The International League of Peoples' Struggle (ILPS) Seattle-Tacoma hosted Solidarity School the first weekend of July 2023, and we were glad to be able to present at it!

Solidarity School consists of local and international orgs and alliances — such as the International Women’s Alliance and Black Prisoners Caucus Community Group — sharing and leading over 20 educational workshops on pressing issues facing us, ranging from displacement of the urban poor to U.S.-led war in the Pacific.

In the Fall of 2022, Sông2Sea hosted a study group based on the book From Factory Girls to K-Pop Idol Girls: Cultural Politics of Developmentalism, Patriarchy, and Neoliberalism in South Korea’s Popular Music Industry by Gooyong Kim. In this presentation, we shared what we have learned, and a member of Korea Peace Now — also a participant in the study group — shared about the history of U.S. militarism on the Korean peninsula and the current state repression in the ROK.

In our presentation, we talked about:

• U.S. militarism in Korea.

• The IMF/Asian Financial Crisis and its impact.

• Neoliberal feminism & K-pop: how messages about resilience in pop cultural production maintain and perpetuate the exploitation of female workers in precarious labor relations.

• Ongoing ROK state repression.

• How you can support the peace process to end the war in Korea.

Thank you to all who joined our presentation whether online or in person! If you would like a recording of the presentation please email us at email@song2sea.com.