South Korea Retaliates Against Outspoken Catholic Priest with ‘Pro-North’ Accusations · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

South Korea has launched an investigation into a prominent Catholic priest after he made remarks calling on the country's president to resign over the state spy agency and Defense Ministry's widespread manipulation of online leading up to last year's elections.
Park Chang-shin, a priest from the Diocese of Jeonju and a member of the Catholic Priests’ Association for Justice who has been outspoken in his criticism of the president over the electioneering scandal, is under fire for his comments involving North Korea. During one of his recent homilies (full text [ko]), he said that “it was natural for the North to attack Yeonpyeong island since the United States and South Korea held joint military exercises near its sea border” referring to North Korean attack against that border island in November 2010 which left two civilians and two marines dead.
This has become ammunition for the government to have him invested by prosecutors. South Korea's prime minister labeled Park's remarks as “destructive to the country and supportive of the enemy”, and the Defense Minister chimed in by calling him an “enemy of the state”. It is ironic because in that same homily, Park also said that he is “so sick of the ‘pro-North’ rhetoric that the conservative regimes love to adopt and abuse in order to clamp down on critics after branding them as pro-North Korea sympathizers.”
Since late summer of this year, Catholic leadership in South Korea, spearheaded by the Catholic Priests’ Association for Justice, has been vocal in condemning the government's systematic interference, regularly holding combinations of Catholic Mass and candlelight vigils in protest. The group has the history [ko] of resisting against President Park's father's dictatorial rule back in the 1970s and also were the ones who unearthed the torture and death of Park Jong-Chul, a milestone that lead to the June Democratic Movement in 1987.
The latest revelations about the electioneering scandal show that more 24.2 million tweets have been written by the spy agency and the Defense Ministry's Cyberwarfare Command to smear opposition candidates and praise current president Park Geun-hye. As more and more protests have sprung up, the president recently said that ‘she would not tolerate any attempts to cause social division and hurt national unity’.
The Korean web has erupted with anger and concerns over the nation's freedom of expression and democracy in light of the treatment of Father Park.
Prominent citizen journalist @mediamongu tweeted a photo of a special Mass organized by the CPAJ and celebrated by Father Park on November 22. Approximately 400 priests and Catholics reportedly participated in this protest:
박근혜 대통령 사퇴 촉구 첫 시국미사가 끝난 후 신부님들과 신자들이 촛불 들고 “대통령은 사퇴하라”는 구호 외치며 거리행진을 하고 있습니다 pic.twitter.com/BtJz0KM5Cc
— 미디어몽구 (@mediamongu) November 22, 2013
After the Mass and protest calling for President Park's resignation ended, priests and Catholics members took to the streets, holding candles in their hands and shouting ‘Step down, President!’
Many net users expressed their fear over the fact that pro-North rhetoric has been used so frequently against progressive groups and critics of the government:
박정권이 사제단을 종북으로 몰기 위해 연평도 발언을 왜곡이용하고 있는데, 그것이 아니었어도 어떤 식으로든 종북으로 몰았을 것입니다. 그것 밖에 카드가 없거든요. 이제 부정선거 지적하는 개신교도 원불교도 조계종도 전부 종북이 될 것입니다. 한심합니다
— 김정란(국민TV) (@pupituu) November 26, 2013
Park's government is distorting and abusing the Yeonpyeong island remark to brand the CPAJ as ‘pro-North’. If they had not used it this time, they would have found some other excuse to label them as pro-North. Since this [rhetoric] is the only card they can play right now, [that is why they are using this tactic]. Any group criticizing the fraudulent election will be labeled as ‘pro-North’– whether they are Protestant, Won Buddhists, Jogye Order of Korean Buddhist or else. This is just pathetic.
이명박 정부 이래 정권에 비판적 목소리는 무조건 종북으로 매도..이젠 천주교 정의구현 사제단마저 ‘종북'사제단으로 매도되는 지경이니 마침내 ‘종북’의 기준이 분명해졌다. 정권에 쓴소리를 하거나 대통령 사퇴를 주장하면 모두가 종북이다!! (민중의 소리) — Yoon.s (@prettyYoon7002) November 26, 2013
Under the [previous] Lee Myung-bak administration, every voice that was critical of the government was labeled as pro-North. Now the CPAJ is being branded as a pro-North Catholic group. Now it becomes crystal clear: Anyone who says something negative about the government and calls for Park's resignation are all ‘pro-North’.
광주 시민사회. “천주교 정의구현 사제단의 시국미사를 적극 지지한다. 국가기관을 총동원한 헌정유린에 대해 국민들의 규탄의 목소리와 종교인들의 시국미사에 ‘종북’으로만 답하는 박근혜정부는 더 큰 국민적 저항을 맞이할 수 밖에 없다.”
— 레인메이커 (@mettayoon) November 26, 2013
Gwangju civic society said, “We strongly support CPAJ's Mass and protest. The people have accused the government bodies of colluding together to violate the Constitution and the religious leaders have continued to hold Mass and protests – if the ‘pro-North’ rhetoric is the only answer that the Park government can give to all these calls, they will soon face fiercer and more widespread public resistance.
Net users also lamented the fact that conservative Korean media have blindly sided with the ruling party, and that members of the Catholic Church are being attacked [ko] by conservative groups:
정교분리는 ‘종교기관'의 정치유착을 경계하는 의미지 헌법상 보장된 ‘개인'의 표현자유를 묶는 의민 아니다.국정원 대선개입 물타기에 급급한 한국언론아.너의 주인을 위해 짖더라도 뭘 알고 짖어라.그리고 잊지마라.너의 주인은 국민이다.반드시 죄과를 치르리라
— 최경영 (@kyung0) November 26, 2013
The logic of ‘separation of church and state’ is made to prevent a collusion between politics and religion, not to restrict ‘individuals’ freedom of expression which is protected by the constitution. You Korean media are so busy watering down the NIS [National Intelligence Service] election manipulation scandal [by making other sensational headlines]. Although you may bark for your master, at least have the courtesy to know what you are barking about. And remember that your master is the people. You will pay for this.
사제단에 가해지는 ‘종북’ 폭격..'확성기’ 노릇하는 언론들 http://t.co/MJvNLYo3T3 — 표창원 (Changwon Pyo) (@DrPyo) November 26, 2013
The ‘pro-North rhetoric’ attacks have bombarded the CPAJ and the media have merely been amplifying the assaults.
오늘 박근혜가 말안듣는 국민들을 가만두지 않겠다는 협박 멘트가 떨어지기 무섭게 고엽제 전우회가 전주대교구 성당을 난장판을 만들었다. 불법폭력시위에 단호히 대처한다고한 박근혜씨는 성스런 성당의 불법폭력 난입사태에는 어떻게 대응하는지 지켜봐야 겠다.
— 언론이 살아야 나라가 산다.(나친노) (@answer1219) November 25, 2013
Today, right after Park Geun-hye made a threatening comment that she will not let those rebellious citizens go in peace, [note: This is how user understand it, and not the exact words from the President] conservative group, Goyeopje Veteran group, totally trashed Jeonju church. Lets see how Park Geun-hye reacts to the illegal and violent transgression made against a sacred church since she is the one who said will be taking firm measures against illegal, violent protests.
이석기사건이 터젔을땐 이석기인형을 불태우더니 이번엔 천주교사제단을 종북으로 몰며 인형을 불태우는 보수단체들. 흡사 마녀화형식을 보는듯 촌스럽군요. 어르신들 모여서 고작 이런 협박이라니. 참 새로움이 없어요. pic.twitter.com/6fANlkVT1w
— 희윤#바보가꿈꾸는세상#국정원특검 (@hee1025w) November 25, 2013
When the Lee Seok-ki fiasco happened, they [conservative groups] burnt Lee Seok-ki's effigy. Now they brand CPAJ as pro-North and are burning their effigies. Come on, this is quite tired – as if seeing a witch-burning ceremony. This kind of blackmailing that these old guys pull off – there is nothing new in any of this.