On June 10th of last year, members of the Korean Federation of Teachers' Unions (KFTU, an affiliate of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions) protest in front of the Government Complex Seoul in Jongno-gu, Seoul, denouncing Riboxchool for supplying instructors to the "Neulbom School" program in some elementary schools in Seoul and calling for the abolition of outsourcing for after-school programs. [Photo=Yonhap News]
On December 26th of last year, the Ministry of Unification decided to reclassify Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, from "special material" to "general material," making it accessible to everyone, citing the "people's right to know." This decision was made through consultations with relevant ministries. Subsequently, starting from December 30th, it became freely accessible without requiring identification or application forms at 181 institutions nationwide that handle special materials.

The government is presenting the opening of Rodong Sinmun as a justification for "respecting the right to know of our citizens and trusting the mature civic consciousness and information discernment abilities of our people."

However, distributing Rodong Sinmun, which costs a staggering 1.91 million won per copy annually, to institutions nationwide would incur hundreds of millions of won in costs, which would inevitably be covered by taxpayer money. Furthermore, opinions are being raised that this issue is not just about cost but directly relates to national security.

North Korean Websites Also Unblocked... Can the Constitution Be Ignored?

In addition to opening up Rodong Sinmun, the government is also pursuing the phased opening of North Korean websites. The Ministry of Unification is considering lifting the online access restrictions for approximately 60 North Korean websites, including Rodong Sinmun and the Korean Central News Agency. Currently, access to North Korean sites is restricted by the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection, so the government plans to establish a legal basis by revising the Act in cooperation with the National Assembly.

Concurrently, the "National Institute for Peace and Unification Archives," which will serve as a central hub for accessing North Korean materials, is being pursued with a target opening date of 2027, along with the enactment of a "Law on the Management and Utilization of North Korean Materials" to support it.

In response, the People Power Party strongly criticized the measures to open Rodong Sinmun and websites as a "declaration of abandoning security." They argued that while North Korea strictly controls and punishes contact with our content through the "Anti-reactionary Ideology and Culture Rejection Law," unilaterally opening our side is not an inducement for dialogue but a "submissive capitulation" and a self-inflicted wound that jeopardizes national security.

Legal experts point out that the government's current policy violates the Constitution. Article 37, Paragraph 2 of the Constitution stipulates that citizens' freedoms and rights may be restricted when necessary for national security. They argue that indiscriminately allowing the influx of the North's Juche ideology and propaganda materials, from an anti-state entity, could lead to the self-destruction of the foundation of the liberal democratic system that the Constitution seeks to protect.

Can Cybersecurity Concerns and Hacking Risks Be Ignored?

Information Technology (IT) and security experts also point out that allowing access to North Korean websites could leave ordinary citizens' devices defenseless against North Korean-originated malware and hacking. They specifically warn of the risk of smartphones becoming "zombie phones" (smartphones infected with malware) and information leakage without the user's knowledge while attempting to view sites like Rodong Sinmun.

Experts warn that simply accessing North Korean websites can infect users' smartphones or PCs with malware, turning them into remotely controlled zombie devices. In particular, it has been confirmed that recent North Korean hacking groups possess advanced technology to infiltrate Android devices and PCs, manipulating or initializing internal data.

Therefore, the opening of North Korean websites has the potential to cause fatal harm to both individuals and the nation, and it is a matter that should be decided cautiously after consulting the opinions of the sovereign citizens. This is because the risk of North Korea, which has honed world-class criminal techniques in hacking, exploiting this opportunity is abundant. Among these, particular vigilance is required against watering hole attacks, spear phishing, and security loopholes in national core infrastructure, as visiting North Korean websites can expose individuals defenselessly to such attacks.

△ Role as a Conduit for Watering Hole Attacks

'Watering hole attack' is a sophisticated hacking technique where, much like a lion ambushing prey at a watering hole, frequently visited websites are infected in advance, and malware is implanted into devices the moment they are accessed. Experts warn that if North Korean sites like Rodong Sinmun are opened, they could be infected themselves and then exploited as a conduit to infect the devices of our citizens and key figures who visit the sites.

△ Role as a Bridgehead for Social Engineering Attacks

Personal information collected during the process of creating accounts on North Korean sites like Rodong Sinmun or subscribing to newsletters could become targets for secondary attacks such as spear phishing. Unlike general phishing targeting an unspecified large number of people, spear phishing is a sophisticated hacking technique that targets specific individuals or organizations by impersonating their usual interests or relationships with acquaintances. Experts warn that if North Korean websites are opened, the collected personal information could be exploited for custom malicious emails or messages, leading to a high risk of national secrets or financial information being leaked.

△ Concerns about Security Gaps in National Core Infrastructure

If government/military officials or key industry personnel, not just ordinary citizens, access these sites out of curiosity and their devices become infected, it could open a bypass infiltration route through which national critical networks or defense technology could be hacked.

In response, experts such as Professor Im Jong-in of Korea University point out that individuals should not be held responsible for hacking damages that occur after websites are allowed to be accessed. They consider it most serious that if the government allows access without sufficient security infrastructure or countermeasures, a significant hole could emerge in the nation's cyber response capabilities.

