Prosecution indicts leftist lawmaker on rebellion charges

The prosecution Wednesday indicted Lee Seok-ki, a lawmaker of the minor opposition Unified Progressive Party (UPP), on charges of conspiracy to stage a rebellion. There were controversies over whether the charges were applicable to Lee. However, the prosecution and the National Intelligence Service showed confidence in their case, saying that they have secured a great deal of evidence through 604 items they seized. Some of the evidence the prosecution revealed Wednesday make the UPP`s claim that it is being "oppressed" sound hollow.

Investigators have found at Lee`s office and home 190 materials that they claim benefited the enemy, including works of North Korea`s late founder Kim Il Sung. They also say that Lee selected some 30 bodyguards who would protect him at wartime. The investigators have also secured documents showing that Lee planned to form an underground organization in 2003. Adopting North Korea`s ruling ideology of Juche (Self-reliance) as their only leadership ideology, members of the organization sang North Korean ideological songs. Kim Soo-nam, chief of the Suwon District Prosecutors` Office, said, "Armed with the Juche ideology, the members of the underground revolutionary organization plotted to overthrow (South Korea`s) liberal democratic system in an organized and collective way, posing a significant threat to the existence and security of the South."

The judiciary has classified Lee`s case as an "important case that needs to be handled in a timely manner." While regular trials are held at two weeks` intervals, the judiciary reaches a quick verdict through intensive court hearings. It is expected that there will be heated legal debates between the prosecution and Lee`s attorneys including UPP Chairwoman Lee Jung-hee. The prosecution should provide hard evidence and thorough legal arguments to prove Lee`s alleged rebellion plot.

On this occasion, the government should seek a clear judgment about the UPP`s possible unconstitutionality. The Ministry of Justice formed a task force early this month to study ways to file a suit against the UPP with the Constitutional Court for the court`s order to disband the leftist party. The prosecution said that Lee used the National Assembly as a beachhead for his struggle. Lee also allegedly requested that the defense and foreign ministries submit 94 documents including information on the U.S. troops stationed in South Korea, according to prosecutors. The requested information had nothing to do with the parliamentary committee Lee belongs to. We cannot talk about national security while doing nothing about a political party many of whose lawmakers and officials are facing rebellion charges.

The main opposition Democratic Party is opposing a proposal to expel Lee from the National Assembly. It is true that Lee`s expulsion could result in a more suspicious person taking over his parliamentary seat. The DP is responsible for helping such a party to win parliamentary seats by forming an alliance with it. The Democratic Party should closely cooperate with the ruling Saenuri Party in sending a stern warning to North Korea sympathizers.