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It was discovered that the National Police Agency(NPA) systematically supervised the thoughts of people. 'A Rule on Guidance of Ideology'(ROGI), which can be found at 'research materials' at the homepage of the NPA(www.police.go.kr), has been through three revisions since its promulgation in 1991.

ROGI says, "Guidance of ideology has the purpose of informing people of violent propensity of North Korea and the left and also of re-formation and reinforcement of guidance system to people under supervising local heads of police."

This guidance system is extremely systemic and tight. The guidance is processed yearly through educated 'Guidance Agents.' 'Guidance Agents' include all police, 'civil agents for report,' 'guidance agents for report at work and area,' taxi and bus drivers, hair-makers, supervisor of temples and post office workers. This means an all-encompassing 'control of people's ideology.' In particular, the rule selects outlying regio

ns, surroundings of industrial complex, lodging area of universities and the poor areas as 'vulnerable areas of guidance' and it says that these areas should be guided intensively. The contents of the guide are recent tendencies of Communist states, inconsistency of Communism and a way to uncover spies and the violent leftists.

Jae Myung Lee, executive secretary of the center for observing justice of 'People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy' said, "It is from an anachronistic thought that the NPA performs mind control of the people, despite the development of democracy. It reminds us of anti-communism ideological education at the time of the past military dictator Jung Hee Park."

Sang Hee Lee, a lawyer belonging to 'Lawyers for a Democratic Society,' criticized the rule. "Only the individual's conscience can guide the ideology of the people, it is not a thing to be guided by government. It is an act infringing on the freedom of thought when a government intends to guide the thoughts of the people. Thus, the rule on guiding is invalid." In addition, he said, "It contradicts a policy of peaceful unification by present government to expose negative images of the North Korea."

Facing these concerns, the person in charge in the NPA said, "We only educate people with our thinking, but never coerce them into accepting it. The contents of the guide are within range of the engagement policy to the North Korea. As long as North Korea does not take destructive actions, negative images of North Korea will not be inserted into the contents of our education." [Beom Yong]