“Communist Party” Joke Triggers National Security Investigation In South Korea
A picture of a group of Korean individuals under a “Communist Party” banner has set off a national security investigation in South Korea.
The image, which was circulated online recently, showed around 20 people, including children, standing under a banner that read “Inaugural Korean Communist Party Family Summer Camp.” The photo spread on Korean online communities quickly and multiple citizens alerted the authorities by filing espionage complaints.
On Thursday, August 22, the South Jeolla police confirmed to local media that an investigation had been launched regarding these complaints. From the picture itself, authorities figured out that the event took place between August 4 and August 6 at a guesthouse in the Jeolla province.
Further probe into the picture, however, revealed that the group[ was far from a collective of spies. The individuals have been identified as members of a local money pooling group and their families who were enjoying a summer vacation together. The “Communist Party” banner, according to authorities, was an inside joke of the group, poking fun at their decision-making process. The moniker was brought by one of the members as a gag prop.
Despite South Korea being a free and democratic country, even joking references to communism don’t translate well. Since the country is still technically at war with the North, it has many legal and political frameworks in place aimed at restricting any sort of association with the “enemy.” The National Security Act of South Korea, established in 1948, provides the basis for punishing members and supporters of “anti-state organizations” as well as those who “praise” or “encourage” entities that are considered state enemies. The law doesn’t explicitly outlaw communism, but it is vague enough to allow authoritarian leaders of South Korea to use the “communist” label to suppress dissent.
According to legal experts, however, in today’s South Korea, parties openly promoting communist ideals might not face charges under the National Security Act, as it is applied with much greater restraint.
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