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Online Censorship in Korea
The Korean Labour Movement has been very actively and creatively using electronic communications in their fight to protect labour rights. If developments illustrated by this article from the Korean Social Information Network Group (SING) go unchallenged we may soon see roadblocks in global labour communication.
Write to SING and express your support and solidarity with those struggling to protect freedom of expression.
The following article was prepared by SING and originally published on their Web site.
www.sing-kr.org/action/freespeech/index-e.html
Presently, the situation in Korea, is completely nonsense. From the twenty fourth of May up to the third of June, NOWNURI, Major PC VAN (Value Added Network) in Korea, stopped 32 IDs and deleted hundreds of writings without any previous notice to the users by the ordinance of the Ministry of Information & Communications.
The situation in other PC VANs is same as NOWNURI. The target of this 'Witch Hunt' under way is Hanchongnyon, Korean Federation of University Student Councils, and related writings, but the on-line censorship has existed from before. And the on-line censorship has become more and more terrible with the presidential election, scheduled for the end of this year, to cover the mouth of progressive movement groups.
Stopping of IDs and the deletion of writings is executed by the telecommunications business law article 53 (see below) enforcement ordinance article 16 (see below), which regulates "threatening telecommunications", and the National Security Law and Assembly Law. In the telecommunications business law article 53 enforcement ordinance article 16, it defines "threatening communication" as telecommunication which harms social order and public morals, which is so inclusive that almost any anti-governmental movement could be regulated by the law. In addition, the law gives the power to the Minister of Information & Communications to restrict communication rights without any judicial decision, which is a violation of the constitution in our opinion.
The National Security Law is notorious as a means of political pressure.
For Removal of On-line Censorship!
Please be in solidarity with us as follows:
We are fighting!
Users of PC VAN and some movement groups, for free speech, are angry with this situation. So they demand the recovery of their IDs and writings and an amendment of the law, and protest as follows:
- Sending protest mail to the Ministry of Information & Communications and NOWNURI.
- Online demonstration attaching a prefix (for removal of censorship) in the message title
- Attaching a ribbon sign in the message title
- Collecting examples of censorship through a free-speech mailing list
- Making a free-speech homepage taking legal proceedings arousing public opinion through the press.
Extract from - TELECOMMUNICATIONS BUSINESS LAW (Korea)
Article 53 - Supervision of Threatening Telecommunications
(1) Those who do telecommunications should not disturb peace and order, and established social morals and customs by their communication.
(2) According to Article 1(1), A Presidential decree lays down the subject of telecommunications related to disturbing peace and order, and harming established social moral and customs.
(3) The Minister of Information & Communications can order the telecommunications businessman to reject, stop or restrict the telecommunications prescribed in Article 1(2).
Enforcement Ordinance
Article 16 - Threatening Telecommunications
According to Clause 2 of Art. 53 of the Telecommunications Law, the telecommunications disturbing peace and order, and established social morals and customs are like below.
- The telecommunications that aim to commit a crime, or abet the commission of a crime.
- The telecommunications that aim to do a antinational act.
- The telecommunications that are injurious to public morals or social order.
For more information, or to pledge your support, email SING via:
antiropy@member.sing-kr.org |
