koreans for decolonization @ uc berkeley

Feeling hopeless about ICE raids in our communities? Don’t know where to start with organizing? Join us for food and conversations on how we can defend our communities against ICE on Thursday, March 5th from 7-9pm. We will send out the location to those who RSVP after reviewing the RSVP list as a precaution for our migrant student community. Koreans for Decolonization, IDEAS, and the League of Filipino Students would like to foster discussion on what’s been happening with ICE and the particular ways the Asian community has been impacted. We do not represent the entirety of the Asian diaspora, so we welcome any cultural or affinity groups to attend and contribute to the discussion on how their community has been impacted and experiences of effective community response! We also welcome those who are not in a cultural organization but are angered by the attacks on migrants to attend and get involved! 💓 RSVP Here: /AsianYouthAgainstICE

🎈Today marks the 107th anniversary of the beginning of the Samiljeol / March 1 Movement for Korean independence from Japanese colonial rule. On this day, we honor our martyrs and their legacy of struggle against colonialism. With the continued presence of the US military in the ROK and the ongoing occupation of Palestine, we must let our ancestors inspire us to continue our fight for liberation. TEACH IN: Join us tomorrow to learn more about Samiljeol and global anti-imperial struggle! ⏰Mon 3/2 7:30-8:30pm PST 📍In-person: UC Berkeley (Dwin 179) 💻Virtual: DM @koreans4decolonization for link

❤️‍🔥 Join us on Monday, March 2nd for a teach-in honoring the 107th anniversary of Samiljeol 삼일절, the March 1st Movement for Korean liberation from Japanese imperialism. ❤️‍🔥 As youth in the diaspora, we honor the legacy of Samiljeol in our ongoing struggle against US imperialism. We encourage all students, youth, and community members to come together and learn about this historic movement. 📌 When: Monday, March 2nd ⏰ At: 7:30pm to 8:30pm 📍Where: Dwinelle, Room 179. ⌨️VIRTUAL OPTION: DM for link

📌INTEREST FORM: tinyurl.com/k4dinterest Calling all Korean students and community members interested in organizing in the Bay Area ☎️ K4D is recruiting at UC Berkeley and we want YOU to join! 🔊 If you are interested in political education, anti-imperialist activism, and a Korean community space, fill out this interest form for our upcoming info session: tinyurl.com/K4Dinterest. We can’t wait to see you there <3 ⏩️ Swipe to read more on what we stand for >>>

The concept of minjung (민중), which translates to “the people” or “the masses,” gained political and cultural significance, particularly during the 1970s and 80s under military dictatorships led by Park Chung-hee (1961-79) and Chun Doo-hwan (1980-88).  The Minjung Movement provided the backdrop for the development of madangguk. This form of agitprop theater, rooted in traditional Korean culture, became a vehicle for mass political resistance, and by the 1980s, grew to be one of South Korea’s most popular performing arts genres.   Madangguk reminds us of the enduring value of performing arts, student-led activism, and community building. Its anti-imperial, pro-minjung message continues to resonate today. “The rise of madang-geuk in this period had two-fold significance. First, madang-geuk is understood in terms of Korean minjok-geuk (national theatre) confronting Western-style modernization, which had dominated South Korea. Second, madang-geuk can be described as a reformist theatre that embodied the desire for liberty, pushing back against the military regime in the 1980s. Indeed, madang-geuk served to build the network for solidarity between students on campuses and laborers in workplaces against their common enemy, the military dictatorship.” - Jungman Park, “Yeonwoo Mudae and the Korean Theatre Movement in the 1980s”

We call upon students and community members for a mass meeting and art build this Friday, November 14th, 4:30pm-6pm at Hearst Field Annex. We will be discussing AFSCME 3299’s contract fight, the work exploitation of undocumented people, and divestment from Blackstone. We’ll close out with an art build.  Workers and students unite!

TPUSA is coming to our campus to spread their message of hate, intolerance, and fascism. Several years ago, when TPUSA's Milo Yiannopoulos did the same the students and community responded loud and clear! TPUSA is not welcome here! Join us— 📍UC Berkeley Zellerbach Hall near Lower Sproul Monday, November 10th 4:30 PM #ucberkeley #bayarea

📌RSVP: tinyurl.com/k4djuche This Monday, we are hosting a teach-in from 6:30-8 about the origins and evolution of the political philosophy of Juche. Please join us if you are interested in learning more about the DPRK and Juche! ⏰Mon 11/3 6:30-8pm PST 📍In-person at UC Berkeley + Online 👯Attend with RSVP See you there!🫶

