They did so by protesting without a word being uttered.

Almost 30 women from the Korean Peninsula lined up and circled the NASREC complex. A thin white sheet surrounded them and the sound of the jing (traditional Korean instrument) accompanied their march. As the peaceful protest continued, many women of different backgrounds were compelled to join in. A local South African woman even held a side of the Korean Womenís Environment Network banner.

Their approach was effective, but what was their cause? They were representatives of five NGOs that centered on women's issues in Korea: Peace Team of the Korean Women's Environmental Committee, Women Making Peace, Young Women's Christian Association, Korean Women's Environmental Network and Korean Women's Associations United.

Even though the protest focused on Korean women, their issues were hardly gender specific. A member of the protest group later said to reporters: "Korean women who attend the WSSD People's Forum in Johannesburg would like to make the case for the Korean people's desire toward a peaceful Korea. Korean women have suffered tragedies and pains due to the division of Korea and the Korean War. We have made efforts to build peace and resolve conflicts on the Korean peninsula by peaceful means."

The three major points of the protest were outlined on a flyer passed out during the protest, which urges the South Korea and the US governments to revise ROK-US Status of Forces Agreement, the international community to support womenís efforts for reconciliation between both Koreas, and the US government to improves its relations with North Korea.

As the women's tent officially opened Monday evening, the protest set a precedent for the summit's women's issues. Topics scheduled for discussion at the womenís tent include: peace and human rights, globalization and impoverishment, health and environmental security, access to and control over resources and governance.