> > > <https://substack.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.QKXQAQC-M3qqZo9ImoccCBh7_UvBa6MDv8hO2XmKbkM?> > South Koreans Defy Biden's Man in Seoul > <https://substack.com/app-link/post?publication_id=2510348&post_id=152565123&utm_source=post-email-title&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=1rz46e&token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxMDc0NTQxODIsInBvc3RfaWQiOjE1MjU2NTEyMywiaWF0IjoxNzMzMzM1NTY3LCJleHAiOjE3MzU5Mjc1NjcsImlzcyI6InB1Yi0yNTEwMzQ4Iiwic3ViIjoicG9zdC1yZWFjdGlvbiJ9.AE8KY4_VtLCZXeNEzWl6ATGXu93hFOotWTVjw9QbIok>"The > D.C. establishment backed Yoon because he was what they have wanted for > decades" > > Tim Shorrock <https://substack.com/profile/14255483-tim-shorrock> > Dec 4 > ∙ > Guest post > > > <https://substack.com/app-link/post?publication_id=2510348&post_id=152565123&utm_source=substack&isFreemail=true&submitLike=true&token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxMDc0NTQxODIsInBvc3RfaWQiOjE1MjU2NTEyMywicmVhY3Rpb24iOiLinaQiLCJpYXQiOjE3MzMzMzU1NjcsImV4cCI6MTczNTkyNzU2NywiaXNzIjoicHViLTI1MTAzNDgiLCJzdWIiOiJyZWFjdGlvbiJ9.xrVW2bfkygbEf3zAhgLJaLu8j45VDju3Gx1O-dO1tUU&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=email-reaction&r=1rz46e> > > <https://substack.com/app-link/post?publication_id=2510348&post_id=152565123&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&isFreemail=true&comments=true&token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxMDc0NTQxODIsInBvc3RfaWQiOjE1MjU2NTEyMywiaWF0IjoxNzMzMzM1NTY3LCJleHAiOjE3MzU5Mjc1NjcsImlzcyI6InB1Yi0yNTEwMzQ4Iiwic3ViIjoicG9zdC1yZWFjdGlvbiJ9.AE8KY4_VtLCZXeNEzWl6ATGXu93hFOotWTVjw9QbIok&r=1rz46e&utm_campaign=email-half-magic-comments&action=post-comment&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email> > > <https://substack.com/app-link/post?publication_id=2510348&post_id=152565123&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&utm_campaign=email-share&action=share&triggerShare=true&isFreemail=true&r=1rz46e&token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxMDc0NTQxODIsInBvc3RfaWQiOjE1MjU2NTEyMywiaWF0IjoxNzMzMzM1NTY3LCJleHAiOjE3MzU5Mjc1NjcsImlzcyI6InB1Yi0yNTEwMzQ4Iiwic3ViIjoicG9zdC1yZWFjdGlvbiJ9.AE8KY4_VtLCZXeNEzWl6ATGXu93hFOotWTVjw9QbIok> > > <https://substack.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.5ROHWvJNKEmdD7GanIfeSOg5_9Y2bScJdlDEv6lfsKA?&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email> > > READ IN APP > <https://open.substack.com/pub/dropsitenews/p/south-korea-martial-law-yoon-biden-blinken?utm_source=email&redirect=app-store&utm_campaign=email-read-in-app> > > > *We are deeply moved by the outpouring of support this past week. Hundreds > of readers stepped up to fund our journalism, demonstrating their > commitment to holding power accountable. While our matching campaign has > ended, reader support remains vital to our mission—please consider > supporting our work with a tax-deductible donation here > <https://substack.com/redirect/a95ac528-7972-4af4-a9b3-5784763f6ebc?j=eyJ1IjoiMXJ6NDZlIn0.vwFUUWXitToCG6lkdgIOEZJA0yByKrMNCn3mtPeVIW4>. > To everyone who donated: your trust fuels our work and we're profoundly > grateful.* > > Give Today: Tax-Deductible Donation > <https://substack.com/redirect/a95ac528-7972-4af4-a9b3-5784763f6ebc?j=eyJ1IjoiMXJ6NDZlIn0.vwFUUWXitToCG6lkdgIOEZJA0yByKrMNCn3mtPeVIW4> > > *Veteran investigative journalist Tim Shorrock > <https://substack.com/redirect/c515787b-567f-4339-9c35-bdcf5da73cc9?j=eyJ1IjoiMXJ6NDZlIn0.vwFUUWXitToCG6lkdgIOEZJA0yByKrMNCn3mtPeVIW4> > has covered the legacy of U.S. foreign policy in Asia for decades.* *He > has been writing about the Korean Peninsula since the late 1970s and is > well known for his groundbreaking reporting on the U.S. role in the 1980 > coup in South Korea.* > > *As this week’s stunning events unfolded in South Korea, Drop Site News > turned to Shorrock for a story about the Biden administration’s close ties > with the government of Yoon Suk Yeol and the popular revolt that thwarted > his attempt to invoke martial law.