South Korea silences pro-North
voices By Steven Borowiec
SEOUL - North Korea's goal for 2012 is to
be recognized as a "strong and prosperous country"
in honor of eternal leader Kim Il-sung's
centenary. It's not doing very well so far: last
week's attempt to launch a rocket was a flop and
millions in the country are believed to be
malnourished.
Despite the country's
struggles, North Korean leaders talk about how
their united country stands firm under its unique
ideology to withstand the toxic interference from
the outside world and triumph in self-reliance
(juche). Information is severely restricted
in the North and conventional journalistic
reporting is all but unheard of, making it
impossible to know just how much the average North
Korean really supports the regime in Pyongyang.
In South Korea, there remains a community
of activists whose
dedication to the North
can scarcely be doubted. They're apparently
willing to sacrifice their chances at a normal
life to maintain their outspoken support for North
Korea.
The main group of pro-North Korea
activists call themselves Victims of the Korean
National Security Law (VKNSL). They are in the
midst of a charm offensive. According to the
group's spokesperson, the case of their latest
victim is particularly emotive.
In the
city of Chungju (about two hours south of the
capital Seoul), Shinjung Mora, 51, has been jailed
for the crime of praising North Korea online. She
is a part-time novelist who works at a market to
make ends meet. She was arrested for comments made
on her blog and will be held for anywhere from
three months to a year and a half.
South
Korea treats pro-North activists as serious
threats. It is illegal under South Korea's
National Security Law (NSL) to praise North Korea
or possess materials that are supportive of the
North. The NSL was enacted in 1948 and is a
vaguely worded prohibition of anything that might
threaten South Korea's security.
Opponents
of the law argue it is misused to limit free
speech. Its supporters contend that South Koreans
must relinquish some freedoms to keep the country
safe from communist elements.
The crux of
Shinjung's case is that she has a young daughter
who suffers from autism. The girl is being held in
state care, even though Shinjung refused to sign a
form granting the state permission to care for her
daughter. Her father is banned from contact with
her because he has a history of mental health
issues and domestic violence.
"It's a
heartbreaking story," said VKNSL spokesman Hwang
Seong-ho in an interview in Yeouido, Seoul's
financial center.
In the shadow of
investment banks and offices belonging to the
conglomerates that dominate the South Korean
economy, Hwang expressed faith in North Korea and
heaped blame on its old adversary, the United
States. He said, "I firmly believe that North
Korea is doing the right thing. The main obstacle
in developing our country is the United States and
its control. The US will have to compromise in
order for us to reunify our country."
Shinjung has said that her imprisonment
has reaffirmed her support for North Korea on the
grounds that in the North her daughter would be
guaranteed proper healthcare and education if left
without parental care.
Hwang depicts North
Korea as a place of universal contentment brought
on by its uniquely pure culture. "I think there is
a different concept of welfare. In North Korea
there is the concept of sharing. I believe we
should share more things with the poor. That is
what Kim Jong-il and Kim Il-sung did throughout
their entire lives."
Hwang, 40, was fired
from his last job for his political activities. He
now supports himself tutoring middle school
children in English, which he learned from years
spent living in Canada.
Pro-North
activists consider themselves victims of draconian
laws and North Korea the victim of unfair
prejudice. Hwang attributes North Korea's bad
reputation to inaccurate media portrayals. "They
do everything they can to paint North Korea in a
negative light. We have to get rid of the many
negative images of North Korea in the media and
convey the truth of North Korea to our people in
South Korea," he said.
With changes of
government this year in South Korea, the question
of how to handle the North will be again up for
debate. South Korea's North Korea policy is
controlled by the executive and as such won't be
affected by last week's parliamentary elections.
In December, South Koreans will elect a new
president and the executive will be changed when
the new regime takes power a few months later.
The South Korean government responded to
North Korea's defiant rocket launch on April 13
with condemnation. On April 18, South Korean
Unification Minister Yoo Woo-ik told reporters in
Seoul that sanctions on the North would be
increased. At the same time, permission for
private aid groups to provide humanitarian support
would continue. Yoo also stated that the South
will remain open to dialogue if Pyongyang refrains
from provocations. North Korea is believed to be
planning a nuclear test.
General interest
in North Korea is fairly low among South Koreans.
The demands of education and employment in one of
the world's most competitive societies tend to
leave little time for anything else. Those who do
follow North Korea closely are usually older
citizens with memories of the Korean War
(1950-1953). They tend to be opposed to Pyongyang
and bitterly dismissive of claims of a workers'
paradise or the brilliance of juche
ideology.
Yet for some reason tiny, fringe
groups plod along in obscurity. Despite this small
profile, the South Korean government still treats
their efforts as a risk to national security that
must be kept under control. Their critiques of
South Korean society are removed from the Internet
by South Korean monitors.
The battle over
free expression in South Korea and the much larger
question of inter-Korean relations are unlikely to
be solved anytime soon. In the meantime, VKNSL
members are asking that Shinjung's comments on
North Korea be put aside out of concern for a
young girl who misses her mom.
Steven Borowiec is a South
Korea-based writer.
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