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| South Korean Lawmakers Back Arrest of Colleague for Treason | South Korean Lawmakers Back Arrest of Colleague for Treason |
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| SEOUL, South Korea — The National Assembly of South Korea on Wednesday voted to allow the arrest of an opposition lawmaker on charges of plotting treason in a case that rekindled fears not only of a pro-North Korean rebellion but also about the actions of a powerful intelligence agency that has been long accused of meddling in domestic politics under the pretext of hunting Communists. | SEOUL, South Korea — The National Assembly of South Korea on Wednesday voted to allow the arrest of an opposition lawmaker on charges of plotting treason in a case that rekindled fears not only of a pro-North Korean rebellion but also about the actions of a powerful intelligence agency that has been long accused of meddling in domestic politics under the pretext of hunting Communists. |
| The lawmaker, Lee Seok-ki, a member of the minor United Progressive Party, was accused of gathering 130 followers, some of them drunk and with small children, in two secret late-night meetings in May to plot an armed rebellion in support of the North in case of war. North Korea had heightened military tensions earlier this year by declaring that it would no longer honor the 60-year-old cease-fire that halted the Korean War in 1953. | The lawmaker, Lee Seok-ki, a member of the minor United Progressive Party, was accused of gathering 130 followers, some of them drunk and with small children, in two secret late-night meetings in May to plot an armed rebellion in support of the North in case of war. North Korea had heightened military tensions earlier this year by declaring that it would no longer honor the 60-year-old cease-fire that halted the Korean War in 1953. |
| In one of the meetings, which lasted till 2 a.m. on May 13 at a religious retreat in the South Korean capital, Seoul, Mr. Lee, 51, said that war could be imminent on the divided Korean Peninsula and that his followers should prepare themselves for a “revolution” against “the world’s most powerful American imperialists” and achieve “a new reunified fatherland,” according to the National Intelligence Service’s charges against him. | |
| At one point, he said the manual for making the pressure cooker bomb used in the Boston Marathon attack was available on the Internet. One of Mr. Lee’s followers reminded the others that during the Korean War, South Korean authorities arrested tens of thousands of leftists for summary executions for fear that they might collaborate with the North Korean Army. The man, Hong Soon-seok, was quoted as saying that if there was another war, a similar fate could befall South Korean leftists, “as Jews were once rounded up.” | |
| Another member suggested attacking South Korea’s communications, oil, train and other key facilities in case of war. The man, Lee Sang-ho, suggested turning “toy guns” into arms. But he also called the idea of buying sniper rifles and using hacking skills to attack military radar facilities “outlandish.” | Another member suggested attacking South Korea’s communications, oil, train and other key facilities in case of war. The man, Lee Sang-ho, suggested turning “toy guns” into arms. But he also called the idea of buying sniper rifles and using hacking skills to attack military radar facilities “outlandish.” |
| Mr. Lee and his followers also faced separate charges of violating South Korea’s anti-Communist national security law when they sang North Korea’s propaganda “revolutionary songs” during four political gatherings last year. Mr. Han and Lee Sang-ho were arrested last week. | Mr. Lee and his followers also faced separate charges of violating South Korea’s anti-Communist national security law when they sang North Korea’s propaganda “revolutionary songs” during four political gatherings last year. Mr. Han and Lee Sang-ho were arrested last week. |
| “Lee Seok-ki is an enemy of South Korea,” said Kim Jin-tae, a lawmaker from the governing Saenuri Party, calling on fellow legislators to support a bill authorizing the arrest of Mr. Lee on Wednesday. | “Lee Seok-ki is an enemy of South Korea,” said Kim Jin-tae, a lawmaker from the governing Saenuri Party, calling on fellow legislators to support a bill authorizing the arrest of Mr. Lee on Wednesday. |
| By law, a legislator can be arrested with parliamentary approval when the Assembly is in session. | By law, a legislator can be arrested with parliamentary approval when the Assembly is in session. |
| “This is a medieval witch hunt,” Mr. Lee told the Assembly, denying hatching a plot to overthrow the South Korean government through an armed rebellion and accusing the intelligence agency of “mobilizing conservative news media” to discredit him and his party. | “This is a medieval witch hunt,” Mr. Lee told the Assembly, denying hatching a plot to overthrow the South Korean government through an armed rebellion and accusing the intelligence agency of “mobilizing conservative news media” to discredit him and his party. |
| In an earlier news conference, he called himself a “pacifist” and urged his fellow lawmakers to reject the bill, quoting the 18th-century French philosopher Voltaire as saying, “I disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” | |
| Lee Jung-hee, the head of Mr. Lee’s progressive party, said the intelligence agency cited excerpts and distorted the context of the comments made during the May meeting to support its treason charges. The talks of sabotaging state facilities were “like jokes and were laughed away,” she said. | Lee Jung-hee, the head of Mr. Lee’s progressive party, said the intelligence agency cited excerpts and distorted the context of the comments made during the May meeting to support its treason charges. The talks of sabotaging state facilities were “like jokes and were laughed away,” she said. |
