hankyoreh

By Um Ji-won and Jung Hwan-bong, staff reporters

The National Intelligence Service (NIS) is being subjected to increasingly strident criticism from various areas of society for interfering in politics and meddling with public opinion during last December’s presidential election. Alumni organizations are chipping in to support university students who have issued a number of statements to the government about NIS interference, while the scale of candlelight demonstrations increases as religious organizations start to get involved.

Student councils at several dozen universities are following the lead of the councils at Seoul National University (SNU), Ewha Womans University, and Kyunghee University, which released statements to the government on June 20 condemning the NIS. Amid this, the preparation committee of the Korean University Democratic Alumni Association, which is composed of alumni organizations from 17 universities, published a statement on June 23 censuring the NIS’s illegal interference in the election. “Reports have confirmed that the National Intelligence Service interfered in the election by meddling with public opinion on an organizational level,” the association said. “This is a crime that damages the national spirit. We demand that President Park Geun-hye take a clear and responsible position on this issue.” The association called for a parliamentary investigation, the arrest of former NIS director Won Sei-hoon and former Seoul police chief Kim Yong-pan, and the resignation of Minister of Justice Hwang Kyo-ahn.

In addition to this, a coalition of several SNU alumni organizations released a separate statement in support of the student council‘s position on the NIS interference in the election and the abbreviated investigation by the police. “The government and the ruling party are attempting to downplay, conceal, and distort the NIS incident, which is a grave challenge to democracy,” the statement warned. “They should reflect on the demise of the Fifth Republic, which tried to downplay, conceal, and distort the death of student activist Park Jong-chul [an SNU student who died during police interrogation].”

The joint statement was released by SNU Jahayeon, an organization for alumni from the humanities; Science and Engineering Association, a group for alumni from the sciences; and Kim Sang-jin Commemorative Association, a group for alumni from the colleges of agriculture and veterinary science.

Protestant, Catholic, and Buddhist organizations have also taken action together. “As Christians who have believed in and followed the values of justice, peace, and sanctity of life, we have realized that we can no longer stand by in silence,” said 11 Protestant organizations, including the Methodist Youth Fellowship in Korea and an organization for progressives at the Methodist Theological University. “The Blue House is angering the Korean people even further by its silent and negligent behavior.” The organizations requested that the National Assembly conduct a probe into the matter, that the culprits be punished, and that President Park make an apology.

“Instead of apologizing and showing signs of contrition, the ruling party and the NIS have conspired to produce the transcript containing remarks about the NLL from the 2007 inter-Korean summit. They continue trying to deceive the Korean people,” the statement said.

Nine Catholic organizations including the Catholic Priests’ Association for Justice and Buddhist organizations including Lotus World also released statements calling for a parliamentary investigation into the NIS incident and for severe punishment for those responsible.

Candlelight protests in various locations are heating up as well, including in Daegu and Busan. On June 22, back-to-back candlelight demonstrations were held at Gwanghwamun Plaza, organized by the volunteer organization Youth Ignite and the 21 Century Korean Federation of University Student Councils, which represents student councils at 15 universities. About 1,000 university students and citizens took part in the demonstrations, holding candles and chanting slogans that demanded that Park Geun-hye take responsibility, a parliamentary investigation be held, and that the NIS be censured.

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