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SAMMINTU: THE THREE-MIN STRUGGLE

It has been said that the students are not only fighting for their own rights and privileges but that they are an integral part of the whole struggle for the resolution of fundamental problems of Korean society. The students join hands with the struggling masses. They wholeheartedly support the three-min concept (Sammintu) promoted by people's organisations.

The term Sammintu is derived by a loosely organized struggle committee based on the three-min concept: Minjok tong-il (reunification of nation), Minjung hae bang (liberation of people) and Minju jaeng-chui (struggle for democracy). The Sammintu struggle has become the rallying cry for students organisations. The students believe that "Korea must liberate itself from the domination of the superpowers and its role as a subordinate country in the international capitalist economic system. The Korean people must build an independent, self-reliant nation". This is 'Minjok'.

The students also believe that "the unequal distribution of wealth must be corrected and the economic system which is controlled by a handful of monopoly capitalists and based on exploitation must be changed." The people must be allowed to build an economy based on their interest. This is 'Minjung'.

The students further believe that "the military regime which seized power in a bloody coup and which is responsible for the Kwangju massacre, must step down. The Korean people must be allowed to build a true democracy." This is 'Minju'.

The government's approach and attitude towards the three-min concept is that it implies violent revolution and is communist-inspired. The students who support the three-min concept along with other groups are branded as left-wing. Discussions attended by the EFFT reveal that the regime has successfully exploited the communist bogey or the aversion of the Korean people to communism to harass, detain and victimise its opponents. The threat of communist involvement is used to isolate the students and forestall them from forging links with workers and peasants. Any demand that focuses on the rights of the people is immediately labeled as being communistic.