Crisis in South Korea: Understanding the Turmoil Rocking South Korea's Democracy
The South Korean President declared martial law on December 4th, 2024.
The world watched with amazement as the Korean people rallied to their National Assembly in the middle of the night. Lawmakers pushed through police and soldiers to gain access to their parliament and voted to overturn martial law within six hours.
What lies underneath this strong reaction?
What's happening in the aftermath?
And what can we learn from it?
Jennie Telfer, Peace Catalyst's peacebuilder in South Korea, and Fr. Peter Ju Seok Kang, director of the Catholic Institute for Northeast Asia Peace, discuss these questions and more.
Video Timestamps:
5:00 - Intro to the current situation in South Korea
10:45 - Historical context
14:50 - What’s going on now
22:24 - Solidarity with Koreans
26:50 - Fr Peter JuSeok Kang remarks
29:50 - Q&A
30:30 - What is important for Americans to know/understand about the current situation in South Korea?
41:45 - How is North Korea responding to the current situation in the South?
44:50 - How should Christians be approaching North Korea?
47:40 - How is the U.S. an obstacle to ending the still-ongoing Korean War and to achieving peace in Korea?
53:10 - Action steps for Americans
Contact your government representatives in solidarity with South Korean people. Get some guidance here: https://seedswillgrow.com/2024/12/10/solidarity-with-south-koreans-%f0%9f%87%b0%f0%9f%87%b7/ (Scroll down to the bottom of this link for even more action steps)
Join the call for an end to the Korean War. You can start by signing this letter to your representatives: https://koreapeacenow.org/take-action/united-states/
If you want to join the US-based movement for Korea peace, sign up here to join the grassroots network: https://koreapeacenow.org/take-action/#
ABOUT THE PRESENTERS
Fr. Peter JuSeok Kang
Fr. Peter Ju Seok Kang is a Catholic priest of the Diocese of Uijeongbu. He earned a doctorate in North Korean Studies from the University of North Korean Studies. Currently, he serves as the Director of the Catholic Institute for Northeast Asia Peace and the Secretary of the Committee for the Reconciliation of the Korean People under the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea.
Jennie Telfer
Jennie is Peace Catalyst’s program director in South Korea. Born in the USA but raised in Europe and Africa, Jennie’s professional career has taken her around the world providing social services and advocating for populations impacted by trauma, injustice, and war.
Her mission is to speak peace and joy into systems and situations of conflict to see them transformed.
In solidarity with Koreans and Korean organizations, she currently provides peace education, advocates to end the Korean War, and mobilizes people for peacebuilding.