Home
|
June 2006 Letter in Support of Professor Kang Jeong-koo In May 2006, the Seoul district court convicted Professor Kang Jeong-Koo of Dong-Guk University of making pro-North Korean statements. He was given a one-year suspended sentence. The conviction, if upheld, will result in the stripping of Prof. Kang's title and likely dismissal from his university post. ASCK wrote a letter in January 2006 (see below) defending Professor Kang's free speech and the right of academic freedom in South Korea more generally. After the district court convinction, the ASCK Steering Committee decided to write a second letter to Dong-Guk University President Hong Ki-Sam (and the Korean press), urging him to stand up for academic freedom by retaining Professor Kang. The letter and selected press commentary on it follows. The Letter June 2, 2006 Dear President Hong Ki-Sam: We are writing out of concern that Dong-Guk University will follow through on its promise to take "human resource management action" and dismiss Professor Kang Jeong-koo. Professor Kang is currently appealing the May 26 court decision of a two-year suspended sentence. As we wrote in our January 26 letter of protest against Dong-Guk University's suspension of Prof. Kang, we believe that this is an issue of free speech and academic freedom. It is critically important for scholars in South Korea -- as for those in the United States and other countries -- to pursue their research and express their opinions in an atmosphere free from government surveillance and censure. We are scholars from many countries who work closely with our Korean colleagues and follow Korean issues very closely. We are skeptical that the Seoul Central District Court is correct in its ruling that Prof. Kang's statements "put national existence and security at risk." We believe that the Court's ruling, however, does put South Korea's commitment to free speech into jeopardy. Whatever you might think of Prof. Kang's statements, this is an important opportunity for Dong-Guk University to stand up for the principles of academic freedom. We call on you to reverse Prof. Kang's suspension and thereby assert the rights of your professors to speak and write freely. As scholars living in the West, we know that democracy must be defended and constantly renewed. Over the years, seeing democracy at work in South Korea, we have drawn great inspiration. We urge you and Dong-Guk University to show the way toward a tolerant, democratic future. As a premier institution of civil society in South Korea, Dong-Guk University can play this important role in guiding South Korea down the democratic path. We hope that, as president, you will support the principles of free speech and democracy in the best traditions of your institution. Sincerely, Selected Commentary http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/nation/200606/kt2006060715415111990.htm The Korea Times Kang, a sociology professor, was indicted last December for violation of the National Security Law, which prohibits unapproved contact or sympathizing with North Korea. He had written in his columns that the 1950-1953 Korean War, started by North Korea, was a "war of national unification." He also wrote that American Gen. Douglas MacArthur, whose successful amphibious landing in the South Korean port of Inchon turned the tide of the war in favor of the South, was an enemy who divided the Korean Peninsula. Dongguk University allowed him to keep his professorship but barred him from all teaching positions and research funds. After the court upheld its ruling last month, the university said it plans to dismiss him. "We are skeptical that the Seoul Central District Court is correct in its ruling that Kang's statements 'put national existence and security at risk,'" the alliance said in its letter. "We believe that the court's ruling, however, does put South Korea's commitment to free speech into jeopardy." The alliance said this is an opportunity for the South Korean university to "stand up" for academic freedom. "We call on you to reverse Kang's suspension and thereby assert the rights of your professors to speak and write freely," the letter said. "We urge you and Dongguk University to show the way toward a tolerant, democratic future."
January 2006 Letter in Support of Professor Kang Jeong-koo The ASCK steering committee authored a letter (which was signed by 33 members) to the president of Dongguk University in Seoul, South Korea on behalf of Professor Kang Jeong-koo. In December 2005, the South Korean government indicted him under the provisions of the National Security Law for statements alleged to be pro-North Korean. Dongguk University subsequently suspended him from his teaching and research jobs. The letter, which was sent in January 2006, was also transmitted to Priest Hyun-Hai, chairman of the board, Dongguk University; Judge Kim Jin-Dong, Seoul District Court; Education Minister Kim Jin-Pyo; Joongang Ilbo; Dong-A Ilbo; Hankyoreh; Munhwa Ilbo; Korea Times; Yonhap; OhMyNews; TongilNews; Segye Times; Pressian; Seoul Shinmun; and Coreafocus. The letter and selected commentary on it follows: To: President Hong Ki-Sam, Dongguk University We are writing to protest the suspension of Professor Kang Jeong-koo from his academic position at Dongguk University. This, in our opinion, is a violation of the principles of free speech and academic freedom. As scholars involved in Korean issues, we are deeply concerned about the chilling effect this action will have on scholarly activity and the teaching climate at Korean institutions of higher learning. Many of us are familiar with the writings of Kang Jeong-koo. Whether we agree with the views expressed in his writings, however, is not pertinent to the issue of his suspension. The principle of academic freedom should apply to the full spectrum of scholarly opinions. Without full freedom to research, publish controversial articles, and voice controversial views, the university environment will become characterized by a suffocating uniformity. This abridgement of academic freedom also establishes a dangerous precedent for restrictions in other realms of Korean society, particularly the media and institutions of civil society. Many of us have taught at Korean universities. We maintain close connections with our Korean colleagues and use Korean sources for our own research and classroom materials. The issue of academic freedom in Korea, for us, is not abstract. Our careers have been enriched by free and open dialogue with our colleagues at Korean institutions. We call on Dongguk University to reinstate Professor Kang Jeong-koo, so that he can continue teaching his classes and receiving research funding. We also write to state our opposition to the criminal charges leveled against Professor Kang under the National Security Law. In this age of heightened inter-Korean cooperation, the NSL is a Cold War anachronism. It is the height of absurdity for North Korean books and materials to be available in South Korea, but for a South Korean professor to be criminalized for "pro-North" opinions. Therefore, we also call on the Korean government to stop using the National Security Law to curtail the expression of free speech in Korean society. Selected Commentary1. Hankyoreh coverage: 2. Yonhap coverage: Discipline of Prof. Kang Dongguk barred Kang, a sociology professor, from teaching, and stripped him of research funds, based on the private school act, which allows schools to punish anyone indicted in a criminal case. Kang, who was allowed to retain his professorship, was indicted last December for violating the anti-communist law for his pro-North Korean opinions in a series of columns he wrote. To cite a few, he called the Korean War a war of unification launched by the North and denounced U.S. Gen. Douglas MacArthur as an enemy who perpetuated the division of the Korean Peninsula. The allegations stunned the nation, touching off the dormant confrontation between conservatives and progressives, and generating protests from the United States that damaged the Seoul-Washington relationship. In addition, the case caused a clash between Minister of Justice Chun Jung-bae and the then prosecutor-general as Chun blocked the prosecution from detaining Kang during its investigation of the scholar. It is customary that in investigations concerning the breach of the security law suspects are detained. The prosecution head resigned in protest against Chun’s interference in his agency’s affairs. The intervention by foreign scholars is likely to ignite the subdued debate over the fate of the security law. No doubt, it will embolden the ruling Uri Party to step up efforts to abolish the controversial law, one of the reform projects pushed by the Roh Moo-hyun administration. The government party failed to scrap the law in the regular session of the National Assembly two years ago because of resistance from the main opposition Grand National Party which is bent on preserving the law with some amendments. A majority of people support the GNP’s position. Nobody denies the right to free expression, as the 33 Western professors argued in their letter. But it is a different matter when speaking out threatens national security. As long as the security law exists even with some defects, it should be obeyed by all, regardless of the circumstances. Otherwise, it will be impossible to safeguard the inviolability of the law. |
