October 25, 2021

Cozy Relations between South Korea’s National Election Commission and the Supreme Court Blur Separation of Power, Undermines Impartiality

2021-10-25, Tara O The National Election Commission (NEC) in South Korea describes itself as “an independent constitutional body alongside the National Assembly, the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court.”  However,...

Categories Abuse of Authority/Corruption/Election Fraud/Elections/Law/Lawfare/Protests/Rule of Law/South Korea

September 22, 2021

20-something Coast Guardsman Missing from the NLL Area in the West Sea

2021-9-22, Tara O A 20-something South Korean Coast Guardsman disappeared from the Northern Limit Line (NLL) area in the West Sea on September 10, 2021.  The missing person began his...

Categories NLL/South Korea/West Sea

September 20, 2021

More Suppression of Free Speech in South Korea: Arrests of Kim Se-ui, Kang Yong-seok, and Kim Yong-ho; Cho Kuk’s Defamation Lawsuits Against Lee Jong-won, Kim Sang-hyun, Woo Jong-chang

2021-9-20, Tara O On September 7, 2021, the police arrested 3 people running Hoverlab (Garo Sero yeonguso), a popular YouTube channel with over 700,000 subscribers:  Kim Se-ui (김세의), formerly a...

Categories Abuse of Authority/Censorship/Freedom/Freedom of Speech/Lawfare/South Korea

September 17, 2021

Freedom of Speech Under Attack: Koo Ja-Woong, a YouTubers In Jail for 6 Months for “Defaming” Powerful Media Executive Sohn Suk-hee

2021-9-17, Tara O On March 19, 2021, Koo Ja-woong (구자웅) was sentenced to 6 months imprisonment for defamation by the Seoul Northern District Court (서울북부지부).  Ku is a YouTuber with...

Categories Abuse of Authority/Censorship/Freedom/Freedom of Speech/Lawfare/South Korea

September 17, 2021

Assault on Free Speech: YouTuber Choi Tae-woon Imprisoned for 2 Years for “Defamation”

2021-9-16, Tara O On August 13, 2021, Choi Tae-woon (최태운) (in his 30s), who ran a YouTube channel Saeng-gak Modeum Jjigae (생각모듬찌개, assorted thoughts stew), was sentenced to 2 years...

Categories Abuse of Authority/Censorship/Freedom/Freedom of Speech/Human Rights/Lawfare/South Korea

June 13, 2021

Moon Jae-in & Pesca Mar Mutiny: Moon Defended Chinese who Murdered Ship’s Crew

2021-6-13, Tara O When describing President Moon Jae-in, one of the descriptions that commonly precedes his name is “human rights lawyer.”  Hardly anything is known about what he exactly did...

Categories Defectors/Moon Jae-in/South Korea

June 4, 2021

Korean Workers’ Party Changed Its Goals? No, It’s Terminology Confusion Tactics

2021-6-4, Tara O The 8th Party Conference of Nodongdang [Korean Workers’ Party (KWP) or Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK)] was held in Pyongyang on January 9, 2021.  An article in...

Categories National Security/North Korea/South Korea

April 23, 2021

The Silencing of North Korean Defector and Author Lee Ju-seong For His Book about North Korean Forces Deployment to South Korea

2021-4-23, Tara O An author and an escapee from North Korea Lee Ju-seong (이주성) is concerned that he could be incarcerated or get his house and assets confiscated by the...

Categories 5.18/Abuse of Authority/Defectors/Freedom of Speech/Freedom of the Press/Human Rights/Lawfare/Leaflets/South Korea

February 8, 2021

Open Letter to the US Congress Human Rights Commission by Governor Kim Opposing South Korea’s Anti-Leaflet Law Criminalizing Leaflet Sending to North Korea

2021-2-3, KIM Moon-soo (Former Governor of Gyeonggi Province, Republic of Korea) Kim Moon-soo, former governor of Gyeonggi Province in South Korea, opposes the ruling party-passed law that criminalizes defectors and...

Categories Censorship/Defectors/Freedom/Freedom of Speech/Human Rights/Leaflets/North Korea/South Korea

January 18, 2021

Park Geun-hye Receives a Total of 22 Years Imprisonment, Potentially 3 Years Forced Labor

2021-1-18, Tara O The total sentencing for Park Geun-hye is finalized at 22 years imprisonment, a fine of ₩18,000,000,000 ($16.3 million) and an additional fee of ₩3,500,000,000 ($3.2 million).  She...

Categories Impeachment/Lawfare/Rule of Law/South Korea