Compensation Fixed For Kin of Activists
The bereaved families of those who died or disappeared during pro-democracy movements will be given 100 million won ($77,000) each.Those who were injured or are suffering from diseases will be given up to 90 million won. Monetary compensation will also be paid to those who were unjustly imprisoned or sacked from their jobs for reasons related to pro-democracy activities during South Korea's years of dictatorship before 1992.
The Review Committee on Restoring Honor and Compensating Pro-Democracy Activists said Tuesday that it had completed draft legislation to provide the payments.
The committee's action follows the recognition of more than 1,200 people as pro-democracy activists in accordance with a 1999 act of the National Assembly. The act in its present form stipulates that compensation follow the National Compensation Act, which provides a broader set of guidelines.
The committee said it had asked both ruling and opposition parties to pass the legislation swiftly after some modifications. It added that it planned to distribute the first 100 billion won as soon as the assembly passes the bill.
The committee's draft calls for a flat provision of 100 million won to bereaved families instead of the existing formula, which bases the amount of compensation on how much the victims would have earned if they were alive. The injured and the ill will get 90 million won times the percentage of their labor productivity loss.
In terms of restoring honor, the committee decided to recommend that the president consider reinstating the social positions that the activists lost in trials.
Those who were laid off would get their jobs back and students who were expelled would have their records erased and receive honorary diplomas.
A total of 8,440 people applied last year to be considered pro-democracy activists. The committee reviewed the documents of 1,548 of them and recognized the claims of 1,208. It will accept a second batch of applications between October and December.
Among the 1,208 activists officially recognized are Chon Tae-il, a 22-year-old apparel worker who burned himself to death in 1970 to draw attention to unsatisfactory labor standards; Park Chong-chul, who died from police torture, and Lee Han-yol, who was killed by a tear gas bomb. Both Mr. Park and Mr. Lee were university students.
The activities of Park Kwon-sang, president of the Korea Broadcasting System, and Park Joon-young, the Blue House spokesman, were also recognized. Both men were laid off during a massive closure of media companies in 1980 by General Chun Doo-hwan.
by Ko Dae-hoon
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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