The writer is someone who doubts, questions, and challenges sacred cows (power).

There was a time when everything not permitted by law was prohibited. 

In the early to mid-20th century, when totalitarianism reached its peak, Stalin in the Soviet Union monitored the entire society through secret police and forced labor camps. Hitler's Nazi Germany also severely restricted citizens' privacy and freedom of expression through terror, and Mao Zedong in China interfered with and controlled citizens' thoughts and lifestyles. 

It was an era of "rule by law," not "rule of law," where law was used as a tool for rulers to maintain power and control citizens, rather than to protect citizens' rights.

However, modern democratic societies guarantee freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, and freedom of the press based on the principle of "everything not prohibited by law is permitted," which is the "exceptionary prohibition" principle.

For us, living in an era of "exceptionary prohibition" after passing through the era of "exceptionary permission," the Kim Gyu-na incident feels very unfamiliar and strange. 

"Exceptionary prohibition" refers to allowing individuals to express their opinions as they wish, as long as they do not cause immediate and direct (usually physical) harm to others. 

Yet, astonishingly, in our midst, a writer is being taken to court for a single line of text, and a sacred cow that defies fairness is being created, making it untouchable. What we thought belonged to the past, an era of corrupt power, has now become our present reality.

Power that is not subject to criticism is abnormal power. The moment a specific historical event becomes a "sacred cow" that cannot be criticized or interpreted, it ceases to be a realm of academia or memory and becomes a realm of "(abnormal) power."

Is it possible for this to happen in a normal country, creating a sacred cow of "5.18" and then persistently subjecting a writer to social harassment for allegedly desecrating it?

When Kim Gyu-na posted an opinion on her personal Facebook in 2024, numerous media outlets, including terrestrial broadcasters, launched a barrage of criticism that bordered on character assassination, and cyberbullies engaged in harassment such as "I'll rip your face off with a knife," "You piece of trash woman, just die," and "Just commit suicide." The police were even considering providing her with protective measures.

It is certain that 5.18 was a tragedy. But is it a sacred cow (power) that no one should touch? If it is indeed a sacred cow (power) that no one should touch, then Kim Gyu-na did the right thing. 

Because the writer is someone who doubts, questions, and challenges sacred cows (power). Literature and history have developed through such people. Kim Gyu-na did her job. 

Despite merely doing her job, Kim Gyu-na has already been punished excessively, beyond measure, and disproportionately. Any further punishment would be double jeopardy and would further chill freedom of expression for the entire society. Must we really regress to an era of "exceptionary permission"?

Lim Yo-hee, Member of the Korean Association of Liberal Writers