An event titled 'One Year Since the State of Emergency: Rethinking Korean Democracy' was held at the Gwanak Campus on the afternoon of the 2nd, hosted by the Seoul National University Institute for National Future Strategy. Yonhap News

An opinion from a constitutional scholar suggests that the establishment of a 'rebellion-dedicated court' (special rebellion court), promoted by the Democratic Party of Korea, violates the principle of equality.

Lee Hyo-won, a professor at Seoul National University’s Law School, made this assertion as a presenter at the event 'One Year Since the State of Emergency: Rethinking Korean Democracy,' held at the Gwanak Campus on the afternoon of the 2nd, hosted by the Seoul National University Institute for National Future Strategy.

Professor Lee stated, "The National Assembly can expand the types of general courts by amending the Court Organization Act. However, the establishment of a rebellion-dedicated court raises concerns about infringing upon the autonomy of the Supreme Court and its rule-making authority, as it is a judicial administrative matter directly related to trials."

He further added that the only special court recognized by the Constitution is a military court. "It is unconstitutional to create a law based on a specific event to establish a court, unless the premise is that rebellion cases will occur frequently in the future and therefore a court needs to be established, as this violates equality before the law," he said.

Professor Lee pointed out that while the introduction of a 'trial petition' is possible through an amendment to the Constitutional Court Act alone, it carries the risk of infringing upon the right to a speedy trial.

He noted that although the Constitutional Court Act stipulates that judgments must be rendered within 180 days of accepting a case, there have been instances where it took 10 years and 3 months. "The trial petition can only be aligned with reality once the prerequisite of a speedy trial is resolved," he commented.

At the event, Professor Han Gyu-seop of Seoul National University’s Department of Communication and Information also presented on the topic of 'YouTube Addiction in Korean Politics.'

According to Professor Han, 84% of South Korean National Assembly members operate personal YouTube channels, a figure double that of the U.S. Congress (42%).

Professor Han also pointed out that a phenomenon where a few YouTube broadcasts or lawmakers monopolize influence has been observed.

Among the 2,534 YouTube appearances by National Assembly members from the start of the 22nd National Assembly until mid-last month, Democratic Party lawmaker Choi Min-hee ranked first with 196 appearances (7.7%). Including lawmakers Kim Jun-hyung and Shin Jang-sik from the Cho Kuk Innovation Party and Democratic Party lawmaker Park Ji-won, who ranked in the top four, the total reached 572 appearances (22.6%), accounting for nearly a quarter.

The YouTube broadcast with the highest number of lawmaker appearances was 'Kim Eo-jun's Humility is Hard News Factory' with 958 appearances (37.8%). The second was 'Mae Bul Show' (570 appearances, 22.5%), and the third was 'OhmyTV' (395 appearances, 15.6%). The top three broadcasts combined accounted for 75.9% of lawmaker appearances.

Professor Han evaluated, "Compared to the United States, fandom politics in Korea is extremely strong. Some YouTube channels and participants wield immense influence, and there are limitations to YouTube providing opportunities to more lawmakers as a platform as had been hoped."

Yonhap News