force concessions from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Yet on neither side of the 38th parallel have the Korean toilers been broken. The sentiment against the Seoul government and for unification remains, as could be seen when tens of thousands of south Korean workers struck earlier this year shouting, "Down with Kim Young-Sam!" It can be seen in the annual marches along Unification Road when Koreans from the north and south attempt to meet, despite Seoul's prohibitions, and in the militant struggles by youth demanding a single, united country.

Along with exposing this example of imperialism's brutal nature, working people and youth the world over should demand of the capitalist rulers:

Unconditional food relief to north Korea now!

U.S. troops out of Korea!  
 
 
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