* > > *--Jeremy Scahill* > > <https://substack.com/redirect/f81d9c8e-95ce-4f80-8fb2-8d3a48ba08f2?j=eyJ1IjoiMXJ6NDZlIn0.vwFUUWXitToCG6lkdgIOEZJA0yByKrMNCn3mtPeVIW4> > Soldiers > try to enter the National Assembly building in Seoul on December 4 2024, > after South Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law / Jung > Yeon-Je / AFP via Getty Images > > In a shocking turn of events, South Koreans went to bed Monday night to > the news that their unpopular president, Yoon Suk Yeol, had declared > martial law over the country, only to awake on Tuesday to discover that the > National Assembly—backed by crowds of citizens gathering in protest—had > overruled Yoon and restored their hard-won democratic system. > > By Wednesday, an uneasy calm had settled over Seoul. Yoon, who has been > praised as a diplomatic wonder and staunch ally by President Joe Biden and > Secretary of State Antony Blinken, appeared to be on his way out. All of > Yoon's senior aides, including his chief of staff, have resigned their > posts even though the president had accepted the parliamentary demands and > lifted his martial law order. Opposition parties in South Korea led by the > left-liberal Democratic Party (DP) are now seeking to impeach > <https://substack.com/redirect/f18c9c36-5eb8-43c1-8036-6d6e8e429bbb?j=eyJ1IjoiMXJ6NDZlIn0.vwFUUWXitToCG6lkdgIOEZJA0yByKrMNCn3mtPeVIW4> > Yoon over his actions, with the first votes scheduled for Thursday. > > Yet even as the coup unravelled in full public view, the close ties > between the Pentagon and Yoon's military could present a dilemma for Biden > and the next Trump administration. The United States stations 28,500 troops > in South Korea and a U.S. general holds operational control over the Korean > Army and the U.S.-South Korean Combined Forces Command during times of war. > That has led to serious strains in the bilateral alliance over the years. > > The brief, almost comical military takeover in Seoul brought back dark > memories of South Korea's last experience with martial law in May 1980, > when the renegade general Chun Doo-hwan seized power in a rolling coup > and sent airborne special forces to the city of Gwangju to quell the last > outburst of demonstrations. His paratroopers massacred hundreds of > pro-democracy demonstrators, sparking South Korea's first armed uprising > since the Korean War and a six-day standoff between Gwangju’s citizens and > the U.S.-backed South Korean military. > > “Everyone thought that such an event could never happen in South Korea > again,” Lee Jae-eui, who witnessed the Gwangju massacre and participated in > the uprising, told Drop Site News just after learning of Yoon's action. > “Now, exactly 44 years later, an unbelievable ‘martial law declaration’ was > heard in a democratized South Korea,” he said. “I thought, what kind of > joke is this?” The shadow of Gwangju was also noted in South Korean press > coverage of the public’s anger at Yoon. “This feels like we are going > through the May 18, 1980, Gwangju uprising again,” one woman at the scene > in downtown Seoul told the *JoongAng Daily. *“You call this a country?” > > Similar sentiments were heard throughout the country, from conservatives > and progressives alike. Many recalled that former President Park Geun-hye, > the daughter of the former dictator, had attempted > <https://substack.com/redirect/9d5c0bd0-cc14-4e52-a729-1bc59771e98a?j=eyJ1IjoiMXJ6NDZlIn0.vwFUUWXitToCG6lkdgIOEZJA0yByKrMNCn3mtPeVIW4> > in 2017 to use the Defense Security Command to declare martial law to > forestall her impeachment by the National Assembly (she was thrown out of > office and later convicted of corruption). But the generals held back, and > several were later prosecuted when the plot was discovered. > > Yoon, too, was facing impeachment. He is a former prosecutor who was > elected in 2022 by a narrow margin (of 0.8 percentage points) in a vote > partly determined by young men furious with the