Jinhwawi Decides to Uncover the Truth of Human Rights Violations in Illegal Detention for National Security Act Violations

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) announced on the 10th that it has decided to investigate the truth regarding human rights violations involving illegal detention under the National Security Act.

At its 86th meeting held the previous day, the TRC judged the Korean Christian Social Issues Research Institute (KISRI) case and the human rights violation case of Lee Su-hee, a Korean resident in Japan, as serious human rights violations. The KISRI case involved nine active teachers, including Mr. Noh Mo, who formed a "textbook analysis team" and wrote papers critically analyzing the government-issued textbooks that presented the government's unification policy. The Public Security Division of the Police Headquarters forcibly detained the teachers on charges of violating the National Security Act, illegally holding them for at least 8 to 14 days. It was confirmed that they were subjected to harsh treatment during their illegal detention and while giving statements.

The human rights violation case of Lee Su-hee, a Korean resident in Japan, involved Lee entering the Seoul National University Overseas Korean Education Research Institute in March 1975 and traveling between Japan and Korea until completing the program. He was accused of espionage activities, including receiving ideological guidance and instructions from the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon) operatives and accepting money and goods. In December 1975, he was detained by investigators from the Army Security Command (Boan-sa). Lee was subjected to harsh treatment and coercive interrogation during approximately 30 days of illegal detention and was sentenced to seven years in prison and seven years of disqualification for violating the National Security Act and the Anti-Communist Act.

Another victim, Mr. Lee Mo, was detained by the police in November 1987 and punished for violating the National Security Act after publishing a series of poems titled "Hallasan" in the March 1987 issue of "Nokdu Review." The TRC confirmed that the emergency detention procedure against him was not lawfully conducted and that he was subjected to harsh treatment, including beatings, during the investigation by the Seoul Metropolitan Police Public Security Division.

The TRC stated, "After comprehensively reviewing and analyzing case-related records, testimonies from the applicants, testimonies from the investigators of the Public Security Division at the time, and court rulings regarding the 11 applicants this time, we have determined them to be victims," and added, "We recommend an apology and retrial for the serious human rights violations caused by the unlawful exercise of state power."