Communism / Constitution / Defense / Elections / Nationalization / Security / Socialism / South Korea / Subversion / Translation of Korean News
31 South Korean Lawmakers Introduce a Bill to Abolish the National Security Law, A Detrimental Move
2025-12-9, Tara O
On December 1, 2025, 31 lawmakers in South Korea introduced a bill to abolish the National Security Law. Abolishing the National Security Law is also a long-sought goal of North Korea. The lawmakers include Lee Hack-young, Vice Speaker of the National Assembly, who violated the National Security Law, when he was a member of the violent and subversive organization, the National Liberation Front of South Korea (modeled after the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam, and pledged allegiance in blood to Kim Il-sung). Without the National Security Law, North Korean spies cannot be prosecuted. This move alarmed the public, who are signing petitions to oppose abolishing the National Security Law.
Background on the National Security Law
The National Security Act was passed in December 1948 after a Communist mutiny and insurrection. Prior to this Act, the Republic of Korea (ROK) police were unable to arrest communists, who were taking orders from North Korea and the Soviet Union and conducting anti-ROK activities, because there was no applicable law to prosecute them. What gave the National Assembly an impetus to pass this law was the 14th Regiment Mutiny and the Yeo-Sun (Yeosu-Suncheon) Insurrection instigated by the communists.
The newly created Republic of Korea (declared on August 15, 1948) was creating its military, and was expanding rapidly. The ROK 14th Regiment was created soon after, and it was heavily infiltrated by the communists of the South Korean Workers’ Party (SKWP, NamNoDang). The SKWP took orders from the Soviet Union and coordinated with the North Korean Workers’ Party.
In October 1948, the communists took over the 14th Regiment after killing the officers and noncommissioned officers (NCOs) who opposed them.(1) The communists renamed the 14th ROK Regiment the “People’s Liberation Army,” armed them, and marched them to Yeosu. Along the way, it was joined by the members of the SKWP’s front organizations, such as the Council of Teachers Union and the Democratic Students League. They went on a rampage of terror in the cities of Yeosu and Suncheon while shouting slogans such as “Long Live General Kim Il-sung.” The communist rebels formed People’s Committees, raised North Korean flags in public buildings, and declared the area a “liberation zone.”
In Yeosu and Suncheon, the communists massacred 2,343 police officers and their families and various youths who opposed communism. Additionally, 1,150 people were injured and 4,318 people were missing. On the rebellion side, 392 communist rebels were killed and 1,512 were captured.
The mutiny and rebellions by the communists shocked the public, leaving them fearful of a communist takeover. The National Security law became necessary. Even after the Korean War, subversion by communists/socialists continued, as their efforts to overthrow the ROK government to bring about socialist revolution and unify the country under the Kim Family regime and the Korean Workers’ Party in North Korea continued.
The 31 National Assemblymen List
The primary sponsors of the bill are Min Hyung-bae, Kim Joon-hyung, and Yoon Jong-o. The below are the 31 lawmakers at the National Assembly, who introduced the bill to abolish the National Security Law (the last name appears first):
Democratic Party of Korea (더불어민주당) (15):
| Kim Sang-wook (김상욱) |
| Kim Yong-min (김용민) |
| Kim Woo-young (김우영) |
| Kim Jung-ho (김정호) |
| Kim Jun-hyeok (김준혁) |
| Moon Jung-bok (문정복) |
| Min Hyung-bae (민형배) |
| Shin Yeong-dae (신영대) |
| Yang Moon-seok (양문석) |
| Lee Ki-heon (이기헌) |
| Lee Jae-kang (이재강) |
| Lee Jae-jung (이재정) |
| Lee Ju-hee (이주희) |
| Lee Hack-young (이학영) |
| Cho Gye-won (조계원 ) |
Rebuilding Korea Party (조국혁신당) (literally translates as “Cho Kuk’s Innovation Party” since the head of the party is Cho Kuk; also, another literary meaning is “Fatherland Innovation Party”) (9):
| Kang Kyung-sook (강경숙) |
| Kim Sun-min (김선민) |
| Kim Jae-won (김재원) |
| Kim Joon-hyung (김준형) |
| Park Eun-jung (박은정) |
| Shin Chang-sik (신장식) |
| Lee Hai-min (이해민) |
| Chung Choon-saeng (정춘생) |
| Cha Gyu-geun (차규근) |
Progressive Party (진보당) (4):
| Jeong Hye-kyeong (정혜경) |
| Son Sol (손솔) |
| Yoon Jong-o (윤종오) |
| Jeon Jong-deok (전종덕) |
Basic Income Party (기본소득당) (1):
| Yong Hye-in (용혜인) |
Social Democratic Party (사회민주당) (1):
| Han Chang-min (한창민) |
Independent (무소속) (1):
| Choi Hyuk-jin (최혁진) |
23 Lawmakers Violated the National Security Law
The South Korean National Assembly has 300 lawmakers total, including elected and non-elected (proportional representatives). Of them, 23 lawmakers violated the National Security Law in the past:
Democratic Party of Korea (더불어민주당) (19):
| Lee Hack-young (이학영) |
| Lee Yong-sun (이용선) |
| Yoon Hu-duk (윤후덕) |
| Kim Nam-geun (김남근) |
| Park Sun-won (박선원) |
| Jung Tae-ho (정태호) |
| Kim Min-seok (김민석) |
| Seo Young-kyo (서영교) |
| Lee In-young (이인영) |
| Kim Tae-nyeon (김태년) |
| Jung Chung-rae (정청래) |
| Oh Gi-Hyoung (오기형) |
| Lee Yeon-hee (이연희) |
| Jin Sung-joon (진성준) |
| Park Hong-keun (박홍근) |
| Song Jae-bong (송재봉) |
| Youn Kun-young (윤건영) |
| Kim Sung-hoi (김성회) |
| Park Sang-hyuk (박상혁) |
People Power Party (국민의힘) (1):
| Choi Hyung-du (최형두) |
Rebuilding Korea Party (조국혁신당; Cho Kuk Party) (2):
| Cho Kuk (조국) |
| Chung Choon-saeng (정춘생) |
Independent (1):
| Kim Jong-min (김종민) |
Reference:
(1) Nam, Si-wook (남시욱). A Study of Progressives in Korea (한국 진보 세력 연구). Seoul: Cheong Media, 2018, 124.