gains made by women in > Korea's patriarchal society. Once in power, he sought to reform and improve > the country’s export economy by cracking down on South Korea’s powerful > labor unions. He attacked > <https://substack.com/redirect/aa0d76ca-747e-4c47-a918-1bc22021a61e?j=eyJ1IjoiMXJ6NDZlIn0.vwFUUWXitToCG6lkdgIOEZJA0yByKrMNCn3mtPeVIW4> > opponents of his economic and national security policies as “communists” > and pro-North Korean agents. For months, his popularity has dropped to > historic lows of just over 10 percent. > > Yoon's gambit began at 11:00 pm on Monday night, when Army Chief of Staff > General Park An-su, a four-star general, issued a decree of martial law. It > sounded much like the 18 years of authoritarian rule under Park Chung-hee, > who took power in a military coup in 1961 and ruled with an iron hand > until he was assassinated in 1979. > > “All political activities, including those related to the National > Assembly, regional assemblies, political parties, the forming of political > organizations, rallies and protests are banned,” Park stated. “The act of > denying free democracy or attempting a subversion is banned; fake news, > manipulating public opinion and false instigation is banned.” He added: > “Those who violate martial law can be arrested or raided without a warrant.” > > Yoon followed with an address to the public. “At the moment, the Republic > of Korea is like a candle before the wind—it could plausibly collapse at > any time,” he said in a live broadcast. “I declare martial law to protect > the [ROK] from the threats of North Korean communist forces, to immediately > eradicate the shameless pro-North Korean anti-state forces that are > plundering the freedom and happiness of our people, and to protect our free > constitutional order.” > > Drop Site News is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and > support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. > > Upgrade to paid > <https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZHJvcHNpdGVuZXdzLmNvbS9zdWJzY3JpYmU_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.Pdnkfuuy7qH_iyVTl0skRoBeLTIJkJoeRM1SE_VWxDE?&utm_medium=email&utm_source=subscribe-widget-preamble&utm_content=152565123> > > He blamed the National Assembly and the opposition Democratic Party for > placing South Korea “in a precarious position” by pressing for his > impeachment over a series of scandals involving his own wife and opposing > his hardline posture on labor unions and confronting North Korea. “Our > National Assembly has become a den of criminals and is attempting to > paralyze the nation’s judicial administration system through legislative > dictatorship and overthrow the liberal democracy system.” > > But once again, the Korean people stood up to authoritarian rule. Over the > course of Monday night, thousands of Korean citizens hearing the news about > Yoon’s declaration on social media poured into the streets of Seoul and the > National Assembly itself, blocking the airborne troops trying to occupy the > buildings. In Gwangju, people stood vigil at the old provincial government > building where the 1980 uprising began. That helped convince the National > Assembly that the people were solidly against martial law. > > “This feels like we are going through the May 18, 1980, Gwangju uprising > again. You call this a country?” > > “I think this reaction by so many people, myself included, was possible > because they knew the Korean people would not accept military rule,” > Benjamin A. Engel, a visiting professor at Dankook University in Seoul > said > <https://substack.com/redirect/48aeb73c-a1ac-45fa-87b5-2a7ab6010388?j=eyJ1IjoiMXJ6NDZlIn0.vwFUUWXitToCG6lkdgIOEZJA0yByKrMNCn3mtPeVIW4> > on Bluesky. “Korea has seen how that works and rejected it.” In an > interview, Engel added that, based on his experience, younger enlisted > officers in the Korean Army “want nothing to do with the coup or using > violence to prop up Yoon. Based on the announcements