An action for damage against the state was brought by former members of the Unified Progressive Party(UPP) that was forcibly dissolved.

A thousand of former members of the UPP bring an action for damages against the state. According to the article, it was said that “at the time the UPP was dissolved, the party members’ political freedom of association were not only infringed due to illegal forced dissolution but also suffered from extreme mental harm, thus we file a lawsuit against the state.”

They pointed the Republic of Korea, former chief staff of the Blue House(Chung Wa-dae) Kim Ki-chun, and Chief Justice Park Han-cheol as defendants. They also criticized that Chief Justice Park was the one who violated the constitutional spirit of neutral judgement leading the dissolution of the UPP, legal political party in South Korea.

According to the article, it was also revealed that Park Han-cheol directly contacted with Kim Ki-choon through Kim Young-han’s memorandum. Attention will be given to the future by the lawsuit.

A million candle lights lit again !

On March 4, the first weekend of March, nearly one million candles gathered at Gwanghwamun Square in Sejong-ro, Seoul. The Constitutional Court is expected to announce the impeachment trial on March 10.

The National Action Against Park Geun-Hye’s resignation held the 19th national assembly on the theme of “Spring can come to us in this March only without Park Geunhye! Impeach her! Imprison her! Resign Hwang Kyo-an(the acting President)!” A total of one million people gathered at the 19th candlelight rally on the day.

As a result, participants in candlelight rallies exceeded 15 million people.

“I believe that the impeachment will be quoted, but I came out to add strength,” said Lee, who participated in the rally, saying, “The judges will make a right decision without shame.”

[Interview] “The dissolution of the Unified Progressive Party(UPP) was a decision that really changed the world.”

Kim Geun-rae, a former Vice Chairman of the Gyeong-gi Provincial Party, who was released after three years’ imprisonment.

“There is freedom of conscience in the Constitution of the Republic of korea, and also freedom of expression and and thought. Is it a normal democracy to judge someone’s thoughts by the law and sanction them with national violence? ”

In August 2013, the government announced that the Unified Progressive Party(UPP), including former lawmaker Lee Seok-Ki, had cooperated with the North Korea and embarked on a civil war. In the midst of the suspicion that the National Intelligence Service (NIS) intervened in the presidential election for the election of Park Geun-hye, the socalled ‘Insurrection Conspiracy case’ began. There was no evidence other than the recording file of the NIS coordinator Lee, and the actual remarks of Lee Seok-ki were later revealed to be hundreds different from the transcripts provided by the NIS. Eventually, there was no conspiracy of civil war, but the incitement of the civil war remained as a case of guilt.

Kim said, “The UPP was the only party that won the 13 seats in the National Assembly among the most successful parties advocating progress. Later, it became a political influence that could act as a casting boat for the National Assembly. It became a threat to the heart of power.”

Park Han-chul, the former head of the Constitutional Court, said, “I go down in history of democracy and set a democratic value for South Korea by putting social conflicts under control. It is the decision that can change the world.”

Kim said, “It really changed the world, making our country the world of darkness that destroys democracy and human rights. So people wind up taking up candles. It has reduced the flow of progress, reform, democracy and human rights throughout society. As far as the party is dissolved, ordinary individuals and groups with much weaker strengths are more likely to be intimidated. It is not just the problems of the progressive party, but the society itself has become isolated.

He does a signing campaign to urge the release of prisoners at the candlelight rallies every week in the activities of the Korean Committee to the Save the Victims of ‘Lawmaker Lee Seok-ki Insurrection Conspiracy Case’. Even three years passed, in the memories of the citizens, the dissolution of the Unified Progressive Party has been slowly forgotten and is still an uncomfortable theme.

Kim said, “the citizens who participated in the signing campaign say, ‘I do not support the unified progressive party, but I am wrong with the dissolution. Or some people say, ‘Are you a red man? Is it a pro-North? They are afraid of being seen as a Pro-North person, socalled ‘Jong-buk’. They themselves engage in self-censorship. It is real Boyg.”

“I live in a bigger prison”

He usually says, “Even though we are victims, we should live like sinners. Three years later, I am still afraid of the surrounding gaze. The world outside the prison is a bigger prison for me. A red stigmatization of the “red family” was stamped on my innocent family. When my son was in his first year of high school, he was told in class by his social studies teacher that people who engaged in the insurrection conspiracy should be sent to North Korea.” There was nothing he could do in the prison. In the end, the problem to be solved is the pain that family and acquaintances must bear.

At the end of the interview, he said, ”Men in power always use pro-north frame when they are in crisis. But now, the time of cleaning up deep-rooted evils, we, the citizens, should collect our strength of the people. I believe that today’s candlelight will change tomorrow’s politics and change the nation.”

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