Leftist South Korean lawmaker sought for pro-North insurgency plot
No, as a matter of fact, it would not surprise me in the least if leftist fringe National Assemblyman and alleged Chosun Workers’ Party member Lee Seok-Gi was actively plotting to support a North Korean invasion by organizing violent fifth-column attacks in South Korea. Duh, he’s already been featured in a “fifth column watch” post.
The UPP members allegedly had a plan to blow up infrastructure in the country, including communication networks, a district court official said, quoting court-issued warrants for the three officials.
“They are facing multiple charges, such as plotting to blow up national infrastructure, forming an organization that threatens national security, praising North Korea and conspiracy to stage a rebellion,” the Suwon District Court official said. [Yonhap]
Just for fun, give the Hanky about four days to hyperventilate about the restoration of the Park dictatorship, Yushin Constitution, et cetera and then play the tapes on national television. Because it’s not like doing that would prejudice potential jurors, right?
Shortly after becoming a lawmaker in the April 2012 general election, Lee attended a meeting of the Gyeonggi Dongbu Alliance in early May in Seoul, the sources said.
“When the decisive time comes, we should initiate a nationwide general strike and armed rebellion at the same time,” Lee was quoted as saying at the meeting. “We must gain control of the broadcasting and public facilities and disable communications and fuel facilities.”
He was also accused of telling members of the Gyeonggi Dongbu Alliance to prepare by securing firearms.
“We should gain control of a progressive political party in the South and make aggressive efforts to enter the National Assembly to prepare for a decisive moment,” the code of conduct of the Gyeonggi Dongbu Alliance was quoted as saying by the sources. “When the time comes, we will support [the North] through armed rebellions.”
The Gyeonggi Dongbu Alliance is a regional chapter of the Association for Democracy and Reunification of Korea, established in 1991 by members of the National Liberalization Group, the largest faction inside the UPP. They are mostly former left-wing student activists who support North Korea’s juche (self-reliance) ideology. [Joongang Ilbo]
Surely they have wiretaps in Korea. Surely it occurred to them to get one and record the conversations. Surely the NIS, which is already embroiled in political controversy, will not expect transcripts to overcome the inevitable conspiracy theories. Surely the NIS knows better than to take on a sitting lawmaker without having him dead-to-rights, stone-cold, knackered.
So … roll tape.
If this is true, it would be another example of North Korea’s characteristic tactical genius and strategic idiocy. Assuming they could pull off an invasion of the South, they could never digest it politically, socially, or economically. Really, how could North Korea possibly improve on what it had going in 2005–a prosperous, Finlandized, left-wing government subsidizing its nukes, its high living, and its power structure, and effectively blocking any possible U.S.-led sanctions or military action?
This would not be the first time Lee’s party, the UPP,* has come under suspicion (including from its own members) for the pro-North Korean sympathies and allegiances of some of its members. Nor would it the first time that a pro-North conspiracy was found to have reached into left-wing parties and unions in South Korea.
* I’m including the UPP’s predecessor, the Democratic Labor Party, which is mostly the same people, the same supporters, and the same factions under a different name.