| “If this is treason, we are living in a society no one can dare crack a joke.” she said. “You cannot punish someone for what he thinks.” | “If this is treason, we are living in a society no one can dare crack a joke.” she said. “You cannot punish someone for what he thinks.” |
| But Mr. Lee found few friends in the Assembly, and the bill was passed 258 to 14, as the main opposition Democratic Party also decided to approve it, although it warned the national intelligence agency against “McCarthyism,” in reference to the American senator who pursued suspected Communists ithe 1950s. | But Mr. Lee found few friends in the Assembly, and the bill was passed 258 to 14, as the main opposition Democratic Party also decided to approve it, although it warned the national intelligence agency against “McCarthyism,” in reference to the American senator who pursued suspected Communists ithe 1950s. |
| Mr. Lee was the first lawmaker to face treason charges since democratically elected leaders replaced the country’s past military dictators, who often used treason charges to silence and even execute dissidents, later exonerated in retrials. | Mr. Lee was the first lawmaker to face treason charges since democratically elected leaders replaced the country’s past military dictators, who often used treason charges to silence and even execute dissidents, later exonerated in retrials. |
| Mr. Lee’s case — and the timing of the National Intelligence Service’s raid against the homes and offices of Mr. Lee and his followers last week — have rocked the country for days, triggering charges from the opposition that the spy agency was resorting to its old trick of concocting espionage cases and threats from North Korea to divert attention from domestic political crisis and calls for the curtailing of its power. | Mr. Lee’s case — and the timing of the National Intelligence Service’s raid against the homes and offices of Mr. Lee and his followers last week — have rocked the country for days, triggering charges from the opposition that the spy agency was resorting to its old trick of concocting espionage cases and threats from North Korea to divert attention from domestic political crisis and calls for the curtailing of its power. |
| The case comes amid heightened concern over the actions of South Korea’s intelligence apparatus. Won Sei-hoon, a former head of the spy agency, now stands trial on charges of ordering a team of agents to begin an online smear campaign last year against government critics, including candidates who ran against President Park Geun-hye, then the governing-party candidate, in the presidential election in December. | |
| Opposition lawmakers said that the powerful spy agency’s alleged interference in the election was a bigger threat to democracy than the plot Mr. Lee’s small group is accused of. | |
| Although many South Koreans criticized and ridiculed Mr. Lee, calling for his punishment, others also raised questions about what constitutes a treason plot and how freely people can talk about North Korea in the South, where the government blocks access to North Korean Web sites and people were still arrested for retweeting North Korean propaganda materials. | Although many South Koreans criticized and ridiculed Mr. Lee, calling for his punishment, others also raised questions about what constitutes a treason plot and how freely people can talk about North Korea in the South, where the government blocks access to North Korean Web sites and people were still arrested for retweeting North Korean propaganda materials. |
| Chin Jung-kwon, a political commentator with more than 360,000 followers on his Twitter account, compared Mr. Lee and his followers to “inmates in a madhouse” and “Don Quixotes arming themselves.” | Chin Jung-kwon, a political commentator with more than 360,000 followers on his Twitter account, compared Mr. Lee and his followers to “inmates in a madhouse” and “Don Quixotes arming themselves.” |
| Kim Young-hwan, a member of the main opposition Democratic Party, called the treason charge against Mr. Lee “a third-rate comedy.” | Kim Young-hwan, a member of the main opposition Democratic Party, called the treason charge against Mr. Lee “a third-rate comedy.” |
| “Who in South Korea will be influenced by the anachronistic rhetoric by the United Progressive Party,” Mr. Kim said. | “Who in South Korea will be influenced by the anachronistic rhetoric by the United Progressive Party,” Mr. Kim said. |
| Mr. Lee and many members of his progressive party were former student activists who were accused of subscribing to North Korea’s ideology of juche, or self-reliance. They criticize South Korea’s military alliance with the United States as well as the American military presence in their country. | |
| Critics said that Mr. Lee and the National Intelligence Service actually need each other, with the agency’s scandal bolstering the ability of progressive politicians like Mr. Lee to stoke antigovernment sentiments while the agency used cases like Mr. Lee’s to defend itself from charges of meddling in domestic politics. | |
| “Lee Seok-ki and his likes are nothing but a delusional religious cult,” said Kim Ky-baek, publisher of the nationalist Web site Minjokorea, who first sued Mr. Lee and his progressive colleges in April last year on charges of treason. “But the corruption of the conservative establishment that has been in power in South Korea for the past five decades, and the people’s disillusionment with it, gave room for the North Korea followers like Lee.” | “Lee Seok-ki and his likes are nothing but a delusional religious cult,” said Kim Ky-baek, publisher of the nationalist Web site Minjokorea, who first sued Mr. Lee and his progressive colleges in April last year on charges of treason. “But the corruption of the conservative establishment that has been in power in South Korea for the past five decades, and the people’s disillusionment with it, gave room for the North Korea followers like Lee.” |