The Presbyterian Church of Korea (PCK Tonghap, Moderator: Rev. Chae Yeong-nam) issued a statement (photo) on September 22, strongly denouncing the government of Shinzo Abe for its forcible enactment, at daybreak on the 19th, of new laws for collective self-defense. In scolding the Abe administration, the statement referred also to the Dokdo issue, and to Japan’s sex slave (“comfort women”) system and its drafting of Koreans as forced laborers during World War II.
“The passage of these laws was done to prepare for China’s expansion of military power, to weaken Article 9 of the Peace Constitution, and to increase the justification for military actions,” PCK Tonghap said through the statement. “The new laws are a threat to peace, not only on the Korean peninsula but in Northeast Asia and the world… Japan has brashly opened the way to militarism.” Their criticism continued: “This was the abuse of the democratic process to enact anti-democratic laws, an outrageous act imposing the government’s decision despite opposition by the majority of Japanese citizens.”
PCK Tonghap announced its intention to work in various ways toward weakening the effects of Japan’s new laws.
Reporter Lee Yongsang (sotong203@kmib.co.kr), with Marion Kim (marionkkim@icloud.com)
Click here for the original article in Korean
PCK Tonghap: “Japan’s collective self-defense law threatens NE Asian and world peace”
2015-09-25 14:41
