PRP Case: Work of KCIA’s Fabrication

A decision has been made that KCIA’s announcement on that the “People’s Revolution Party” (PRP) case was manipulated. The announcement came in 1975 under Park Jung Hee regime.

Presidential Truth Committee on Suspicious Deaths (PTCSD), which is chaired by Han Sang-bum, announced on September 12, 2002, “After interrogating police and correctional officers involved in the PRP case, we have found out that the KCIA agents tortured the PRP members in various methods and fabricated the statements of them. In other words, the whole case is a work of fabrication.”

So far, people have argued that the PRP case was forged up by the KCIA. But this is the first government agency’s announcement of such manipulation based on the statements of police and correctional officers who participated in the investigation of PRP case.

The PTCSD denied the existence of the PRP itself. One PTCSD confirmed, “All of 4 police officers involved stated, ‘There was no evidence other than statements to support the organization of the PRP. Even the exhibits submitted to the Prosecutions did not contain any hard evidence verifying PRP’s establishment.’”

The PTCSD also confirmed, “The officers stated, ‘A KCIA agent whose last name is Yoon ordered the conjuring-up of the case.’ Under the circumstances at that time, the suspects’ denial meant nothing. Once the KCIA agents began torturing, since the suspects could not resist it, the agents could get whatever statements they wanted.”

The PTCSD also disclosed the statements of the police officers, that during the PRP investigation, the KCIA agents frequently joined the police investigation. The agents also tortured the suspects in the basement if they denied the charges before the prosecutors. Thus, the PRP members were forced to admit each and every charge against them before the prosecutors.

According to the statements of the officers and defense attorneys, which are now made public by the PTCSD, all kinds of statements of PRP members were forged up, and even the trial itself was not conducted lawfully.

Kim Joon-gon, a permanent member of the PTCSD, said, “Retrial is not initiated unless clear evidence shows up. But most of the disclosures made this time seem enough to commence a new trial. Now, the PRP members are no longer spies.”

Committee for Truth and Restoration of PRP Members’ Reputation held a press conference and announced, “Now everyone knows that the PRP case was forged as a tactic of suppressing democratic activities under Park Jung Hee regime. We will positively review the commencement of a retrial with the facts transpired this time.”

The PTCSD, pursuant to the special law regulating its activities, investigated only the second PRP case, which occurred after 1969 when the Constitution was revised for the fifth time.

buddy@donga.com