Desperation in Seoul over communist threat; News blackout

FPI / February 19, 2020

A driving snowstorm and the continued threat of the Wuhan coronavirus could not stop thousands of South Koreans from taking to the streets in Seoul to protest the liberal policies of President Moon Jae-In, who they say is subordinating the country to communism under China and North Korea.

The protesters, led by the group Pan National Struggle for Moon to Resign, gathered last weekend at the Syngman Rhee Plaza to criticize the Moon government as part of the “Set the Republic of Korea on the correct path” movement, Tara O reported for East Asia Research Center.

“The gatherers consider the greatest threat to the Republic of Korea to be Moon Jae-In, his administration, his party, and his supporting groups outside of the government working to convert South Korea into a socialist and communist state,” Tara O wrote.

The protesters also turned out despite the threat of the Wuhan coronavirus. South Korea has reported 51 confirmed cases of the virus.

Kim Yang-Hee, a woman in her 60s, said “The greater problem than the Wuhan virus is that the country is about to turn communist.”

Freedom News, a YouTube channel which has been monitoring the three major South Korean newspapers – Chosun Ilbo, Joongang Ilbo, and DongA Ilbo — conveyed that only Chosun Ilbo reported on the rally.

“These major newspapers and other media, other than small news outlets and YouTube, have been ignoring the ‘pro-freedom’ crowd for the most part in the last three years,” Tara O noted.

Park Seon-Young, chairwoman of the Mulmangcho Foundation which has worked on behalf of escapees from North Korea, including South Korean military POWs held in North Korea against their will, spoke at the weekend rally.

Park said: “Is it normal (for a political party) to sue (a citizen) because she wrote ‘don’t select the (ruling) Minjoo Party’?” and continued, “Let’s shout together. We won’t vote for the (Deoburreo) Minjoo Party. Sue me too!”

Tara O pointed out that “Park was referring to an op-ed written by Lim Mi-Ri, a professor researching labor issues who criticized the Moon administration and his party.”

Lim wrote a column titled “Excluding the Minjoo Party” in a Kyunghyang Newspaper, which has been pro-Moon. Lim criticized new Justice Minister Choo Mi-Ae, the replacing of all personnel investigating the Blue House under the Prosecutor General (except for two, who were appointed by Cho Kuk) on an election rigging case, the judge who repeatedly rejected the prosecutors’ requests to incarcerate Cho Kuk, and the Seoul Central District Attorney’s Office for refusing the prosecutor general’s request to indict Blue House senior officials involved in the Ulsan mayoral election rigging.

Lim concluded by saying “Let’s vote (for any party), except for the (Deobureo) Minjoo Party.”

The Deobureo Minjoo Party swiftly filed a criminal charge against her and Kyunghyang Newspaper for violating the Election Law. After a public backlash, Moon’s ruling party withdrew the charge.

Free Press International