By Kim Rahn
The prosecution has decided to indict a university instructor without physical detention on charges of damaging public property for defacing a G20 Seoul Summit promotion poster by drawing a rat on it.
The image of a rat is often used satirically to mock President Lee Myung-bak. Internet users and liberal groups have criticized the prosecution’s move for infringing on a person’s freedom of expression.
Prosecutors at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office said Wednesday that they will indict the 41-year-old instructor, Park Jeong-su, this week.
Four university students, who joined Park, will also be indicted without physical detention.
Park and the four students drew a black rat using spray paint on 12 posters near the Lotte Department Store in central Seoul in the early morning on Oct. 31.
Prosecutors concluded that their act went beyond the freedom of expression. They earlier sought an arrest warrant for Park, but the request was rejected on Nov. 2.
“Park and the others plotted the graffiti, destroyed the posters by adding the image, took photos of the posters and uploaded them on the Internet. They laid out a scheme to tarnish the nation for hosting the important G20 event,” a prosecutor said.
The prosecution said it has decided on the indictment according to the law, denying all criticism that they misused their authority to indict and overreacted for political purposes.
Bristling Internet users denounced the decision. A blogger, Steve Kong, said, “Would the prosecution indict them, too, if they drew a tiger instead of a rat? Would they still think the image tarnished the national event?”
Another blogger, Xiao Rong, said, “Now we may be arrested for talking about rats. As India holds the cow sacred, Korea is holding the rat sacred.” A blogger named Dreamer satirized the move, saying, “I just found out that drawing a rat is a crime. Watch out, Disney and Pixar, don’t make an animation about rats or Korean prosecutors will arrest you.”