10) SOLIDARITY WITH SOUTH KOREA'S POLITICAL PRISONERS

 

By Sean Burton

 

            The term political prisoner or prisoner of conscience as applied to the Korean peninsula is often depicted in the mainstream media as a phenomenon that only occurs in the north, in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). We are often told that a miserable fate awaits any who defy the northern government or who face trumped up accusations.

 

            Few people stop to think about the other side of the fence. South Korea is rarely criticized in any fashion. If anything, it is praised as one of the "Asian Tigers" for its global economic success. But since North and South are still technically at war, there are bound to be distortions on both sides. In South Korea's case, despite a period of democratization after the fall of the military regime, the political/economic boundaries are still largely being set by the same people and defended by the same law, the National Security Law.

 

            The National Security Law basically prohibits contact with and travel to the DPRK, or promoting the DPRK's system. This predictably narrows the range of politically accepted dialogue in the South. There are people charged with small things, like a recent case where a man shared a DPRK twitter statement. Other times, there are people who want to travel north to see for themselves or who meet north Koreans abroad. Ridiculous though it may be, these actions have led to charges of spying on the North's behalf.

 

            According to my human rights activist contacts, there are currently about 45 such cases, and most of these have sentences of several years. I have recently become involved with one of those cases, which I will share here.

 

            Lee Byeong‑jin was a professor of political science at Osan University and Kyunghee University. In the early 1990s, Prof. Lee was studying in India's capital, New Delhi. During that time he made friends with North Koreans studying there and made a number of trips to the DPRK. Lee was arrested in 2009, charged with espionage, and given a 10‑year prison sentence, since reduced to eight years.

 

            Such a charge carries with it a heavy blow to one's reputation in any country, let alone one where the realities of conflict are still close to home. For Lee's wife, it was too much to bear. She abandoned him, along with their children.

 

            Those of us in activist circles who had heard of his situation formed a support group and journeyed to the prison in Jeonju city to speak to Lee directly. We were given 30 minutes. On entering the small room, Lee instantly brightened up and expressed his tremendous gratitude that anyone still cared for his well‑being. Prof. Lee stated that for a man of his background, it was only natural that he should desire political openness. He emphasized that he was not a communist or socialist, or for that matter a spy. He simply desires that one should be able to discuss any and all political and social issues in Korea as a whole without fear of harm to life or liberty. His personal life and career have been destroyed over nothing.

 

            Lee made a special request: that people all over the world open their eyes to cases like his in South Korea. He is trying to make his case clear in a new trial, and is awaiting another hearing in April. Committees in support of his release have already been established in Korea, but the information must be more widely publicized. I encourage all readers to lend their support and spread this news as much as they can.

 

(The above article is from the April 1-15, 2014, issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading socialist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $30/year, or $15 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $45 US per year; other overseas readers - $45 US or $50 CDN per year. Send to People's Voice, c/o PV Business Manager, 706 Clark Drive, Vancouver, BC, V5L 3J1.)