Ruling Party Seeks to Reform Laws On National Security and Rights

The ruling Millennium Democratic Party on Sunday said that it will push to revise the draconian National Security Law and to grant local election voting rights to foreigners 20 years old or above through the next National Assembly's regular session.

Chairman Suh Young-hoon of the ruling party said Sunday that the party will also put forth bills to improve human rights. "We have been working on a set of revised and new bills to uphold human rights and realize national reconciliation, the fruits of which will soon materialize," Mr. Suh said.

The ruling party has been trying to move forward with human rights and security law reform for some time now. But it has faced resistance from the opposition, which has defied large-scale change to the security law in particular.

With the nation basking in a post-Nobel Peace Prize glow, however, the ruling party is judging the time is right to press ahead with these reforms.

Under the party's draft, revisions to the National Security Law will focus on Sections Two, Seven and Ten.

Under these sections, North Korea is defined as an anti-state entity and southerners are forbidden from supporting or praising it in any manner. South Koreans who join pro-Pyongyang organizations or have unauthorized contact with neighbors from the North are subject to prison terms.

Another major expected change up for consideration is to allow foreigners 20 years old or older to participate in electing provincial government heads and legislators. The measure would aim to persuade the Japanese government to give suffrage to ethnic Koreans in provincial elections in Japan.

The other laws facing revision are those on fighting corruption, criminal prosecution, telecommunications security and working mothers' rights.

On the establishment of a state human rights body, the ruling party said that it plans a "three-way meeting" with the government and civic groups to agree on the status of the body.

The Ministry of Justice hopes to set it up as a non-governmental agency whereas the civic groups are pushing for its establishment as a criminally independent government agency.

The ruling party said that it will move to limit the scope of powers for agencies allowed to wiretap for official purposes, extend the rights of foreign workers in Korea and prolong maternity leave to 90 days from the current 60.

Mr. Suh will debrief the president on these measures at the Blue House on Monday.

by Kim Ji-soo