We Condemn Abolishing the National Security Act, which Guarantees Continuous North Korean Espionage Activities Harmful to the Free Republic of Korea

2021-6-3, Freedom Coalition For Defending National Security Act

June 3, 2021

The 105 patriotic societies organized the “Freedom Coalition For Defending National Security Act” (국가보안법수호자유연대) on June 3, 2021.  The following is the Coalition’s statement.

1. The National Security Act was legislated on December 1, 1948 to protect the newborn Republic of Korea (ROK) from far-left insurrections such as the Daegu Riot of October 1946 and Yeosu-Suncheon Rebellion of October 1948. Without the National Security Act, the Republic of Korea would not have existed long, becoming what it is today.

2. The National Security Act is a statute, which restricts any anti-state activities threatening national security, to ensure the safety of the Republic of Korea and the survival and freedom of Korean citizens. The Constitutional Court of Korea has determined the National Security Act is entirely constitutional. Therefore, those who find this law inconvenient for their anti-state activities are espionage agents of DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) and domestic DPRK collaborators who want to jeopardize Korea’s national security; regular law-abiding citizens have no reason to be worried about the law.

3. DPRK and National Security Act abolitionists distort and instigate to present a false narrative that the National Security Act is an unjust, anti-unification law by oppressing freedom of speech and thought.  Our Constitution guarantees a wide range of freedom of speech and thought, but it does not cover activities that deny and destroy our state, which is based on liberal democracy. Moreover, the purpose of the National Security Act is ultimately to promote the free-democratic unification of Korea by preventing espionage activities by North Korean agents and those wanting to harm the national security of the ROK.

4. Other countries, including the United States, Germany, and Japan, have even stronger national security acts: The United States has legislated and enforced the USA PATRIOT Act, Homeland Security Act, and the Subversive Activities Control Act; Germany: The Protection of the Constitution Act and Law Regulating Civil Organizations; Japan: The Subversive Activities Prevention Act; UK: The Official Secrets Act. 

5. The National Security Act must exist even after the peaceful unification of the Korean Peninsula, because the National Security Act prevents not only DPRK’s socialist revolutionary activities, but also the attempts by state and non-state actors, foreign and domestic, that threaten the existence and security of the Republic of Korea. 

6. Despite the uncertain situation on the Korean Peninsula, some people claim that peace has arrived based only on trusting Kim Jong-un, and are pushing to abolish the National Security Act, which protects and defends the liberal-democratic system of the Republic of Korea. Such a demand is tantamount to paving an “Express Way” in support of DPRK’s continuous attempts to communize the Korean Peninsula, by eliminating the most significant legal pillar buttressing the Republic of Korea.

Our Demands:

1. The Korean Government must normalize the enforcement of the National Security Act, including investigating espionage activities. 
2. The Korean National Assembly must dismiss the attempts to abolish the National Security Act immediately and strengthen national security-related bills.
3. We will record the names and actions of those who support and execute abolishing the National Security Act for future conviction of crimes and for the historical record. 

Freedom Coalition for Defending National Security Act

Lawyers for Human Rights and Unification of Korea

Korea Institute of Liberal Democracy

Freedom Fighters 

Duckwoo Community (a society of former national security investigators)

Citizens United for a Better Society

…plus 100 additional organizations