After the World War II, Korean peninsula occupied by the two superpowers. The United States occupied the South side of the country, and the USSR occupied the North side of the country. After the division between the South and the North is became certain, the Republic of Korea established the National Security Law in 1948. The main purpose of the National Security Law is to prevent any event that might against the government. Although, the National Security Law has been changed several times, it is still an obstacle for the some of the civil and political rights in the country.
The National Security Act was specifically used as a tool to justify the government’s actions against North Korean supporters. With the Law, anything that could be beneficial for the North side considered as an anti-state action and will be punished. At the beginning of the Republic of Korea, this law was used for the interests of the government, especially for the strengthen the government structure. After the Korean War, and increasing threats from the North side, the implementation of the law increased. On the other hand, the government’s abuse of the law also affected most of the innocent people. However, during the 80’s South Korea’s rising authoritarian regime turned its way to the consolidation of democracy.
With the movements toward to the consolidation of democracy, Constitution of the Republic of Korea has been changed for several times. Although the amendments reduce the implementation of the National Security Law, its repeal still cannot be achieved. The revisions of the law improved the civil and political rights of the citizens. However, anything that supports, defends or favors North Korean side and its government still prohibited. Therefore, freedom of expression in South Korea still has some limitations.
On the other hand, both republics’ presidents met in 2018, to reduce the tension and talk about the possible reunification (King, 2020). Regime differences among the both sides create criticisms about the reconciliation. Therefore, new nonviolent protests occurred in South Korea towards to the North side. One of the purposes of the protests is criticisms over the North Korean human right violations (Human Rights Watch, 2020). Human Rights activists in South Korea sent balloons that includes leaflets, flash drivers to the North side. Leaflets were carrying external information for the North Korea citizens. Leaflet protests created a new tension between both sides.
Although protests are considered under the freedom of expression rights, increasing tension between both sides pushed the government of South Korea to take some actions about the protests. At the beginning, South Korea government did not take any actions which could be against the rights of the citizens even though the warnings of the North side. However, with the continuation of the protests, North side took some actions, and created some threats against the citizens who lives in border areas.
Due to the increasing tension and the North side’s aggressive threats, South Korea government banned the leaflet balloons. Also, Moon’s government considers more limitations for the freedom of expression rights. Government’s justification of these new considerations is protect the security of the citizens who live in border areas (Duk-Kun, 2020). Many questions have been raised after the new ban and possible restrictions on freedom of expression. On the one hand, the government’s new strategies are criticized internationally and domestically.
Government’s new ban for the leaflet is against the right of the freedom of expression. Furthermore, government imposed another requirements to the new ban, such as pecuniary punishment or jail time (King, 2020). These requirements were only applicable under the National Security Law when citizens behave against the law. National Security Law was the last obstacle for the freedom of expression. However, with the new restrictions government’s control over expressions of the citizens increased.
President Moon’s efforts for the normalizing the relations with the North side resulted with giving up on the rights of the citizens. In the past, anything that favors the North side was restricted, but it seems this law is turning against itself. The change in government attitudes creates another criticism that the North side may have more power over the terms of compromise, which might be a huge risk for the democracy of the country
1. Byun Duk-kun, FM says freedom of expression can be limited over leafleting ban, (YonHap News Agency, 2021).
2. Diane B. Kraft, South Korea’s National Security Law: A tool of Oppression in an Insecure World, (Wisconsin International Law Journal, 2006).
3. Human Rights Watch, South Korea: Stop Intimidating North Korean Human Rights Groups, (Human Rights Watch, 2020).
4. Robert R. King, South Korea Bans Balloons Carrying Leaflets to the North. Foreign Policy Problems Will Follow, (Center for Strategic & International Studies, 2020).
5. Tae-jun Kang, South Korean Government and North Korean Defectors Clash over Leaflets, (The Diplomat, 2020).
6. Tae-jun Kang, Is South Korea Ready to Say Goodbye to Its National Security Law, (The Diplomat, 2018).
