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Seoul, Korea — Ten years after a delegation of 30 women peace activists made a historic crossing of the Korean Demilitarized Zone to call for an end to the Korean War, an international delegation of diasporic feminist leaders organized by Women Cross DMZ will join South Korean women activists for a peace walk on International Women’s Day for Peace and Disarmament, May 24, 2025, in Pyeongtaek, Korea.
The walk, which is organized annually by Gyeonggi Women’s Association United, will commemorate the ten-year anniversary of the DMZ crossing and serve as an important reminder of the gendered dimensions of the Korean War. It will be held outside the U.S. Camp Humphreys military base to draw attention to the unresolved war and rampant militarism in Korea.
The international delegation will include Afghan American, Indigenous, Korean American, and South Asian feminist leaders based in the United States. Their transnational act of solidarity is particularly timely as democracy is under attack in the United States, South Korea is on the cusp of electing a new president, and growing tensions between the U.S. and China raise the risk of war in Northeast Asia.
“Women in Korea have been living in the shadow of unresolved war for more than 70 years, bearing the burdens of militarization, division, and separation. We are joining with our sisters from across the globe to take a stand to show that Korean women demand peace and disarmament,” said Lee Jung Ah, Standing Representative, Gyeonggi Women’s Association United.
“South Korea’s women’s rights groups have long highlighted how war and militarism harm women’s rights and gender equality. We walk with international women because global women’s leadership and international solidarity are crucial to ending the Korean War,” Youngmi Cho, Executive Committee Member of the Christian Conference of Asia and Former Executive Director of the Korean Women’s Movement for Peace.
“We are seeing an alarming escalation of militarism in Korea, the U.S., and globally, which threatens democracy. As international feminists, we stand in solidarity with Korean women and uplift calls for lasting peace,” said Cathi Choi, Executive Director of Women Cross DMZ.
“From Afghanistan to Korea, the U.S. has led deadly forever wars across the globe. As an immigrant, child of Afghan refugees, and feminist peace advocate, I am joining the walk in solidarity with Korean women and feminists everywhere calling for an end to militarism and war,” said Arash Azizzada, Co-Director, Afghans for a Better Tomorrow.
“From Rwanda to Bosnia, Kenya, and Nepal, war disproportionately affects women’s lives. My own grandfather was a pilot during the Korean War, and participated in indiscriminate bombing campaigns that killed millions. I am walking in solidarity with Korean women because I know that the violence of war reverberates across generations, and women always pay the steepest price,” said Marie Berry, Professor at the University of Denver, and Director of the Inclusive Global Leadership Initiative (IGLI).
“As a Diné citizen and member of Navajo Nation, I know firsthand how militarism and capitalism have stolen the lands and the lives of generations of Indigenous Peoples. From Daechuri to Turtle Island, we must resist the capitalist war machine and call for lasting peace,” said Janene Yazzie, Diné Human Rights Advocate.
In addition to the peace walk, the international delegation will also hold meetings with fellow women peace organizers across the Korean Peninsula, including at the DMZ, in Pyeongtaek, and at Jeju Island, to build bridges and share tactics. For many in the delegation, it will be their first time in Korea.
When: Saturday, May 24, 2025, 10:00 AM – 12:30 PM
Where: Meet at Pyeongtaek Naeri Cultural Park (260 Naeri, Paengseong-eup, Pyeongtaek-si)
Depart from Naeri Cultural Park -> Road around Camp Humphreys -> Arrive at Naeri Cultural Park (round trip takes 1 hour and 30 minutes)
About Women Cross DMZ:
Since their historic crossing of the DMZ in 2015 to call for the official end of the Korean War, the reunion of separated families, and women’s participation in the Korea peace process, Women Cross DMZ has been building the political will for a peace agreement in the U.S. through education, advocacy, and organizing. In 2019, WCDMZ launched the Korea Peace Now! Grassroots Network and helped to introduce the first Korea peace legislation in Congress.
For more information on the march, to attend, or to arrange an interview with an organizer, please contact info@womencrossdmz.org.
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