has been acknowledged by some politicians, scholars, and activists as a symbol of the anti-communism of South Korea's dictatorial First Republic and a potential restriction on freedom of speech since the law not only regulates activities that directly threaten the safety of the State but also punishes those who praise or incite an anti-state group. Indeed, according to a report written by Amnesty International, the most widely used clause of the National Security Act is: Administration The South Korean High Court has a ruling history since 1978 that has classified 1,220 books and print material as "Enemy's Expressions" by force of precedence. Two state-established research institutes decide what books and print materials meet the criteria of "Enemy's Expressions": the Democratic Ideology Institute, established in 1997 under the direct orders of the Chief Prosecutor, and the Public Safety Affairs Institute of the Korea National Police University. In 2012, a South Korean man, Park Jung-geun, was indicted and charged under the National Security Law for reposting altered North Korean propaganda on social media. The man, who described his use of the material as intended to lampoon the North Korean regime, received a ten-month suspended prison sentence. Military During the Lee Myung-bak government, some South Korean military officers were arrested for suspected pro-North Korean or pro-communist activities. Controversies This law restricts the activities of anti-capitalist socialist parties or pro-North Korean parties in South Korea. Therefore, the law has been criticized by liberals for dampening the freedom of party activities. Some scholars and international organizations also have negative view towards the law. Some argue that National Security Act has been justifying the violation on human rights under the name of defense against the perceived threat of North Korea and that it functions as an obstacle for peaceful reunification with North Korea. Amnesty International reported that 90 people were charged under the law in 2011, increasing by 95.6% between 2008 and 2011. It described the National Security Act as a tool to "harass and arbitrarily prosecute individuals and civil society organizations who are peacefully exercising their rights to freedom of expression, opinion and association" and to "remove people who are perceived to threaten established political views, to prevent people from taking part in discussions surrounding relations with North Korea." In 1998, Ha Young-joon, a graduate student at Hanyang University formerly active with the International Socialists movement, was tried and sentenced to 8 months in prison