Court Cancels Jeon Gwang-hoon's Bail... Reincarcerated After 140 Days
Joo Ok-soon: "The Person President Moon Fears Most"
Some Conservative Groups Report Gaecheonjeol Rally... Concerns Over COVID-19 Spread
Pastor Jeon Gwang-hoon, who is being re-incarcerated due to the cancellation of his bail, is speaking to the press in front of Sarang Jeil Church in Seongbuk-gu on the afternoon of the 7th. [Image source=Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] Pastor Jeon Gwang-hoon of Sarang Jeil Church has been re-incarcerated following a court decision to revoke his bail, drawing attention to whether his imprisonment will serve as a rallying force among his followers and conservative groups. This is because the absence of the symbolic presence of Pastor Jeon, who had been criticizing the Moon Jae-in administration daily, could be interpreted as a form of oppression or persecution. Conservative groups have announced plans to hold a rally at Gwanghwamun on October 3, National Foundation Day.
Pastor Jeon, who led a large-scale rally on Liberation Day last month on August 15, was re-incarcerated on the 7th following the court's decision to revoke his bail. The Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 34, presided over by Judge Heo Seon-ah, decided to cancel Pastor Jeon's bail that day. It has been 140 days since he was released on bail on April 20.
The court stated, "The defendant has violated Article 102, Paragraph 2, Item 5 of the Criminal Procedure Act (violation of designated conditions), and therefore the bail is revoked."
According to the Criminal Procedure Act, the court may revoke bail if the defendant violates the conditions set by the court. Previously, Pastor Jeon was released on bail under conditions including that he must not participate in any assemblies or demonstrations related to or illegal in connection with this case.
On that day, Pastor Jeon left the Sarang Jeil Church residence in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, accompanied by escorting police officers and headed to Seoul Detention Center. While heading to the detention center, he declared, "I may go to prison, but I will definitely protect the Republic of Korea," expressing his intention to appeal. In fact, Pastor Jeon immediately filed an appeal and a request for suspension of detention execution with the court that day.
On the afternoon of the 15th of last month, Pastor Jeon Gwang-hoon of Sarang Jeil Church is speaking at a rally condemning the government and ruling party held in front of Donghwa Duty Free Shop in Jongno-gu, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]
The issue is whether Pastor Jeon's re-incarceration will have the effect of rallying some of his supporters. For the church members and conservative groups, Pastor Jeon's re-incarceration could be interpreted as government oppression.
Pastor Jeon has consistently claimed that the government has been pressuring him. He strongly criticized, saying, "They used the Wuhan virus (COVID-19) terror to prevent me from coming out here," and "The virus did not arise gradually but was deliberately poured into our church."
On the 2nd, he held a press conference in front of Sarang Jeil Church, claiming, "They tried to pin the entire 'Wuhan virus' on us (the church) to carry out a fraud, but thanks to the wise judgment of the people, it failed," and asserted, "I am not a politician or social activist but one of the prophets leading the Korean church."
He added, "I will observe for a month, but if President Moon continues to deceive the people with state denial and false peaceful unification, I will risk my life starting a month from now. I am prepared to be a martyr."
On the morning of August 8 last year, Ju Ok-soon, the representative of the Mom Corps, is speaking at the 5th press conference for the restoration of Korea-Japan relations held in front of the former Japanese Embassy in Jongno-gu, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]
Meanwhile, conservative groups have made harsh remarks about Pastor Jeon's re-incarceration, such as "He is the person President Moon Jae-in fears the most" and "What did Pastor Jeon Gwang-hoon do wrong?"
Joo Ok-soon, head of the Mom's Army, visited the church residence near Sarang Jeil Church in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, on the previous day (7th) after hearing the news of Pastor Jeon's bail revocation and conducted a YouTube broadcast, raising her voice, saying, "The person the Moon Jae-in government fears most in the Republic of Korea is Pastor Jeon Gwang-hoon," and "Because Pastor Jeon has emerged as the most feared figure, they are trying to suppress him under the pretext of COVID-19 quarantine."
Ms. Joo expressed strong dissatisfaction with the re-arrest, saying, "What did Pastor Jeon do wrong?" She criticized the Moon administration, stating, "Pastor Jeon, who advocated for a free democratic country and free market economy without any selfish motives, what is wrong with that? Isn't public sentiment the will of heaven? The public sentiment has exploded, and if the Moon administration continues to ignore this situation, I believe heaven will not forgive them."
She also fiercely criticized the Korean Christian community, saying, "There are many elegant and stylish pastors of large churches, but do we need such pastors in this era?" and "All Korean Christian pastors who label this man as a heretic are rotten to the core."
She continued, "Who is the courageous pastor who says Christianity cannot coexist with communism and that we must go out and fight?" and claimed, "Only Pastor Jeon Gwang-hoon is fighting alone in the wilderness, carrying the burdens of the congregation and incompetent pastors."
As criticism of Pastor Jeon's re-incarceration grows among church members and conservative groups, conservative organizations such as Liberty Solidarity, the Ten Million Innocent Release Movement Headquarters, and the Taegeukgi Revolution National Movement Headquarters have reported plans to hold another large-scale rally in downtown Seoul on October 3, National Foundation Day.
On the morning of the 21st of last month, at a press conference denouncing the fake quarantine martial law of the Moon Jae-in administration held in front of Sarang Jeil Church in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, lawyer Kang Yeon-jae, the defense attorney of Pastor Jeon Kwang-hoon, is speaking. [Image source=Yonhap News]
The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that it has denied most of the 27 rallies reported within Seoul, citing concerns about possible COVID-19 spread. However, some groups have even urged participants to "turn off their cell phones and attend the rally," signaling plans to mobilize large numbers.
Posters related to the National Foundation Day rally circulating mainly on social networking services (SNS) such as Twitter and Facebook include the phrase "Again 10·3 Free Right-Wing Rally, Phone off," which is interpreted as an attempt to avoid mobile phone location tracking for COVID-19 epidemiological investigations.
Meanwhile, the Seoul city government and health authorities have once again emphasized COVID-19 prevention, including recommending bans on rallies. Kim Tae-gyun, Director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Administration Bureau, said at a briefing on the 6th, "Seven groups have reported 27 rallies to the police," and "Most were reported within prohibited rally zones, including near Gwanghwamun, so the police are notifying bans on rallies under the Assembly and Demonstration Act."
They also urged people to refrain from traveling during the upcoming Chuseok holiday. The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters stated, "Given the current trend, it is predicted to be impossible to completely control asymptomatic and latent infections by Chuseok, which is three weeks away," and recommended refraining from visiting hometowns and relatives during the holiday period.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
