According to a diplomatic cable (80SEOUL 014538) declassified by the U.S. government on October 4th of last year (local time), 44 years after the outbreak of the May 18th Uprising, Jeong Dong-nyeon (passed away in 2022), former chairman of the May 18 Memorial Foundation, made a statement confessing his connection to Kim Dae-jung and his guilt before appearing in court. The classified document stated that "Mr. Jeong confessed to being the ringleader of the insurrection and working closely with Kim Dae-jung, stating he 'intended to overthrow the government by violence'." The U.S. Embassy reported that Mr. Jeong, known to be infatuated with Kim Dae-jung, gave money to students for insurrection from his own pocket, saying it came from Kim. The report also detailed the military prosecution's briefing that Mr. Jeong might have hoped for a reward of 'a National Assembly seat' if Kim Dae-jung came to power. Despite 45 years passing, public opinion that the truth of the May 18th Uprising remains concealed is still strong. / Photo: Captured declassified document from the U.S. Department of State. Inserted by Hanmiilbo during editing.

Advisor, Hanmiilbo & Former North Korean Trading Company Representative in the Czech RepublicYesterday, I received a sudden call from the Gwangju Seobu Police Station.

They informed me that the May 18 Foundation had filed a complaint against me, Kim Tae-san, for writing articles disparaging the May 18th Uprising, and that an investigation would be conducted.

The complaint reportedly involves six articles I wrote for the SKY Daily newspaper related to the May 18th Uprising. They asked me to look them up on Naver or the internet.

However, today, a strange official notice arrived from the Yangcheon Police Station in Seoul.

The notice states that someone has filed a defamation lawsuit against me for an article titled "South Korea's Political Arena Resembles North Korea's Dirty Toilet," which I posted on Hanmiilbo and Facebook around August 10th of this year, and that I am summoned for an investigation.

This is a separate complaint from the one filed in Gwangju yesterday. In effect, I have been caught in two separate complaints within two days. I criticize a political scene comprised only of criminals, not an individual, so why is it defamation?

I have never experienced such legal entanglements, not even in North Korea, a dictatorship. To be ensnared by two at once after coming to South Korea, a supposedly free democracy, is disorienting. Is this truly a free democracy where one can openly criticize the president?

If this is the case, they will likely target all my past writings. I anticipate more complaints will be filed.

This proves that South Korea has become a nation with no freedom, where laws are applied arbitrarily. This is a clear attempt to silence patriots by blocking their eyes and ears and sewing their mouths shut. South Korea is no longer a free democratic country.

It seems they are determined to completely silence this defector, who has no money or power, through a barrage of lawsuits and complaints, regardless of whether they are valid or not. There are no longer laws and politics for the people in South Korea.

With nowhere to turn for help and feeling frustrated, I am writing these few lines. I don't know who might file another complaint against this article.

Advisor, Hanmiilbo & Former North Korean Trading Company Representative in the Czech Republic