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Marchers with peace, environmental, and human rights groups make their way from Noksapyeong Station to Camp Kim in Seoul on April 27. (Kim Tae-hyeong/The Hankyoreh)

A 40-day walking pilgrimage to sites of labor rights, human rights, environmental, and peace struggles in South Korea led by Rev. Mun Jeong-hyeon and the group Peace Wind made its way to the vicinity of the US military base in Seoul’s Yongsan District on Wednesday.

Participants with Peace Wind and various peace, environmental, and human rights groups started their Wednesday march at the Noksapyeong Station collector well, where groundwater contaminated by oil from the US military base collects. They then made stops at the War Memorial of Korea, the Ministry of National Defense, and Camp Kim.

Marchers called for pollution at the US base in Yongsan to be cleaned up, revisions to the Status of Forces Agreement to be put in place, and an end to war exercises and arms buildups that only serve to raise tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

We’ve gathered some photos from the march.

Marchers with peace, environmental, and human rights groups hold a rally outside of the Ministry of National Defense in Yongsan, which will soon serve as the presidential office, on April 27. (Kim Tae-hyeong/The Hankyoreh)

One participant at the march holds a sign that reads “Let’s end the war,” referring to the Korean War. (Kim Tae-hyeong/The Hankyoreh)

A participant in a press conference for the march holds up a mask picturing an oil barrel, a reference to oil leaks from the US military base. (Kim Tae-hyeong/The Hankyoreh)

By Kim Tae-hyeong, staff photographer

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