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Voice for Abolishing NSL from the United States

Voice for abolishing National Security Law (NSL) was widely spread in the United States. Over fifty members of the Korean Youth Association in America (leader, Kim, Hee-Sook) and the Hankyoreh Brethren Association in America (chief, Choi, Han-Kyu) held a silence demonstration and requested to abolish NSL in front of the Independence Hall, in Philadelphia where president Kim Dae Jung was awarded 'Medal for Freedom', at July 4.

They insisted, "the number of person under restraint by NSL in present administration has increased four times than that under Kim Young Sam administration, the former government. The position and policy of Kim Dae Jung administration for NSL will be a yardstick for willingness and practice toward development of democracy and advancement in human right". In addition, they required for entirely abolishing NSL, disallowing replacement legislation, and releasing conscientious prisoners.

They put on the masks marked X in the sense that there is no freedom of thought and expression as long as NSL remains, and showed the pickets read follows, 'Abolish NSL limiting the freedom of expression', 'Accept the opinion of the UN Committee for Human Right'. Kim, Hee Sook, leader of the Korean Youth Association in America, said, "To improve human right in Korea, we are going to further publicity and education activities toward brethren society and other national societies."

Last year, UN Council for Human Right declared the Article 7 of NSL as counter to the International Treaty of Human Right in 'a lawsuit about Park Tae Hoon's violating NSL', who was member of the Korean Youth Association in America. However, Korean administration still ignored advice of UN Council for Human Right.

SOURCE:KOREA HUMAN RIGHTS DAILY NEWS June 9th, 1999