ROH ADMINISTRATION GOING SOUTH AGAIN... SOFT ON NORTH KOREAN SPIES

Figures. Some of you might not know, even Korean Americans, that South Korean President Roh's wife is the daughter of a famous North Korean spy. Someone please explain to me why the younger generation of South Korean are so pro-North Korea and so anti-American? More commentary by my friend, Mingi:

South Koreans voted the Uri Party into power out of irrational emotional outbursts resulting from Roh's temporary impeachment. Now they pay the price as their country sinks into a quicksand headed towards Kim Jong Il's grasp. The true colors of the South Korean left-wing are surfacing more clearly and their grip on power is tighter than ever. America should decide whether Koreans deserve the lucrative military alliance with the Pentagon. My verdict is, pull out and let the Koreans pay heavily under Kim Jong Il's regime. It's only fair South Koreans experience what they're supporting.

Without a Security Law, Who Can Arrest Spies?

THE CHOSUN ILBO
EDITORIAL

The ruling Uri Party has decided to abolish the National Security Law (NSL) and instead legislate a clause under the criminal law against individuals and organizations committing treason. The party has omitted provisions related to anti-state groups, crimes against acclaiming North Korea, crimes against visiting the North and crimes against receiving money from the North.

The ruling party insists that the clause concerning treason and other clauses in the criminal law will sufficiently replace the NSL in punishing North Korea-related crimes. The ruling party's unilateral decision to repeal the NSL, however, is sending shockwaves throughout the national security sector. National security experts say that they feel frustrated and resigned over security issues involving North Korea.

Under the ruling party's revised criminal law, it would be hard to punish North Korean agents operating in South Korea, because only spying for the benefit of a foreign country or organization would be illegal. The ruling party claims that the revised criminal law will be sufficient in punishing spies, citing a 1959 judicial case that defined China as an enemy and North Korea as a quasi-enemy to punish spies from the two countries. But the party's legal interpretation is anachronistic.

According to the ruling party's proposed bill, the Socialist Workers' League or Hanchongryon, a student activist group, will be able to escape punishment, even if they propagate North Korea's Juche ideology and receive money from the North, as long as they do not plot a riot. The government has failed to nail a ring of North Korean spies operating in this country, despite reports that there are 80,000 communications between the North and its spies in the South every year. Amid these realities, the government's persistence on abolishing the NSL could be seen as a determination to disarm the nation.

The Constitutional Court ruled that the NSL has a distinct purpose, separate from the criminal law's clause concerning treason. The Justice Ministry has also stated that the application of the clause concerning treason goes against the principle of banning excessive punishment. Moreover, 85 percent of the public are opposed to the
repeal of the NSL.

Why is the ruling party hurrying to abolish the NSL? When the ruling party takes the lead in weakening homeland security, who then will arrest spies or more aptly, who then will be able to arrest spies when the need arises?