[Comprehensive] Why Was Moon Criticism 'Simu7jo' Hidden... Past Petitions on Cho Kuk and Yoon Mee-hyang Also Made Private

Direct Speech in 문 Not Visible on 청 Petition 'Seven Articles of Governance' Board
Past Petitions Related to 조국 and 윤미향 Made Private According to Regulations

Cheong Wa Dae Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] There are criticisms that the Blue House is not properly exposing a petition that uses the format of a Joseon Dynasty memorial to directly address President Moon Jae-in. The petition can only be accessed through a specific petition URL. However, since this URL is composed of various alphanumeric characters, it is practically difficult to enter and access it correctly, so currently, the petition is only visible to a limited audience.

Previously, petitions such as the disclosure of the Justice and Memory Foundation's donation details and the cancellation of Cho Kuk's daughter's degree were switched to non-public status according to relevant regulations. According to some of these regulations, content involving hate speech or false information can be deleted or made non-public, leading to speculation that this petition criticizing the current government might be subject to these standards and thus not properly displayed.

On the 12th, a petition titled "Jinin (塵人) Joeunsan respectfully submits a memorial petition with seven policy proposals, humbly requesting your gracious consideration" was posted on the petition board. The "seven policy proposals" appear to reference the "28 Proposals for State Affairs" (Simu 28jo) written by Choe Seung-ro, a civil official in early Goryeo, who outlined his views on pressing issues to King Seongjong.

The "28 Proposals for State Affairs" was a document sealed separately for King Seongjong to personally open, dividing the political reforms to be implemented during Seongjong's reign into 28 items, in which Choe Seung-ro candidly expressed his opinions in the form of a memorial petition.

The so-called "Choe Seung-ro memorial petition" is not merely considered his personal thoughts but is also evaluated by some as having influenced King Seongjong and contributed to the establishment of the state system during his reign.

Photo by Cheongwadae National Petition Board Capture

The problem is that this petition, presumed to be written by alluding to the "28 Proposals for State Affairs," cannot be found on the Blue House petition board. It is also not found on pages introducing posts by recommendation order.

The petition can only be viewed by directly entering the internet address into a web browser. However, since the address consists of numbers and letters, it is practically difficult to view the petition unless the entire URL is copied. As of 7:50 a.m. on the 27th, 38,018 people have agreed to this petition.

When accessing the post URL, a popup appears stating, "This petition has received more than 100 preliminary consents and is currently under review by the administrator. It may take some time before it is made public. We will strive to make it public promptly. However, if the petition does not meet the requirements, it may be made non-public or partially hidden. You can still participate in the petition during the review period."

The petition begins with the words, "In the winter of the Year of the Earth Pig, a foreign epidemic ravaged this land, and the lives of the households were so miserable that it is impossible to recall before or after, and I dare not hope for relief. This is surely not a matter for a humble person alone."

On the afternoon of the 25th of last month, participants of the "Candlelight Rally Against the Retroactive Application of Excessive Real Estate Regulation Policies and Nationwide Tax Resistance Movement" held in front of the Korea Deposit Insurance Corporation in Jung-gu, Seoul, are holding candles. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Regarding tax issues such as the comprehensive real estate tax, it states, "Being wealthy is not a sin, yet half of the income is taken away; if the child of a rich person becomes rich, it is taken away again; running a business makes one a chaebol, so it is taken away; multi-homeowners are considered corrupt, so property is taken away to stabilize housing prices; single-homeowners are left alone, but the official property price is raised to take more; rental business operators are discarded like used tools and taxed retroactively; and elderly people who have guarded their villages all their lives are taxed for living in high-priced houses." It continues, "Taxation is the authority of the state, and paying taxes is the duty of the people, but tax rates are the measure of public sentiment."

Additionally, the seven policy proposals include: △ 2nd proposal, prioritize reason over emotion in policy-making △ 3rd proposal, prioritize practical benefits over justification in diplomacy △ 4th proposal, acknowledge human desires △ 5th proposal, carefully select ministers △ 6th proposal, uphold the value of the constitution △ 7th proposal, renew oneself first.

Photo by Cheongwadae National Petition Board Capture

Meanwhile, this is not the first time that Blue House petitions have been unsearchable or made non-public like this petition.

On May 12, the Blue House temporarily made a petition requesting the disclosure of donation usage suspicions related to the Justice and Memory Foundation, chaired by Yoon Mi-hyang, a member of the Democratic Party, non-public for one day before making it public again.

Also, on August 20 last year, a petition requesting the cancellation of the bachelor's degree of former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk's daughter at Korea University was switched to non-public. At that time, the Blue House explained, "It was made non-public because it contained false information and had the potential for defamation." They added, "The claim of unfair admission of Cho's daughter has not yet been judged, so it was considered false information."

They further stated, "So far, 22% of all Blue House petitions that were made non-public were mostly due to defamation and false information. The petition about Cho Kuk's daughter posted on the 20th explicitly mentioned 'unfair admission,' but since there has been no ruling yet, it is false information. The term 'fraudulent admission' is also currently false information and has the potential for defamation, so it was made non-public."

Meanwhile, since the Blue House revamped the national petition board in March, only posts that have received more than 100 preliminary consents within 30 days are made public on the petition board to block exposure of inappropriate petitions such as abusive language, slander, and duplicates. However, posts containing duplicates, abusive or vulgar language, violence, sensationalism, hate speech against specific groups, personal information, false information, or content damaging others' reputations may be deleted by administrators.