Banner of 'Daehanminguk Gongsandang' Hung at Pension... Surge in Spy Suspicion Reports

Banner Displayed at Savings Club... "It Was Just a Joke" Explanation

A savings club on a summer vacation playfully hung a 'Gongsandang' banner, leading to a commotion when a spy suspicion report was filed with the police.

According to the Jeonnam Provincial Police Agency on the 21st, there have been consecutive reports requesting an investigation into anti-state activities related to the group that recently displayed the Gongsandang banner.

A banner reading 'Gongsandang' installed by members of a community group from the Jeonnam region at a pension. Photo by Yonhap News

On the 4th of this month, the banner installed at a pension in Jeonnam read, "1st Republic of Korea Gongsandang Family Summer Retreat."

The people who hung the banner were members of a savings club in the Jeonnam area. About 20 members and their families spent a 3-day, 2-night summer vacation together at this pension. They reportedly explained to the police that it was done as a joke to make people laugh.

Photos and videos of the banner hung by the savings club members have spread through social networking services (SNS) and internet communities. Some netizens who saw this filed spy suspicion reports with the police.

The police are currently investigating before filing charges. If no evidence of anti-state activities such as violations of the National Security Act is found, the case will be closed without being officially investigated.