A civic group in Dongducheon, South Korea, held a rally demanding the cessation of US attacks on Iran and joint military exercises with South Korea.
On the afternoon of December 12, members of civil society organizations gathered at the entrance of Camp Casey, a US military base in Dongducheon, to demand an end to US attacks on Iran and to halt the joint US-ROK military exercises. The attendees argued that these US military actions risk plunging the entire Middle East into war, stating that any justification for war is unacceptable. They began their rally with a moment of silence to mourn 175 Iranian schoolgirls who had recently lost their lives in the conflict. Following this, several representatives highlighted the potential for military conflicts in the Middle East to escalate tensions in Northeast Asia, especially in the region of Gyeonggi Province, where the presence of US troops poses ongoing security concerns.
The speakers criticized the ongoing US-ROK military exercises, arguing that they exacerbate military tensions on the Korean Peninsula and reduce opportunities for dialogue and peace. They emphasized that large-scale military training exacerbates inter-Korean conflict, further complicating efforts for peaceful resolution. The issue of the THAAD missile defense system was also brought into the discussion, with some speakers arguing that the deployment of THAAD under the pretext of North Korean deterrence was being undermined as it was being redirected to military operations in the Middle East, highlighting a disconnect in US rationales regarding weapon placement.
The civic groups issued a statement demanding that the US halt its military actions, cease escalation, and return to diplomatic solutions, along with ending the joint military exercises with South Korea. They argued that the consequences of war disproportionately affect the powerless citizens and urged the South Korean government not to allow the peninsula to become a staging ground for new military strategies. The rally saw participation from several organizations, including the Gyeonggi Peace Citizen Action and the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions Gyeonggi Northern Branch, among others.