Rodong Sinmun, Expressions of Sedition... Concerns of Public Display and Dissemination in Educational Settings

However, beyond all these concerns lies a greater problem in the "educational field." The risk is that Rodong Sinmun, a key tool for promoting the legitimacy of the North Korean regime, could infiltrate educational settings and be openly disseminated, exposing adolescents with insufficient critical reception skills to biased national and historical views in schools through teachers affiliated with the Korean Teachers and Education Workers' Union (KTU).

Since its legalization by the Kim Dae-jung administration in 1999, the KTU has emerged as a core force in the education sector. During the Roh Moo-hyun administration, it was deeply involved in educational policy-making processes. For decades, it has provided biased pro-North Korea and leftist ideological education to adolescents in our schools. As a result, those in their mid-30s to mid-50s today, who were brainwashed by the KTU during their adolescence, have become a decisive factor in unconditionally supporting the left without questioning anything.

In the past, KTU-affiliated teachers have been criticized for biased ideological education and the use of seditious materials in classes. Examples include the "Pachisano Memorial Ceremony" incident at Imsil Middle School in North Jeolla Province from 2005-2008, which praised anti-state entities and North Korea; the creation and use of a "Unification Textbook for the New Generation" by four KTU Busan branch teachers from 2005-2007, which directly quoted content from North Korean textbooks; and the case of Inheon High School in 2019, where teachers forced specific political views on students or made them chant slogans during class.

Furthermore, there have been instances of interference in elections, such as encouraging students to support or criticize specific political parties or candidates during election periods. For these series of misguided actions, education offices in each province and city have responded with punishments ranging from dismissal at the highest level to pay cuts and suspensions, but no proper legal punishment has ever been meted out. In a single instance in 2013, the Supreme Court ruled on the "New Generation Unification Textbook" case, issuing a suspended sentence and disqualification from public office for violations of the National Security Act. However, no KTU-affiliated teacher served actual prison time, and they only received disciplinary action such as "deprivation of teaching position."

These individuals continue to commit various anti-state criminal acts in educational settings even now. If they are given access to North Korea's "Rodong Sinmun," it is obvious what will happen to our educational field.

What Did Riboxchool Do So Wrong?

Compared to the KTU's contamination of the educational field and its anti-state and seditious activities, Riboxchool's ideological education was at an extremely normal level in terms of scope and method.

Riboxchool is an educational organization named after President Syngman Rhee ('Lee') and President Park Chung-hee ('Park'). Established in 2017, it has operated with the aim of educating modern history based on the achievements of these two presidents. However, as soon as the Lee Jae-myung administration took office following the snap election in June of last year, the suppression of this organization began.

First, in June of last year, allegations were raised that a comment team called 'Jasonsun' (Army of Free Fingers) was organized to manipulate public opinion online. Subsequently, the fact that about 150 instructors who had completed education through Riboxchool were active as instructors in the elementary after-school program 'Neulbom School' was also criticized as "the infiltration of far-right forces into public education."

Furthermore, accusations arose that the Ministry of Education supported Riboxchool due to pressure from the Presidential Office, with Son Hyo-sook, the representative of Riboxchool, visiting the Presidential Office during the Yoon Suk-yeol administration.

However, Riboxchool has never openly engaged in biased ideological education or seditious acts like the "Pachisano Memorial Ceremony" as KTU teachers have. All that has been raised are allegations and criticism from the left, and there is no evidence of actual illegal actions for which they have been convicted.

Lee Jae-myung's First Act Upon Taking Power Was to Dismantle 'Riboxchool'

As a candidate in the snap election, Lee Jae-myung had characterized Riboxchool's activities as an "act of rebellion shaking the nation's foundation" and had expressed his keen interest in thoroughly investigating and holding accountable all involved parties, including suspected behind-the-scenes forces. Upon taking power, his very first action was the persecution targeting 'Riboxchool.'

The Ministry of Education promptly followed Lee Jae-myung's wishes by immediately revoking Son Hyo-sook's policy advisory position and conducting a nationwide survey to completely exclude Riboxchool-related instructors from the Neulbom School educational field. The police also booked Son Hyo-sook on charges of violating the Public Official Election Act and conducted searches and seizures of Riboxchool's office and the representative's residence. The prosecution indicted Son Hyo-sook without detention on charges of establishing a private organization for election campaigning and manipulating public opinion, and the trial is currently underway.

Why is the Lee Jae-myung administration so focused on Riboxchool? It is because they understand that ideological education in the educational field is a crucial means of securing a continuous supply of their political and ideological nourishment through "securing the values of future generations."

A Call for Self-Reflection, Unity, and Action from the Liberal Right

The left understands the power of education and incitement. Therefore, they fiercely protect the KTU, which is on the left, while thoroughly crushing Riboxchool, which is on the right. One of the hidden intentions behind the opening of North Korea's 'Rodong Sinmun' is ultimately to use it as a tool for ideological education in the educational field.

But why is the right so passively giving everything away? There are criticisms that not a single person from the right steps up to correct or help Riboxchool, which has ceased its activities and fallen into a state of near-death. Faced with the absurd reality of Rodong Sinmun being opened, and with the social atmosphere no longer resembling the Republic of Korea of the past, not to mention losing power, there are not a few voices of self-reflection among the right, or rather, acknowledging that the primary responsibility lies with the right.

By Park Hye-soo