❤️‍🔥BAY AREA: People’s Summit for Korea Reportback❤️‍🔥 🗓️ Saturday, November 8 ⏰ Doors Open at 1:30 PM | Program from 2-4:30 PM 📍Oakland Liberation Center, 1499 Fruitvale Ave, Oakland, CA 94601 💌 RSVP @ tinyurl.com/KOREASUMMIT Join us on November 8 to learn about the landmark People’s Summit for Korea. Nodutdol, alongside partner organizations and fellow attendees, will be reporting back on the lessons from the Summit and how organizers, students, and community members from throughout the U.S. and Korea came together to advance the movement for national liberation of Korea and the global anti-imperialism. Come by for a fulfilling afternoon where we’ll: • 🗣️ Share learnings and takeaways from the People’s Summit for Korea, drawing ties between Korea’s struggle for national liberation, the international anti-imperialist movement, and the political tasks at hand for us in the diaspora. • ✊ Learn about the Korean & diasporic organizing landscape from our members who participated in delegations this past August to Woori Hakkyo (Woori Schools) and the ROK for the 80th anniversary of Korea’s Liberation Day. We hope you’ll join us for an afternoon of learning, discussion, and celebration as we recap the People’s Summit for Korea with you and our incredible local partner organizations here in San Francisco, Oakland, and beyond.

⚠️💥Genocide Merchant Hanwha: An Overview of Hanwha’s Global Arms Trade Last Friday, ADEX (Seoul International Aerospace & Defense Exhibition), Korea’s largest aerospace and defense trade show, brought weapons manufacturers from around the world to South Korea to showcase their latest weapons and strike up multimillions in contracts. A South Korean conglomerate, Hanwha is one of ADEX’s most prominent exhibitors, which also include Lockheed Martin and Boeing. Over the past decade, Hanwha has strengthened its ties with Isr@3li arms manufacturers and profited from Isr@3l ’s genocide and illegal occupation against Palestinians. This year, Hanwha had the largest booth at ADEX featuring three of its weapons subsidiaries. Hanwha Aerospace unveiled its self-propelled K9 howitzer, featuring components supplied by Isr@3li private weapons manufacturer Plasan. Hanwha Aerospace also displayed its new K-NIFV fighting vehicle based on the AS21 Redback, an infantry fighting vehicle for the Australian army with parts manufactured by Isr@3li company Elbit Systems. Hanwha also announced plans to beef up its global reach, citing its acquisition of the Philly Shipyard in the United States last year. Despite repeated calls from Korean civil society and Stop Arms Fair South Korea to exclude Isr@3li companies like Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and Elbit Systems, ADEX has given these genocidaires a public and financial platform. Part of ADEX’s week-long programming, today was the fair’s ‘Business Day’: a day dedicated for weapons dealers to strengthen international partnerships and strike deadly deals. Korean activists occupied the venue in protest, staging a powerful action in front of the IAI’s booth that condemned its complicity in the mass murder of Palestinians and called for an end to the genocide and the global arms trade. Read on for a briefer on Hanwha and the company’s complicity in war, occupation, and genocide around the world. (Check our profile for the Korean post)

Near the tail end of Chuseok on Saturday October 11, Nodutdol SoCal hosted organizers, students, and community members at @allpowerbooks to share learnings from the People’s Summit for Korea. Our panelists were joined by @koreans4decolonization and a Nodutdol delegate who was invited to the 80th anniversary of Korean National Liberation Day in South Korea. The program began with a powerful rendition of March for Our Beloved, an anthem of remembrance from the Gwangju Uprising that set the tone during the summit. Our panelists shared teachings from select panels from the summit, @koreans4decolonization reported valuable insights about the summit’s student track, and our delegate recounted moving stories from progressive South Korean organizers. We were joined by guest speakers who attended the summit from @malayalosangeles , @psl_losangeles , and @allpowerbooks , and @latu_ktown ended on a call to action around the ICE crisis in LA—enriching the program with political grounding and clarifying our next steps as anti-imperialist organizations struggling for liberation everywhere. Finally, we celebrated chuseok by commemorating our revolutionary ancestors and martyrs, as we honor their sacrifices and carry their spirit in our movement for genuine liberation in Korea. US Out of Korea! US Out of EVERYWHERE!

NOTE TIME CHANGE: 7-9PM Join us TOMORROW 10/14 in letter writing for Tae Heung “Will” Kim, a 40 year old PhD student who was wrongfully detained by US Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) on July 21st, 2025. Show up to Hearst Field Annex C10 from 6-8pm to write your support and demand Will’s immediate release. #abolishice