This statement, released Nov. 2, has been signed by over 20 organizations and hundreds of individuals. We, Korean people living in the United States, stand with the people of Palestine. Since 1948, when over 750,000 Palestinians were forcibly expelled from their ancestral lands, the Palestinian p

Like Palestine, Korea’s history is one of war, occupation, and division. The Korean War was the first “proxy war” of the Cold War. Nearly 5 million Koreans were killed, entire cities were turned to ashes, and our country was divided in two. The Korean War shows us that a ceasefire does not end an occupation. Despite the ceasefire in 1953, our homeland remains divided and at war today. The ceasefire did not end the war — it only gave it new life. Therefore, as Koreans, we know that we need more than just an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. We need an end to the Zionist occupation of Palestine, once and for all.

We denounce the ongoing genocide in Palestine and extend our love and solidarity to the Palestinian people. And we put forward the following demands to the government of the United States:

  • Support an immediate ceasefire to put a stop to the killing so that the people of Gaza can focus on rescuing the living and mourning the dead.
  • Immediately cut all foreign aid to Israel, which currently amounts to more than $3 billion per year from the U.S.
  • Lift the 16-year siege of Gaza and allow crucially needed medicine, food, fuel, water, power, and other supplies to reach people before it’s too late.