Police investigate Web sites posting pro-North articles

The Ministry of Information and Communication has asked police to investigate representatives of three South Korean civic groups on charges of posting pro-North Korean articles on their Web sites and refusing to remove them, the National Police Agency announced yesterday.
“We asked the groups to remove the postings in September of last year and again last month, but they did not comply,” said an official at the ministry who refused to be named.
On the Web site of one of the groups, Solidarity for Practice of the South-North Korea Joint Declaration, a message posted on Feb. 16 is titled, “The brave General Kim Jong-il has been leading the 70 million people of this country to an era of autonomy and unification.”
The figure refers to the combined population of North and South Korea.
Another posting was written by someone using the moniker, “A Seoul citizens’ committee on General Kim Jong-il.”
It says, “General Kim Jong-il overshadows any world leader and gives a new vision to 6 billion people in the world.” The online board is open to anyone.
It is illegal here to publish pro-North Korean material.
According to the law on information and communication networks, those who defy a ministry order to remove a pro-North Korean posting can be punished by imprisonment of up to two years or a fine of up to 10 million won ($10,570).
“On the three groups’ Web sites, about 150 pro-North Korean messages, praising North Korean leaders Kim Jong-il and encouraging an anti-American movement, have been posted. We are going to file criminal charges against them,” said a police official who declined to be named.
“It is very regrettable that the government plans to file a criminal charge against us while relations between South and North Korea have been improving. This action is very outdated and will create a negative impact on relations between the two Koreas,” said Choi Han-wook, a Solidarity group official.

By Kim Soe-jung JoongAng Ilbo/ Kang In-sik Staff Writer [soejung@joongang.co.kr]