KAIST alums sue Presidential Security Service for assaulting student

Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) alums hold a press conference in front of the National Police Agency in Seoul, Tuesday, to file a complaint against the Presidential Security Service for "excessive use of force" against a student who protested against President Yoon Suk Yeol during the school's graduation ceremony last Friday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

A group of Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) alums reported the Presidential Security Service to the police, Tuesday, for alleged abuse of official authority, assault and confinement of a student who shouted at President Yoon Suk Yeol during the school’s graduation ceremony Friday.

KAIST professor Joo Si-hyung and alums said the group filed a complaint against the presidential security officials for what they called "excessive" use of force against the student, while condemning the government’s budget cuts on state-led research and development (R&D) projects during a press conference in front of the National Police Agency in Seoul.

Last Friday, Shin Min-ki, a KAIST graduate who is also a spokesperson for the minor progressive Justice Party’s Daejeon chapter, was silenced and dragged by his arms and legs out of the graduation ceremony by the president's security guards, after he publicly denounced the government’s R&D budget cuts.

"This is a case of state violence where the government mandated excessive use of force and assaulted a victim using state security simply for speaking up in protest against R&D budget cuts, without any intention or means to harm the president,” the group’s attorney, Shin Dong-ah, said, adding that it is “people’s inalienable right in democracy” to protest and speak up against a policy.

Joo condemned the security service’s abuse of constitutional power in handling the student and accused it of infringing on his basic human rights, including the freedom of expression and personal liberty. In response, the group demanded Yoon “make a public apology as the chief executive who was at the scene.”

A presidential security agent physicaly assaults Shin Min-ki, a KAIST graduate, who spoke out against President Yoon Suk Yeol during the school's commencement ceremony in Daejeon, Friday. Yonhap

During the forced removal, Shin lost his glasses and the strings of his mask were cut off, he said. Then he was detained in a room guarded by security agents for 30 minutes before being sent to the police for questioning, which the presidential office later explained was an “inevitable action in accordance with the law and security principles.”

The police investigation starts in two weeks and Shin plans to take legal action regarding the forced removal, which sparked criticism from opposition parties and civic groups, and prompted KAIST alums to further speak up against the budget cuts.

The KAIST Graduate Students Association Center for Human Rights and 4,456 students and faculty members also released a joint statement criticizing the government’s handling of Shin.

In a historic move, the Yoon administration implemented the first R&D budget cuts in 33 years, reducing spending on major state-sponsored R&D by approximately 15 percent year-on-year to 26.5 trillion won ($19.8 billion) this year. This action was taken to dismantle what the president referred to as an R&D cartel, which seeks to safeguard its vested interests.

Notably, even during the Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s, the Korean government prioritized R&D budgets as it put into effect massive layoffs and industrial reforms as conditions of receiving a bailout from the International Monetary Fund.

The cuts come in striking contrast to Yoon's comments in a prerecorded New Year interview with a public broadcaster, in which he said he wants to be remembered as “a president who prepared for the future by seeking advances in scientific technology.”

Yoon also vowed to “build a nation that espouses liberal democracy” in his inaugural speech almost two years ago.