from the Martial Law > Command, it seems Yoon has some senior military support. But that isn’t > enough to sustain the coup or Yoon’s rule.” > > In fact, Yoon's attacks on the opposition was too much even for his > pro-military ruling People Power Party (PPP), whose leader Han Dong-hoo > denounced the martial law declaration as “wrong” on Tuesday night. “We will > stop it along with the people,” he declared. Democratic Party leader Lee > Jae-myung joined Han in the National Assembly to say that “martial law is > invalid.” Three hours after the crisis began, the assembly passed the > motion to revoke Yoon's decree. All 190 lawmakers present voted in favor, > including 18 conservative PPP members in the 300-seat parliament. The > majority is held by the DP. > > The DP's former leader, Moon Jae-in, was president just before Yoon, and > ushered in a new era of diplomacy > <https://substack.com/redirect/aa618d87-f545-406f-9f6f-235d9ff54fc6?j=eyJ1IjoiMXJ6NDZlIn0.vwFUUWXitToCG6lkdgIOEZJA0yByKrMNCn3mtPeVIW4> > with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. As many Koreans know, it was Moon who > asked then-President Trump in 2018 to initiate talks about denuclearization > with Kim. They lasted until 2019, when Trump refused an offer by Kim to > close his largest nuclear weapons facility in exchange for a lifting of > U.S. and UN economic sanctions (Trump was advised against the deal by John > Bolton, his national security adviser, who is now a staunch opponent of the > president-elect). > > Since then, tensions on the peninsula have escalated substantially, as > North Korea continues to test its powerful ballistic missiles and the > United States and South Korea respond with the massive military exercises > that were suspended during the Trump-Kim talks. The Biden administration > and the Pentagon have also been deeply concerned that the 10,000 troops > that North Korea has sent to aid Russia in its war with Ukraine could > change the calculus of the battlefield and endanger the U.S. and NATO > position in Europe. > > But the U.S. media, which rarely reports accurately on North Korea's > intentions or policies, has missed entirely the reason for Kim Jong Un's > recent alliance with Vladimir Putin. Kim made his initial visit to Russia > in September 2023, one month after Biden met with Yoon and then-Japanese > Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to announce that Japan and South Korea had > joined the United States in an unprecedented military alliance that > reunited the southern half of Korea with its former colonizer in Tokyo. At > that summit in Camp David, Biden, Yoon, and Kishida announced that their > armed forces would henceforth hold trilateral military exercises to enhance > their “coordinated capabilities and cooperation” in facing common enemies, > namely North Korea and China. > > Biden, for his part, reaffirmed that America’s commitments were “ironclad > and backed by the full range of U.S. capabilities,” a reference to the > nuclear-armed weapons, vessels, and war planes the Pentagon has stationed > in the Northeast Asia region since the end of the Korean War. Since the > formation of the alliance, Biden has boasted that he advanced U.S. security > by convincing Japan to rearm, a reference to its adoption of a > counter-strike strategy > <https://substack.com/redirect/ad990e17-8b9f-4a57-bc74-38676dfc9d46?j=eyJ1IjoiMXJ6NDZlIn0.vwFUUWXitToCG6lkdgIOEZJA0yByKrMNCn3mtPeVIW4> > that gave its Self Defense Forces the ability to strike enemy bases > overseas for the first time since 1945. > > The three-way exercises planned at Camp David have been going on now for > over a year, often with U.S. B-52s flying in formation with Korean and > Japanese war planes and U.S. aircraft carriers leading armadas of ships > from the two nations. But it was only last June when Kim Jong Un visited > Putin to sign his own pact with Russia pledging mutual defense if either > country is attacked. It was that pact that apparently justified Kim's > decision to send troops to the Kursk region > <https://substack.com/redirect/e1db36dc-67d0-4e97-945b-605d6cdd44be?j=eyJ1IjoiMXJ6NDZlIn0.vwFUUWXitToCG6lkdgIOEZJA0yByKrMNCn3mtPeVIW4> > of Russia near Ukraine. > > As a result of Yoon’s enhanced role in U.S. military strategy in Asia, the > disgraced president has been the darling of the think tanks and Korea > “experts” in the U.S. capital. