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Czech Ambassador Jaroslav Olsa, Jr, left, and Slovak Ambassador Dusan Bella pose during the opening ceremony of a photo exhibition at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, Wednesday, to mark the 20th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution.
/ Korea Times Photo by Kim Se-jeong |
Under what conditions can pro-democracy protests occur? Is it something that could happen in North Korea?
Jaroslav Olsa, Jr., ambassador for the Czech Republic, says it's next to impossible.
Recalling the situation in the former Czechoslovakia leading up to the Velvet Revolution in 1989 and the people's pro-democracy protests against the communist party, he said the situation in North Korea is "far worse" than in Czechoslovakia, and it would be impossible for people to rise up against the regime.
"Although we didn't have freedom of speech and movement, we had enough food and bars we could go to in the evening," the envoy said during an opening ceremony of a photo exhibition to mark the 20th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution at Yonsei University, last Monday.
He indicated that the restrictions on religious freedom and shortages of food in North Korea impede civil action.
He added people in the former Czechoslovakia had their freedom until the communist power robbed them of it.
The envoy predicted that it will be either a third party from abroad or conflicts within the North Korean regime that will lead to the country's destruction.
The Velvet Revolution was spearheaded by citizens, which led to the demolition of the communist party.
The revolution is remembered for its lack of bloodshed, as the authorities announced the end of the communist party in response to rising protests.
Many view the cessation of communist power in Czechoslovakia as an inevitable consequence, following the fall of communism in Hungary and Poland, and the fall of Berlin Wall.
The Embassy of Slovakia also organized a photo exhibition in memory of the historical day at the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, last Wednesday.
Olsa and Slovak Ambassador Dusan Bella said that if it wasn't for the revolution, they wouldn't be in Korea and they wouldn't be ambassadors.
Both envoys, who were in their adulthood when the revolution took place, remembered the day like any other day. Olsa was out of Prague for the weekend, and Bella was at work.
The news didn't reach them immediately because of the communist party-controlled media.
"But the day was very cold, like today," the Czech envoy said in retrospect, during the opening ceremony of the Slovak Embassy's photo exhibition.
Photos at the exhibitions showed massive public gatherings and their standoff with the authorities.
One photo of a candle-holding protester was reminiscent of candle-lit vigils seen in downtown Seoul in recent years.
Olsa drew a comparison with Korea's Gwangju Pro-Democracy Movement in 1980, in which citizens spearheaded protests against Chun Doo-hwan's military. "But, the Velvet Revolution didn't see any blood spilled," he said.
skim@koreatimes.co.kr
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'600만명 학살 지휘' 잔인한 인물의 뒷얘기 공개
