Minjung Party may face fine for meeting NK party

Minjung Party co-leader Jung Tae-heung poses after having an interview with The Korea Times at party headquarters on Yeouido, Wednesday. / Korea Times photo by Park Ji-won

By Park Ji-won

The Ministry of Unification may fine the minor leftist Minjung Party for its unauthorized meeting last week with a North Korean political party in Shenyang, China, according to the party's co-leader, Thursday.

Three delegates from each of the two parties met in the Chinese city from Friday to Saturday to seek parliamentary exchanges between the two Koreas. To arrange the meeting, the two had exchanged letters via the unification ministry.

After agreeing with the Korean Social Democratic Party of North Korea to meet in Shenyang, the Minjung Party sought permission from the ministry. But the ministry refused to permit the party's trip, and instead asked it to delay the meeting.

However, the party went ahead anyway.

Minjung Party co-leader Jung Tae-heung, who was also part of the delegation to Shenyang, said he was told the government may fine the party for the gathering in Shenyang.

"We could have been punished for violating the National Security Law, if the ministry wanted to do so, because the meeting was not authorized in advance," Jung said. "However, the ministry will not apply the law strictly this time because our contacts with the North Korean party were made through the ministry."

Under the law, any South Koreans who wants to meet with North Koreans should notify the ministry seven days beforehand about the meeting, except in specific cases, otherwise they can be fined.

Jung said South Korea's sanctions on North Korea are another hindrance in seeking cooperation with the North as it doesn't allow South Koreans to spend money in North Korea.

"We are not allowed to spend money in North Korea or for North Koreans under the sanctions," Jung said.

Kim Hong-gul, the youngest son of former President Kim Dae-jung who currently chairs the Korean Council for Reconciliation and Cooperation, also echoed this recently. He went to Pyongyang recently for inter-Korean cooperation. Because of that, South Koreans had to bring food to the North from the South.

Jung hoped the government would ease the security law or its applications on those who want to meet North Koreans to achieve the April 27 Panmunjeom Declaration.

The party plans to visit Pyongyang in late August or early September for further party exchanges if the North's party accepts its proposal. They are waiting for the government's decision on fining them. Jung's hope is that the government will show leniency.

"I read the declaration so many times," he said. "And there is a line in the settlement that the two leaders solemnly declared before the 80 million Korean people and the whole world that there will be no more war on the Korean Peninsula and thus a new era of peace has begun. What I hope is that there will be no more hostility or confrontation but reconciliation and cooperation. I hope there is no retreat from this. And I want to do so many things with North Korea."

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