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell has > even suggested > <https://substack.com/redirect/41864c0d-7a58-4484-a4cb-48345cded11f?j=eyJ1IjoiMXJ6NDZlIn0.vwFUUWXitToCG6lkdgIOEZJA0yByKrMNCn3mtPeVIW4> > that Yoon should get a Nobel Peace Prize for putting aside Korean > differences with Japan to make the trilateral alliance work. > > “The D.C. establishment backed Yoon because he was what [they] have wanted > for decades: A Korean leader who is pro-Japan and who will clearly take the > side of the U.S.,” said Dave Kang, a non-resident fellow at the > non-partisan Quincy Institute who once advised Senator Bernie Sanders on > Asia policy. “So they were willing to overlook many red flags in his > decision-making and behavior in favor of—finally—getting trilateral > cooperation between Korea, Japan, and the United States." > > But the trilateral partnership—and Yoon's role in crafting it—has enraged > many Koreans who cannot forget Japan's cruel use of sex slaves and forced > labor during the war and the Japanese ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s > historic refusal to acknowledge or apologize for the country’s actions > (under Yoon's deal, Japan offered no apology and all the costs for victim > reparations are borne by South Korea). Even though South Korea's opposition > and Kim Jong Un agree on little else, their mutual dislike of Yoon's > alliance with Japan is one of the reasons Yoon has falsely labeled the > Democratic Party as pro-North, an epithet that carries dangerous weight in > South Korea. > > Yet even as the United States backs Yoon's stance on North Korea, the > enhanced ties between the Pentagon and the South Korean Army, coupled with > memories of what happened in Gwangju 44 years ago, is an explosive > combination. Many Koreans remember that after Chun's coup and the slaughter > in Gwangju, President Jimmy Carter directed the Pentagon > <https://substack.com/redirect/2ccfaa3e-32f5-418d-9911-0899f8568b81?j=eyJ1IjoiMXJ6NDZlIn0.vwFUUWXitToCG6lkdgIOEZJA0yByKrMNCn3mtPeVIW4> > to help the Korean martial law command crush the uprising by sending an > aircraft carrier and advanced reconnaissance aircraft to monitor the > actions of the Korean troops dispatched to the city from the Combined > Forces Command. After assisting Chun to reassert military control over the > country, South Korea suffered seven more years of authoritarian rule. > > <https://substack.com/redirect/55223fcd-9bdc-4c1b-bed0-99409cde88a4?j=eyJ1IjoiMXJ6NDZlIn0.vwFUUWXitToCG6lkdgIOEZJA0yByKrMNCn3mtPeVIW4> > A > television screen shows South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol speaking > during a news broadcast on December 3, 2024 / Jung Yeon-je / AFP via Getty > Images > > Carter’s military backing for Chun in that moment of crisis was only > revealed in 1996, when I obtained documents under the Freedom of > Information Act > <https://substack.com/redirect/a363d3df-e6dc-4f83-8191-dc8265b0d267?j=eyJ1IjoiMXJ6NDZlIn0.vwFUUWXitToCG6lkdgIOEZJA0yByKrMNCn3mtPeVIW4> > showing that his administration had told the general 10 days before Gwangju > that the United States would not oppose the use of Korean army troops under > U.S.