Prosecution, Sentenced Mr. Mun, Vice-Chairman of the Democratic Mental Federation to seven-year imprisonment and disqualify

By Lee Jung-hee, Weekly Korea Labor News, no.3, 24 April 1996

The last trial of Mr. Mun Sung-hyun, the Vice-Chairman of the Democratic Mental Federation of Korea was held in April, 17. At the last trial, the prosecution was sentenced to seven-year imprisonment and disqualify with violating the National Security Law and the prohibition act of the the intervention of a third party in disputes. The result on the fixed sentence of the law court in April. 27 is noticed because the prosecution is sentenced to heavy punishment unexpectedly in the trial of Mun, Vice-Chairman who was under arrest and indictment in Dec. 1, last year.

The last trial proceeded with the trial of Kim Young-gon, the President of National Labor Movement Council of Korea (Nohunhyub, NLMCK) and Park Chan-sik, the Vice-President of it and comprised the interrogation of witnesses was applied by the defense body, Rev. Jin Bang-ju of the Youngdeungpo Industrial Mission, Yang Jae-duk, Chairperson of Korea Council of Labor Organization (Hannohyup) and Lee Hae-gwan, Vice-President of Korea Telecom Trade Union, the opinion presentation on punishment by the prosecution, the argument of lawyer and the last statement of the accused.

The prosecution and Kang Ik-chung prosecutor took charge of this trial suspicion that Mr. Mun affiliated himself with the organization benefiting the enemy, NLMCK, the content of the Labor Movement magazine, the issue magazine of NLMCK is a expressing thing benefiting the enemy and he educated, regulate and agitated illegal dispute action in Korea Telecom trade union and then they was sentenced to seven punishment. Also, the prosecution was sentenced to same punishment, seven year’s imprisonment to Kim Young-koun, the Chairman and to five year’s imprisonment to Park Chan-chik, the Chief of Department.

In this punishment of the prosecution, the defense body argued that NLMCK is a organization which has variety ideologically to support the labor movement and most internal labor movement organization have labor emancipation and independent democratic unification which appear in the agreement. Therefore If only NLMCK apply to the charge benefiting the enemy, that run counter to equipoise logic and also since NLMCK organized in not March, 1990 but June, 1988. The defense body insisted that appellate prescription was expired actually as the insistence of the prosecution.

Following, the defense body argued that there isn’t comment on what kind of utterance and writing of the accused made national security infringed concretely in written arraignment and the accused didn’t praise and act in concert with North Korea actually and somewhat unfamiliar term of movement circle propensity should guarantee in respect of the freedom of thought. Also it argued that the suspicion of violating the third party intervention don’t apply to member of the Federation of Korean Trade Unions(FKTU) and especially, they should be guiltless since prohibiting provisions of the third party intervention don’t have lawful effect and made by the National Security Committee, what they called, in 1980.

Mun, Vice-Chairman who came out to state finally say this trial through 6 years end today and I don’t have disappointed with history and human like today. And he say I applied in suspicion of praising, inspiring and acting in concert with North Korea though I criticized very much Kim Il-sung, ex-leader of North Korea and hereditary politics. That is nonsense. He emphasized the prosecution make clearly what kind of my conduct and utterance praise and inspire North Korea. Also, the intervention of a third party means that the third party intervene in concrete disputing action with control and agitation. Since I educated in Korea Telecom Trade Union don’t start a dispute, I argue that this don’t include suspicion and become invalid cause.

Following, Mun, Vice-Chairman said that Kwon Young-gil, the President of Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) is imprisoned with suspicion of violating the prohibition of the third party intervention and also Park Choong-ryoul who is imprisoned with suspicion of violating the National Security Law were released on bail, but I and two colleagues were sentenced to heavy punishment with this evil law. That is not proper word.. He request that the court take into account win of the ruling party in general electon and join in the OECD and else internal and external affairs and judge wisely lest I and two colleagues live prison life with evil laws will amend at the point of view of discussing the amendment of the concrete the labor laws.

The settled sentence will be at 10:00 a.m. in April, 27.