hankyoreh

It came to light a few days ago that UN Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Opinion and Expression Frank La Rue, who is visiting South Korea to investigate violations of freedom of expression, complained to the Foreign Ministry that he thought he was being followed. La Rue reportedly mentioned his suspicions during a May 6 meeting with Deputy Foreign Minister Chun Young-woo, presenting as evidence a photograph of a car with someone inside filming his activities with a camcorder.


In connection with this, the Internet media site Minjung-ui Sori (Voice of the People) reported two days ago that it had confirmed through a National Intelligence Service (NIS) official that the car at the scene was an NIS vehicle. The site stated that some were now alleging NIS monitoring of La Rue. The NIS, however, denied that the vehicle in question is affiliated with the service, and police also said that the incident had nothing to do with them.


While the truth is not clear, this is not a situation to be taken lightly. According to the Special Rapporteur’s party, a member of the group witnessed someone in a black car filming La Rue’s activities with a camcorder when he arrived at his accommodations in Seoul’s Myeong-dong neighborhood following his arrival in South Korea on May 6. This UN employee reportedly notified La Rue after confirming that a similar car was tailing his party the next day as well. Under these circumstances, there is no other conclusion to be reached but that someone was following and monitoring the Special Rapporteur’s party.

It is not enough for the NIS and police to deny their involvement. If they really had nothing to do with it, they must eliminate suspicions by revealing exactly who did this and why. Otherwise, there is a serious risk that they will invite the international shame of South Korea becoming noted as a country where state organizations actually tail the UN Special Rapporteur.


Reflection at the government level is also in order. The Lee Myung-bak administration has maintained a consistently disagreeable attitude regarding La Rue’s South Korea visit. Even though audiences ordinarily have to be made available with all interested parties upon request by the Special Rapporteur, the Lee administration has merely put on a show. Meetings with the president, public prosecutor general, and even standing commissioners of the National Human Rights Commission have not taken place. The only meetings La Rue has had have been with the Foreign Ministry and the Vice Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The NIS also declined to meet with him. Regarding this, La Rue delivered the roundabout criticism that human rights cannot be guaranteed in a country if the government has no will to achieve it.

President Lee Myung-bak talks of South Korea as a “dignified country.” But one must question how he can say this when his administration deliberately shuns a UN official who has come to examine the human rights situation of his own people, and is now even suspected of having him monitored.

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]