Anniversary of Arson Attack on Pusan "American Cultural-Service" Observed

Anniversary of Arson Attack on Pusan "American Cultural-Service" Observed

Pyongyang, March 19 (KCNA) -- It is 29 years since the arson attack was mounted on the Pusan "American Cultural-Service" in south Korea in protest against the United States′ military occupation and colonial rule over it. 　Entering the 1980s the U.S. imperialists instigated the south Korean military fascist group to turn Kwangju where the struggle for democracy against fascism raged into a sea of blood, dampening the desire of the south Koreans from all walks of life for independence, democracy and reunification. This laid bare their true colors as man-killers and aggressors. 　 Mun Pu Sik and Kim Un Suk of Pusan Koryo Theological College, Ryu Sung Ryol and Choe In Sun of Pusan National University and other patriotic youth and students set fire to the Pusan "American Cultural-Service," an annex to the Pusan office of the U.S. embassy in south Korea on March 18, 1982. They, at the same time, distributed hundreds of leaflets around a theatre, department store and two other places in the city. 　 The leaflets contained such slogans as "Yankee go home", "No U.S. neo-colonialism", "The attack on the American Cultural-Service is just a beginning of the anti-U.S. campaign" and "Let citizens in Pusan turn out in a nation-wide sacred struggle, holding a torch of anti-U.S. struggle." They greatly encouraged the citizens. 　 The arson attack was an eruption of the south Koreans′ pent-up anti-U.S. sentiment and their grudge against it. It was a courageous action as it gave a fresh momentum to the anti-U.S. struggle for independence. 　 This attack triggered off actions to set fire to the "American Cultural-Service", the U.S. embassy and other colonial ruling institutions in various parts of south Korea and occupy them and sit-in strikes. This was also followed by dynamic actions against the U.S. imperialists′ war exercises against the DPRK and their moves to interfere in the internal affairs of south Korea. 　The south Korean people are now turning out in a nation-wide anti-U.S. struggle, chanting the same slogans as shouted by the participants in the Pusan "American Cultural-Service" arson attack.