“Spies Can Not Be Recognized As Participants In Democratization Movement“

The “Honorable Rehabilitation and Compensation Committee of Those Relevant To Democratization” dismissed the case of spies, transferred to it by the Presidential Truth Commission on Suspicious Deaths (PTCSD), who acknowledged deaths of spies as suspicious deaths relevant to democratization movement, declared on Tuesday that “spies cannot be considered among those engaged in the democratization movement.”

This decision is attracting public attention since there have been controversies regarding the PTCSD’s recognition, made on July 1, of spies’ refusal to convert their ideologies, as a democratization movement. The three spies, Son Yoon-kyu, Choi Seok-ki, and Park Yoong-seo, were sent to South by North Korea and participated in partisan activities. They served as unconverted long-term prisoners.

The committee announced its dismissal of the two spy cases of Byon Hyung-man and Kim Yong-sung, with seven negative votes and two positives. These cases were transferred by the PTCSD, who asked for them to be recognized as persons relevant to the democratization movement.

The committee explained, “The democratization movement assumes recognition of the legitimacy of the Republic of Korea and its existence as a precondition. Therefore, those who denied the constitutionalism of the Republic of Korea and threatened its safety cannot be recognized as relevant to the democratization movement even when they persisted in their attempts to abolish bad anti-democratic laws while they were in prison.”

Byon Hyung-min, born in North Korea, joined a North Korean army and participated in espionage activities in areas neighboring the demilitarized zone when he was arrested in 1958. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison for violations of the National Defense Law and was released after serving his full term in 1973. He, however, was kept under custody of the Cheongju Institute of Superintendence for Public Peace after being sorted out on black list.

Kim Yong-sung, born in Moonkyung, North Kyungsang Province, went to North Korea during the Korean War. He was then sent back to South Korea as a spy in 1957 and arrested in 1962 in the middle of espionage activity. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison and released after serving his full term in 1977, but stayed under custody of the same institute.

Byon and Kim died in July 1980 of breathing problems after being forced to eat by the institute during their hunger strikes for the abolition of the Public Peace Law and the Superintendence Custody System.

The commission on suspicious deaths recognized in September 2002 that their deaths were caused by an illegitimate exercise of public power.

The commission explained, “They improved the nation’s freedom and rights by informing us of the inappropriateness of the superintendence system for public peace. Since they had already served their full prison terms, their behaviors in the forced feeding incidents should be the only criteria for a decision.”

Hyun-Doo Lee ruchi@donga.com