-Korean command to put down massive student demonstrations that rocked > the country that spring. Last spring, the full set of over 4,000 FOIA > documents was published in Korea, giving citizens their first detailed look > at the evidence of complicity between the U.S. government and the Korean > military. The Hankyoreh headline told the story > <https://substack.com/redirect/2dc651da-904f-4097-a29e-1cdef13d668a?j=eyJ1IjoiMXJ6NDZlIn0.vwFUUWXitToCG6lkdgIOEZJA0yByKrMNCn3mtPeVIW4>: > “Records show how America stood back and watched as Gwangju was martyred > for Korean democracy.” > > \Drop Site News relies on reader-support. Please consider becoming a paid > subscriber. > > Upgrade to paid > <https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZHJvcHNpdGVuZXdzLmNvbS9zdWJzY3JpYmU_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.Pdnkfuuy7qH_iyVTl0skRoBeLTIJkJoeRM1SE_VWxDE?&utm_medium=email&utm_source=subscribe-widget-preamble&utm_content=152565123> > > Few Americans know this history. But the CIA and Korea specialists inside > the U.S. government certainly do. That may account for the White House > National Security Council statement issued just after Yoon declared martial > law. “The U.S. was not notified in advance of this announcement,” it > stated. “We are seriously concerned by the developments we are seeing on > the ground in the R.O.K.” > > Later, at a Pentagon press briefing, Air Force General Pat Ryder ducked > questions from reporters about U.S. military commanders’ communications > with their Korean counterparts during the coup, referring them to the U.S. > Command in Korea. After he spoke, a Department of Defense specialist on > “Indo-Pacific” issues assured Drop Site News that U.S. Forces Korea had “no > advance notice of anything to do with martial law.” That, of course, is > exactly what the Pentagon and the State Department falsely said about the > U.S. role in Gwangju. > > The 1980 coup and the violence in Gwangju will stir Korean memories again > next week. On December 10, the Swedish Academy will award the Nobel Prize > in Literature to the South Korean novelist Han Kang, who first garnered > international attention with her novel *Human Acts *that deals with the > horrors of the massacre in Gwangju. It was based in part on Lee Jae-eui's > famous book *Gwangju Diary *about the uprising*, *which was banned for > many years by the Korean government. “The bereaved families of Gwangju > victims, as well as the entire nation, feel a great sense of pride and > honor at the news of Han Kang's Nobel Prize win,” Lee said. > > John Eperjesi, a professor at Kyunghee University in Seoul, said that > Kang’s book and Yoon’s attempted coup could hold lessons for the United > States. *Human Acts*, he said, “is about the fight against martial law in > the past, but is obviously relevant to both the South Korean and U.S. > present.” With Donald Trump talking about using the U.S. military to quell > domestic disturbances, “the chances that he will try the same as Yoon at > some point are pretty high I would imagine. These are dark times, and > mutual aid is going to be really important in helping us all survive.” > > In fact, the possibility of continued strife seems certain. As the > attempted coup unfolded, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, the > country's largest and most militant labor federation, said it would > immediately “commence an indefinite general strike until the Yoon Suk Yeol > regime steps down.” Also on Wednesday, a broad coalition of media workers, > including the Korea Journalists Association, demanded that Yoon resign and > called his government “a dictatorial regime that has deviated from the > normal course” of democracy. > > Meanwhile, the U.S. embassy in Seoul issued a statement that “the > situation remains fluid” and warned U.S. citizens to “anticipate potential > disruptions” over the coming days. Yoon’s weak position was signalled in an > equally anemic statement from Blinken, who welcomed Yoon’s statement > rescinding the emergency martial law order yet failed to acknowledge that > he had attempted an overthrow. > > “We continue to expect political disagreements to be resolved peacefully > and in accordance to the rule of law,” Blinken lectured. “We reaffirm our > support for the people and the U.S.