By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
A court has granted a former riot police officer the right to release a song that criticizes the police. On Monday, the Seoul Central District Court rejected an injunction from the National Police Agency to stop the distribution of a song by Lee Gye-deok that is critical of police.
The court said the agency can seek compensation or pursue other legal avenues after the song is released, but said there is no need to ban the sale of the album.
Lee was jailed for a couple of weeks after he made a request to the Defense Ministry for a transfer from the riot police force to the military last year. He said he was devastated that the police were excessive in its suppression of protestors demonstrating against the Lee Myung-bak government's decision to resume imports of U.S. beef last June.
In Lee's song ― titled ``Old Soldier's Song II'' ― he expresses his frustration with the suppression and said, ``In this country, police can arrest you for just standing on the street,'' referring to some people who were arrested during candlelit protests allegedly just for having stood in the crowd.
The court said, ``It could be viewed as a criticism toward the authorities or the country, not as humiliation of the police.''