Baada ya Vita Kuu ya Pili ya Ulimwengu, peninsula ya Korea ilichukuliwa na mataifa mawili makubwa. Marekani ilishikilia sehemu ya kusini ya nchi hiyo, na Muungano wa Sovieti ulishikilia sehemu ya kaskazini ya nchi hiyo. Baada ya kugawanyika kwa Korea Kusini na Korea Kaskazini, Korea Kusini ilianzisha Sheria ya Usalama wa Kitaifa mnamo 1948. Lengo kuu la Sheria ya Usalama wa Taifa ni kuzuia tukio lolote ambalo linaweza kupinga serikali. Ingawa sheria hiyo imebadilishwa mara kadhaa, bado ni kikwazo kwa haki za kiraia na kisiasa nchini humo. Sheria ya Usalama wa Taifa ilitumiwa hasa kama chombo cha kuhalalisha vitendo vya serikali dhidi ya wafuasi wa Korea Kaskazini. Sheria hiyo inaweka kwamba chochote kinachoweza kuwa na manufaa kwa upande wa Kaskazini kitakuwa ni kinyume cha sheria na kitashtakiwa. Katika mwanzo wa Jamhuri ya Korea, sheria hii ilitumiwa kwa maslahi ya serikali, hasa kwa kuimarisha muundo wa serikali. Baada ya Vita vya Korea, na kuongezeka kwa vitisho kutoka upande wa Kaskazini, utekelezaji wa sheria uliongezeka. Kwa upande mwingine, matumizi mabaya ya serikali ya sheria pia yaliathiri wengi wa watu wasio na hatia. Hata hivyo, wakati wa miaka ya 1980, utawala wa Korea Kusini uliokuwa ukiongezeka uligeuka kuelekea kuimarisha demokrasia. Pamoja na harakati kuelekea kuimarishwa kwa demokrasia, Katiba ya Jamhuri ya Korea imebadilishwa mara kadhaa. Ingawa marekebisho hayo yanapunguza utekelezaji wa Sheria ya Usalama wa Taifa, bado haiwezi kufikiwa kuifutwa. Marekebisho ya sheria yaliboresha haki za kiraia na kisiasa za raia. Hata hivyo, chochote kinachounga mkono, kulinda au kupendelea upande wa Korea Kaskazini na serikali yake bado kimepigwa marufuku. Kwa hiyo, uhuru wa kujieleza nchini Korea Kusini bado una mipaka fulani. Rais wa Jamhuri zote mbili alikutana mnamo 2018 ili kupunguza mvutano na kuzungumza juu ya kuungana tena. Tofauti za utawala kati ya pande zote mbili huunda ukosoaji kuhusu upatanisho. Kwa hiyo, maandamano mapya yasiyo ya vurugu yalitokea nchini Korea Kusini kuelekea upande wa Kaskazini. Miongoni mwa sababu za maandamano hayo ni kukosoa ukiukaji wa haki za binadamu nchini Korea Kaskazini (Human Rights Watch, 2020). Wanaharakati wa haki za binadamu nchini Korea Kusini wamepeleka puto na vipeperushi vya usalama kwa Korea Kaskazini. Vijitabu vilikuwa na habari za nje kwa ajili ya raia wa Korea Kaskazini. Maandamano ya kurasa za maandishi yalitokeza mvutano mpya kati ya pande zote mbili. Ingawa maandamano hayo yanaonekana kuwa ya haki ya uhuru wa kujieleza, kuongezeka kwa mvutano kati ya pande zote mbili kulisukuma serikali ya Korea Kusini kuchukua hatua fulani kuhusu maandamano hayo. Mwanzoni, serikali ya Korea Kusini haikuchukua hatua yoyote ambayo ingeweza kupinga haki za raia licha ya maonyo ya upande wa Kaskazini. Hata hivyo, kwa kuendelea kwa maandamano, upande wa Kaskazini ulichukua hatua fulani, na kuunda vitisho fulani dhidi ya raia wanaoishi katika maeneo ya mpaka. Kwa sababu ya kuongezeka kwa mvutano na vitisho vya kikatili vya upande wa Kaskazini, serikali ya Korea Kusini ilipiga marufuku puto za vijitabu. Pia, serikali ya Moon inachukulia mipaka zaidi kwa haki za uhuru wa kujieleza. Serikali inaelezea kuwa hatua hiyo ni ya kulinda usalama wa raia wanaoishi katika maeneo ya mpakani (Duk-Kun, 2020). Maswali mengi yameibuliwa baada ya marufuku hiyo mpya na vizuizi vinavyowezekana juu ya uhuru wa kujieleza. Kwa upande mmoja, mikakati mipya ya serikali inashutumiwa kimataifa na ndani ya nchi. Marufuku mpya ya serikali kwa kijitabu hicho ni dhidi ya haki ya uhuru wa kujieleza. Kwa kuongezea, serikali iliweka mahitaji mengine kwa marufuku mpya, kama vile adhabu ya kifedha au muda wa gereza (Mfalme, 2020). Mahitaji haya yalitumika tu chini ya Sheria ya Usalama wa Taifa wakati raia wanafanya kinyume na sheria. Sheria ya Usalama wa Taifa ilikuwa kizuizi cha mwisho kwa uhuru wa kujieleza. Hata hivyo, kwa vizuizi vipya udhibiti wa serikali juu ya kujieleza kwa raia uliongezeka. Jitihada za Rais Moon za kurekebisha mahusiano na upande wa Kaskazini zilisababisha kuachana na haki za raia. Zamani, kila kitu kilichopendelea upande wa Kaskazini kilikuwa na vizuizi, lakini inaonekana sheria hii inageuka dhidi yake mwenyewe. Mabadiliko katika mitazamo ya serikali yanaunda ukosoaji mwingine kwamba upande wa Kaskazini unaweza kuwa na nguvu zaidi juu ya masharti ya makubaliano, ambayo inaweza kuwa hatari kubwa kwa demokrasia ya nchi. Byung-Duk, FM anasema uhuru wa kujieleza unaweza kupunguzwa juu ya marufuku ya kurasa, (Yonhap News Agency, 2021). 2. Uwezekano wa kupata "Kama ilivyoelezwa katika kitabu cha Diane B. Kraft, ""Sheria ya Usalama wa Taifa ya Korea Kusini: Kifaa cha Ukatili katika Ulimwengu usio salama,"" ilichapishwa mnamo 2006 na jarida la sheria la kimataifa la Wisconsin." 3. Uwe na mtazamo wa kweli Human Rights Watch: Korea Kusini: Kuacha kuogopesha makundi ya haki za binadamu ya Korea Kaskazini (Human Rights Watch, 2020) 4. Uwe na uhakika Robert R. King, Korea Kusini Inakataza Baluni Kubeba Karatasi Kaskazini. "Mtazamo wa ""Mafunzo ya Utaratibu wa Nje"" (Center for Strategic and International Studies, 2020) " 5. Uwe na mtazamo mzuri. Tae-jun Kang, Serikali ya Korea Kusini na Waasi wa Korea Kaskazini Wanagongana juu ya Vipeperushi, (The Diplomat, 2020). 6. Uwe na uhakika Tae-jun Kang, Je, Korea Kusini iko tayari kusema kwaheri kwa Sheria yake ya Usalama wa Kitaifa, (The Diplomat, 2018).