(PART ONE OF A THREE-PART SERIES)
THE “AMERICAN FRONT” OF A KOREAN STRUGGLE
The ongoing struggle over whether the Republic of South Korea (the “ROK”) will continue to be a close U.S. ally and a free, democratic republic, or whether it will be fundamentally transformed, against the wishes of most of its citizens, into an increasingly authoritarian and socialist-leaning state bound to North Korea under some form of confederation and subservient to the demands of an aggressive China which treats it as a vassal state, is a clash being fought out not only in the ROK National Assembly and on the streets of Seoul. There is also an active “American front” of this ongoing politico-ideological conflict in the ROK, which although virtually unknown to all but a few top Korea experts, Korean-American conservatives and moderates, and human rights activists here, is nevertheless relevant and should be of concern to all Americans, because of its direct impact not only on U.S. national security but also on domestic U.S. politics. As shocking as it may seem, as incomprehensible as it may be to all decent Americans, there is an increasingly active and influential pro-North Korean movement right here in the U.S., a dedicated, well-organized and deeply interconnected network of pro-North Korean groups and individuals, some Korean-American, and some non-Korean-American, who are closely allied with Marxist-Leninists and various other extreme left-wing forces, and who very frequently express a deep hatred for America.
LOBBYING FOR POLICIES FAVORED BY NORTH KOREA
This pro-North movement has a few “friends in high places,” including some far-left Democrat Representatives and Senators, whom pro-North forces have targeted in their intensive Washington, D.C. lobbying efforts against sanctions on North Korea and in favor of appeasing the Pyongyang regime. In some cases, these legislators have met with and thereby provided a certain sense of “respectability” to such pro-North activists, having also endorsed some of the legislative or other campaigns of these pro-North groups. Some of the far-left legislators who have been collaborating with pro-North groups and activists, out of sheer ignorance, ideological sympathy, or political self-interest, include Ro Khanna of California, who is also an enthusiastic fan of Moon Jae-in and his policies, Barbara Lee of California, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, and Bernie Sanders of Vermont. Of course, in lobbying these and other legislators, the pro-North activists do not repeat the same type of pro-North and anti-American rhetoric which they use elsewhere, such as among themselves and in front of audiences which they know to be sympathetic to their cause. They don’t tell these legislators that they oppose the U.S.-ROK alliance and seek to close all U.S. military bases throughout the world, that they claim North Korea needs nuclear arms to defend against “U.S. militarism,” that America is the proverbial “belly of the beast”, that North Korean defectors are “traitors,” or that Kim, Il-sung was a hero. Instead, they employ innocent-sounding but deceptive slogans about merely “ending the Korean War” and reversing America’s so-called “counterproductive and hostile policies” towards Pyongyang. In spite of their extremist statements, views and affiliations, some of these pro-North influence peddlers are effective in their approaches, and have had training and advice from professional lobbyists who are very familiar with Capitol Hill.
THE PRO-NORTH KOREAN “MOVEMENT” IN THE U.S.
These pro-North Korean groups and activists in the U.S. are part of what can only be described as a pro-North Korean “movement,” because they are not just unconnected organizations and isolated individuals, nor are they merely supporters of so-called “engagement” or appeasement policies toward North Korea. To varying degrees and in different manners depending on their target audiences and modes of operation, they variously praise, support, defend, excuse, and lobby for the North Korean regime, as well as oppose and slander those who criticize the regime. It is a highly interconnected network of activists and groups which are in continuous communication and regularly collaborate on numerous projects, including participating together in campaigns, holding joint meetings, conferences, and protests, and defending each other when exposed and criticized. Many of the leaders of the movement know each other well as they have been working together for years, and are concurrently involved in several pro-North groups. Of course, the overwhelming majority of Korean-Americans are patriots who oppose the pro-North movement. A small minority of them, however, as well as a small number of non-Korean-Americans, are supporters and defenders of Kim Jong-un’s regime who engage in propaganda on its behalf. Unfortunately, however, there has been little organized or coordinated opposition to and exposure of the pro-North movement in the U.S., due in part to the fact that its activities and even its very existence are so little known and almost never attract widespread public attention.
TYPES OF PRO-NORTH KOREAN GROUPS
The most logical means to classify and differentiate such groups are by their target audiences and methods of operation. Some groups and activists are openly, hardcore and even fanatically pro-North, while others are front groups and “fellow travelers,” wishing to portray themselves as mere advocates for “peace and the reunification of Korea”. Some groups are of the Marxist-Leninist variety, such as the Workers World Party and its front group the International Action Center, and the Party for Socialism and Liberation and its front group the Answer Coalition. Some are extreme-left, such as Code Pink and Veterans for Peace while some advocate the North’s Juche ideology, such as the Korean American National Coordinating Council and Minjok Tongshin, and others are more concerned with politics in the ROK and inter-Korean relations, such as the 6.15 Implementation Committee. Some groups and activists primarily target the Korean-American community and function in Korean, while others focus primarily on non-Korean-Americans, the “broader” non-Korean-speaking society, and therefore function in English. The hardcore and openly pro-North groups and activists, such as Minjok Tongshin, KANCC, Nodutdol, and the 6.15 Implementation Committee, tend to operate on what are mostly the fringes of Korean-American or non-Korean-American society, whereas the pro-North front groups, such as Women Cross DMZ, the Korea Policy Institute, and the Koreatown Immigrant Workers Alliance, actively pursue more widespread influence in “mainstream” circles. Pro-North groups and activists tend to support and defend not only Kim, Jong-un’s regime, but also other dictatorial and terrorist regimes and movements, especially those allied with the North, such as Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba, Hamas and Hezbollah terrorists, and communist rebels in the Philippines and Colombia. Pro-North activists travel overseas to meet with supporters of terrorist groups such as Hamas and even speak at Holocaust Denial conferences in Iran. As odd as it seems, leftist religious groups and clergy in particular play important roles in the pro-North movement, and a few are full adherents of the Kim dynasty cult. There are even some “social action” arms of major religious denominations which have essentially allied themselves with the pro-North movement and collaborated with them.
In theory, the overtly pro-North groups are not shy about lauding the North and its dictators in a worshipful manner, whereas the front groups appeal to what are sometimes termed “useful idiots” by employing more moderate rhetoric, seeking to attract a far wider membership and base of support, particularly among those who might not feel comfortable associating with a fanatically pro-North group, at least in public. Again, in theory, a front group depends on deceptive tactics to convince its members, potential followers, and the general public that it is not pro-North. One must always bear in mind, however, that the core leadership circles of front groups, the founders and those who set policy positions, are very often just as pro-North as the leaders of the openly pro-North groups, and in fact, some front group leaders have been or are concurrently members of fanatically pro-North groups. Also, the front groups often actively collaborate by holding joint events and campaigns with fanatically pro-North groups. Therefore, in spite of the purely theoretical distinctions, in recent years, as practical matter, there has been a blurring of the distinctions between the different categories, due to their increasing willingness to work closely together. So, for example, members of a pro-North front group such as the very misleadingly named National Association of Korean Americans, will collaborate with and lend support to the hardcore, openly pro-North youth group Nodutdol. Further, some groups and activists shift their approaches over time, so Action One Korea, which began as a typical front group, has transformed itself into a much more hardcore and openly pro-North and anti-U.S. group. Pro-North groups based in the ROK occasionally send protest delegations to the U.S. and their activities here are welcomed and directly supported by local pro-North forces.
