The Busan-Gyeongnam Federation of the Korean Peasants League held a press conference in front of the Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency on the 8th, calling for the release of Secretary General Kim Jaeyoung, who was detained on charges of clashing with police during the National Farmers’ Rally.
More than 40 organizations, including the Busan-Gyeongnam Federation of the Korean Peasants League, the Gyeongnam Federation of the Korean Women Peasants Association, and the Gyeongnam Progressive Alliance, stated, “Outraged by the plummeting prices of agricultural products, we held a protest by returning our farming machinery to express that we can no longer continue farming, and during this process, a young farmer was arrested and subsequently detained.”
More than 40 organizations, including the Busan Gyeongnam Federation of the Korean Peasants League, are recently urging the release of Secretary General Kim Jaeyoung, who was arrested for clashing with the police at the National Farmers' Rally. [Photo by Lee Seryung]
They argued, “The farmers’ farming machinery protest is not illegal,” adding, “In 2013, the Supreme Court acquitted farmers who drove trucks and tractors to Seoul for a rally, and in 2016, the National Human Rights Commission warned that the police’s preemptive blockade of farmers’ vehicles infringed upon the freedom of assembly and demonstration.”
They shouted, “The issuance of this detention warrant signals even greater oppression to come,” and demanded, “Release the detained farmer, Secretary General Kim.”
Jo Byungok, chairman of the Busan Gyeongnam Federation of the National Peasants' Association, is heading into the Gyeongnam Police Agency building to submit a protest letter regarding the detention of Secretary-General Kim Jaeyoung. [Photo by Lee Seryeong]
After the press conference, the federation delivered a letter of protest containing these demands to the police.
Previously, on the 4th, Secretary General Kim Jaewon of the Busan-Gyeongnam Federation was arrested and detained on charges of obstructing official duties after clashing with police while attempting to drive a vehicle loaded with farming machinery to the National Assembly for the National Farmers’ Rally.
The federation plans to continue efforts for the release of Secretary General Kim by holding press conferences and collecting petitions through social networking services (SNS) and other means.
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