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Alias
Joined: 24 Jan 2003
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 Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2005 2:53 am Post subject: Prof. Kang and his critics � Dumb and Dumber |
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According to the JoongAng Ilbo, the police have asked prosecutors to charge Dongguk University people�s commissar for sociology Kang �If it hadn�t been for those pesky Americans, Korea would have been unified� Jeong-koo with violations of the National Security Law:
The National Police Agency, which has been investigating a Dongguk University professor for his outspoken pro-North Korean advocacy, said yesterday it has asked prosecutors to charge him with violations of the National Security Law.
Kang Jeong-koo has been interrogated on three occasions after publicly defending and praising the regime to the north. A conservative civic group complained to police after remarks last week that had the United States not intervened in the Korean War, the nation would have been reunified within a month.
As you have probably guessed already, I think this is a decidedly bad idea. Firstly, as I have made abundantly clear, I think the National Security Law sucks (see also here) and needs to be abolished yesterday. Secondly, arresting the guy would amount to the offline equivalent of �feeding the troll,� and judging from the tons of media attention this joker has earned, Kang has been sufficiently fed. Thirdly, part of me feels bad for Kang. It�s not his fault he�s a Stalinist. He went to the U. of Wisconsin in the 1960s. Don�t blame him. Blame the Badger.
Meanwhile, OhMyNews went to Dongguk U to get opinions from students. To summarize, most were opposed to arresting Kang and objected to concerns of �brainwashing.� Some of the comments about academic freedom and diversity would have meant more to me if the support for Korea professor Hanh Sung-jo hadn�t been so deafeningly silent after he wrote an op-ed in Japan�s Sankei Shimbun praising Japanese colonial rule.
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Ya-ta Boy
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Established in 1994
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| Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2005 3:55 am Post subject: |
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This has also led to the resignation of the chief prosecutor in the case. Not to mention the intervention of the Minister of Justice which led to the resignation of the prosecutor.
I'm not fully convinced the National Security Law should be rescinded since I'm not sure exactly what it says. |
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Captain Corea
Joined: 28 Feb 2005
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2005 4:32 am Post subject: |
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It basically says that anyone "uttering anti-state... stuff" can be charged.
With the DPRK as defined in the law being "anti-state" (as in it is against the ROK), then anyone supporting the DPRK can be arrested under the law.
Personally, I think half of the current administration would fall if they enforced it now.
In Kangs case, he's an idiot. But I'd prefer to see him ignored rather than made a martyr. |
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