Ghosts of the Korean War: Stop THAAD (Encore)

On today’s Making Contact, we head to Soseongri, a small village nestled in the mountains of Seongju County. There, grandmas and grandpas in the 70s, 80s, and 90s have gone from quietly farming to organizing daily protests and blockades to stop THAAD. THAAD is part of a missile defense system that gives the U.S. the ability to carry out a nuclear first strike.

The region has historically been Korea’s conservative stronghold, but with the deployment of THAAD, people are re-evaluating the history they’ve been taught their entire lives.

Featuring:

Shin Dong Ok, Head of Soseongri Elders Group
Soseongri Residents
Shi Uh Yeon, Gimcheon resident
Gimcheon Residents
Grace Cho, sociologist and author of Haunting the Korean Diaspora: Shame, Secrecy, and the Forgotten War

Credits:

Host: Marie Choi

Staff Producers: Anita Johnson, Marie Choi, Monica Lopez, R.J. Lozada

Executive Director: Lisa Rudman

Audience Engagement Director: Sabine Blaizin

Development Associate: Vera Tykulsker

Voiceover for Shin Dong Ok – David Jang Jae Rhee
Voiceovers for Sosongri Halmonis – Juyeon Rhee, J.T. Takagi
Voiceover for Shi Uh Yeon – Juhyun Park
Voiceover for Gimcheon Imo – Liz Suk
Voiceover for Col. Turner Rogers – Claude Marks

Archival audio is from the U.S. National Archives, AP Archives, U.S. State Department, and U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center.

Special Thanks to Io Sunwoo, Juyeon Rhee, and Hella Organized Bay Area Koreans.

Music Credits: