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American set to be deported from South Korea for pro-North views American set to be deported from South Korea for pro-North views
(about 3 hours later)
TOKYO — A Korean-American woman who traveled around South Korea saying complimentary things about North Korea could be deported as soon as Friday. Authorities in Seoul have accused her of violating the country’s anti-communist national security law. TOKYO — A Korean American woman who traveled around South Korea saying complimentary things about North Korea could be deported as soon as Friday. Authorities in Seoul have accused her of violating the country’s anti-communist national security law.
The bizarre case has elicited furious reactions from conservatives and North Korean defectors, and raised questions about freedom of speech in the democratic South. The bizarre case has elicited furious reactions from conservatives and North Korean defectors. It also has raised questions about freedom of speech in the democratic South.
Shin Eun-mi, a 54-year-old classical singer from Los Angeles, was banned from leaving South Korea for the last three weeks while being investigated for breaching the decades-old National Security Act, which prohibits "aiding the enemy." Shin Eun-mi, a 54-year-old classical singer from Los Angeles, was banned from leaving South Korea the past three weeks while being investigated on suspicion of breaching the decades-old National Security Act, which prohibits “aiding the enemy.”
After the travel ban expired on Thursday, prosecutors asked the justice ministry to deport for Shin back to the United States and to ban her from returning for five years. She arrived in Seoul on a tourist visa in November. After the travel ban expired Thursday, prosecutors asked the Justice Ministry to deport Shin back to the United States and to ban her from returning for five years. She arrived in Seoul on a tourist visa in November.
A spokesman for the prosecutors' office said that even if a foreign citizen had not been charged with a crime, they could still be deported for being dangerous to public safety. A spokesman for the prosecutor’s office said that even if a foreign citizen had not been charged with a crime, they could still be deported if thought to pose danger to public safety.
Shin, who denies allegations that she is pro-Pyongyang, said she was the subject of a "witch hunt." Shin, who denies allegations that she is pro-Pyongyang, said she was the subject of a “witch hunt.”
"The prosecutors asked me about the content of the talking event, my books, postings and my lectures in the U.S. in a great detail," said Shin, who was born in South Korea but moved to the United States to pursue a master's degree. "I told them that I am the victim of false reporting by conservative media outlets." “The prosecutors asked me about the content of the talking event, my books, postings and my lectures in the U.S. in a great detail,” said Shin, who was born in South Korea but moved to the United States to pursue a master’s degree. “I told them that I am the victim of false reporting by conservative media outlets.”
The case relates to Shin’s lectures in South Korea in which she talked about her repeated trips to North Korea. The Northtechnically remains an enemy of the South as the Korean War ended in 1953 in an armistice, not a peace treaty. The case relates to Shin’s lectures in South Korea, in which she talked about her repeated trips to North Korea. The North technically remains an enemy of the South as the Korean War ended in 1953 in an armistice, not a peace treaty.
“I wish to live my life helping North Korea by opening a youth center in the North,” Shin said during a lecture last month in Iksan, which was abruptly brought to a stop when an 18-year-old high school senior threw a handmade bomb at the speaker. Three people were injured. “I wish to live my life helping North Korea by opening a youth center in the North,” Shin said during a lecture last month in Iksan, which was abruptly brought to a stop when an 18-year-old high school senior threw a handmade bomb at her. Three people were injured.
Conservative groups have protested — verbally — at similar talks Shin has given, calling her a North Korean sympathizer. Conservative groups have protested — verbally — at similar talks Shin has given, calling her a North Korea sympathizer.
Shin and her husband first visited North Korea in 2011, and after her second trip in 2012, she gained a huge following with her travel reports by “an ordinary middle-aged woman”for Ohmynews, a news Web site run by “citizen reporters.” Shin and her husband first visited North Korea in 2011. After her second trip, in 2012, she gained a huge following with her travel reports by “an ordinary middle-aged woman” for Ohmynews, a news Web site run by “citizen reporters.”
In her postings, Shin had portrayed a positive view of life in North Korea, talking about a "warm hearted, pretty and lovely" waitress she met at a hotel and luxurious restaurants in Pyongyang that were not just for communist party members and foreign visitors, but for everybody, she said. In her postings, Shin had offered a positive view of life in North Korea, talking about a “warm hearted, pretty and lovely” waitress she met at a hotel and luxurious restaurants in Pyongyang that were not just for communist party members and foreign visitors but for everybody, she said.
Her book — “A Korean-American Ajumma Goes to North Korea,” using the Korean word for a middle-aged married woman — was included on the culture ministry’s recommended reading list in 2013, but has recently been removed. Her book — “Korean-American Ajumma Goes to North Korea,” using the Korean word for a middle-aged married woman — was included on the South Korean Culture Ministry’s recommended-reading list in 2013 but was recently removed.
Andrei Lankov, a Russian expert on North Korea who lives in Seoul, defended Shin’s right to free speech, even if he did not agree with her. Andrei Lankov, a Russian expert on North Korea who lives in Seoul, defended Shin’s right to free speech, though he did not agree with her.
“The ideas of Mrs Shin might be naive, and occasionally used by rather nasty forces, but she should have right to say what she thinks,” Lankov said. “The ideas of Mrs. Shin might be naive, and occasionally used by rather nasty forces, but she should have right to say what she thinks,” Lankov said.
The National Security Law, written in 1948 after the division of the Korean peninsula, should have been scrapped years ago, he said. The National Security Law, written in 1948 after the division of the Korean Peninsula, should have been scrapped years ago, he said.
“One should remember that the Communist parties remained operational in most Western democracies in the days of the Cold War, even though their connections with the Soviet intelligence and their dependency of the not-so-secret Soviet subsidies was a common knowledge,” he said. “The sooner this law is repealed, the better." “One should remember that the communist parties remained operational in most Western democracies in the days of the Cold War, even though their connections with the Soviet intelligence and their dependency of the not-so-secret Soviet subsidies was a common knowledge,” he said. “The sooner this law is repealed, the better.”
The law has also been sharply criticized by Amnesty International, which in 2012 issued a report saying that the act had been used to undermine "citizens’ enjoyment of the right to freedom of expression and association". Amnesty International also has sharply criticized the law, issuing a report in 2012 that said the statute had been used to undermine “citizens’ enjoyment of the right to freedom of expression and association.”
Shin had been on the road talking about North Korea with Hwang Sun, a left wing activist and the former deputy spokeswoman for the Democratic Labor Party, a now-defunct political organization that was considered by the authorities to be “anti-state.” Shin had been on the road talking about North Korea with Hwang Sun, a left-wing activist and the former deputy spokeswoman for the Democratic Labor Party, a now-defunct political organization that authorities considered “anti-state.”
Prosecutors also asked for an arrest warrant for Hwang, a 40-year-old South Korean citizen, for the same offenses. Hwang became the subject of controversy when it emerged that she gave birth in Pyongyang by cesarean section on October 10, 2005, the anniversary of the founding of North Korea’s communist Workers’ Party. Prosecutors also asked for an arrest warrant for Hwang, a 40-year-old South Korean citizen, for the same offenses. Hwang became the subject of controversy when it emerged that she gave birth in Pyongyang by Caesarean section on Oct. 10, 2005, the anniversary of the founding of the North Korean Workers’ Party.