Jung Min-ho has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2012, mostly covering social and political issues. He currently belongs to the Politics & City Desk where he covers topics such as health, labor and human rights. Prior to joining the team, he was responsible for covering North Korea and sports. His article about a biosecurity breach of Middle East respiratory syndrome won him an award from the Korea Science Journalists Association in 2016. He is also the co-author of the book, "Medical Pioneers of Korea" (2019). He served as the head of the international relations committee at the Journalists Association of Korea from 2021 to 2023.
Lawmaker accused of violating national security law
This May 29, 2023, file photo shows Rep. Youn Mee-hyang at the National Assembly in Seoul. A civic group said on Wednesday that it filed a complaint with police against Youn, claiming that she violated the national security law. Yonhap
By Jung Min-ho
A liberal opposition lawmaker and an activist face an investigation for allegedly violating South Korea's national security law after expressing “shocking” views on North Korea’s recent decision to abandon its policy to seek peaceful unification with the South.
Lawyers for Human Rights and Unification of Korea, a right-leaning civic group, said Wednesday that it filed a complaint with police against Rep. Youn Mee-hyang for co-hosting a seminar at the National Assembly in which speakers “tried to glorify” the regime’s bellicosity.
This move comes after Kim Kwang-soo, director of Hana Center, a Busan-based civic group, said at the Jan. 25 event that if North Korea starts a “war for unification” and if that war can bring peace eventually, South Korea should accept it.
He then said South Korean unification campaigners should step up efforts more aggressively “beyond the boundary of the national security law” as North Korea moves to abandon such efforts.
The lawyer group said it lodged a complaint against Kim as well.
In a statement released earlier this month, the group criticized Youn and other participants for “defending” the regime’s aggressive rhetoric, including its threat to use nuclear weapons against South Koreans in the case of a war.
The National Security Act restricts activities that threaten the country’s security and stability. Those activities include praising or promoting an anti-government organization or its member under the direction of the organization or the person.