-ROK alliance based on shared principles > of democracy.” That remains to be seen, for both countries. > > Upgrade to paid > <https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZHJvcHNpdGVuZXdzLmNvbS9zdWJzY3JpYmU_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.Pdnkfuuy7qH_iyVTl0skRoBeLTIJkJoeRM1SE_VWxDE?&utm_medium=email&utm_source=subscribe-widget&utm_content=152565123> > > *Tim Shorrock is an investigative journalist based in Washington, D.C. and > the author of Spies for Hire: The Secret World of Intelligence Outsourcing > <https://substack.com/redirect/2909a654-26f2-4585-ba24-d62dc01e3de3?j=eyJ1IjoiMXJ6NDZlIn0.vwFUUWXitToCG6lkdgIOEZJA0yByKrMNCn3mtPeVIW4>. > He was raised in Japan and South Korea and has been writing about the > Korean Peninsula since the late 1970s. In 2015 he was made an honorary > citizen of Gwangju for his reporting on the previously unknown US role in > the 1980 coup. His work can be found at his website, timshorrock.com > <http://timshorrock.com>.* > <https://substack.com/profile/14255483-tim-shorrock> > A guest post by > Tim Shorrock > <https://substack.com/profile/14255483-tim-shorrock?utm_campaign=guest_post_bio&utm_medium=email> > * Become a Drop Site News Paid Subscriber * > > Drop Site News is a reader-supported publication. To support our work, > please consider becoming a paid subscriber today. > > Upgrade to paid > <https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZHJvcHNpdGVuZXdzLmNvbS9zdWJzY3JpYmU_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.Pdnkfuuy7qH_iyVTl0skRoBeLTIJkJoeRM1SE_VWxDE?&utm_medium=email&utm_source=subscribe-widget-preamble&utm_content=152565123> > *A paid subscription gets you:* > > ✔️ Subscriber-only AMAs, chats, and invites to events, both virtual and IRL > > ✔️ Post comments and join the community > > ✔️ The knowledge you are supporting independent media making the lives of > the powerful miserable > > Like > <https://substack.com/app-link/post?publication_id=2510348&post_id=152565123&utm_source=substack&isFreemail=true&submitLike=true&token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxMDc0NTQxODIsInBvc3RfaWQiOjE1MjU2NTEyMywicmVhY3Rpb24iOiLinaQiLCJpYXQiOjE3MzMzMzU1NjcsImV4cCI6MTczNTkyNzU2NywiaXNzIjoicHViLTI1MTAzNDgiLCJzdWIiOiJyZWFjdGlvbiJ9.xrVW2bfkygbEf3zAhgLJaLu8j45VDju3Gx1O-dO1tUU&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=email-reaction&r=1rz46e> > Comment > <https://substack.com/app-link/post?publication_id=2510348&post_id=152565123&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&isFreemail=true&comments=true&token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxMDc0NTQxODIsInBvc3RfaWQiOjE1MjU2NTEyMywiaWF0IjoxNzMzMzM1NTY3LCJleHAiOjE3MzU5Mjc1NjcsImlzcyI6InB1Yi0yNTEwMzQ4Iiwic3ViIjoicG9zdC1yZWFjdGlvbiJ9.AE8KY4_VtLCZXeNEzWl6ATGXu93hFOotWTVjw9QbIok&r=1rz46e&utm_campaign=email-half-magic-comments&action=post-comment&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email> > Restack > <https://substack.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.5ROHWvJNKEmdD7GanIfeSOg5_9Y2bScJdlDEv6lfsKA?&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email> > > > © 2024 Drop Site News, Inc. > Drop Site News Inc., 4315 50th St. NW > Ste 100 Unit #2560, Washington, DC 20016 > Unsubscribe > <https://substack.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.u8WXK_66r_53wEkN_pxADvBuE8c6bf7TsA7dt-5akRU?> > > [image: Get the app] > <https://substack.com/redirect/2748554e-18fe-419d-bd80-b3f33fa5aa3d?j=eyJ1IjoiMXJ6NDZlIn0.vwFUUWXitToCG6lkdgIOEZJA0yByKrMNCn3mtPeVIW4>[image: > Start writing] > <https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vc2lnbnVwP3V0bV9zb3VyY2U9c3Vic3RhY2smdXRtX21lZGl1bT1lbWFpbCZ1dG1fY29udGVudD1mb290ZXImdXRtX2NhbXBhaWduPWF1dG9maWxsZWQtZm9vdGVyJmZyZWVTaWdudXBFbWFpbD1kbW96YXJ0MTc1NkBnbWFpbC5jb20mcj0xcno0NmUiLCJwIjoxNTI1NjUxMjMsInMiOjI1MTAzNDgsImYiOnRydWUsInUiOjEwNzQ1NDE4MiwiaWF0IjoxNzMzMzM1NTY3LCJleHAiOjE3MzU5Mjc1NjcsImlzcyI6InB1Yi0wIiwic3ViIjoibGluay1yZWRpcmVjdCJ9.PANXGnus18oy0Ai_0DyocTIWxwrMwlRIHLk1V2ow6Ec?> >
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