I am taking the time to write this letter because I am very concerned about the development of a case that has been reported in the news these last few days.
ÃÖ±Ù ´º½º¿¡ ¹ßÇ¥µÈ ÇÑ »ç°ÇÀÌ ½ÉÈ÷ ¿°·ÁµÇ¾î¼ ÀÌ ÆíÁö¸¦ µå¸³´Ï´Ù.
I am referring here to the "Minerva" case.
'¹Ì³×¸£¹Ù' »ç°Ç¿¡ ´ëÇØ ¾ð±ÞÇÏ´Â °ÍÀÔ´Ï´Ù.
I have the right, if I choose so, to express an opinion that might be against the government policy, or that might be wrong. I even have the right, as a private individual, to tell wrong facts about the government policies as long as I am not expressing these views to operate some fraud. After all, many people spend their whole life lying by omission, especially in business and politics, and never get arrested. People are free to listen, or not to listen, to any views, and to consider or not to consider them. But to arrest someone because of what he has written is, without a doubt, a return to authoritarian practices not worthy of the great country that is the Republic of Korea.
Á¦°¡ ¼±ÅÃÇÑ °Å¶ó¸é Á¤ºÎ Á¤Ã¥¿¡ ´ëÇØ ¹Ý´ëÀÇ ÀÇ°ßÀ̳ª Ʋ¸° ÀÇ°ßÀ» Ç¥ÇöÇÒ ¼ö ÀÖ´Ù´Â ±Ç¸®°¡ ÀÖ½À´Ï´Ù. °³ÀÎÀ¸·Î¼ »ç±â¸¦ Ä¡±â À§Çؼ ÇÑ ¸»ÀÌ ¾Æ´Ï¶ó¸é Á¤ºÎ Á¤Ã¥¿¡ ´ëÇØ »ç½ÇÀÌ ¾Æ´Ñ ¸»±îÁöµµ ÇÒ ±Ç¸®°¡ ÀÖ½À´Ï´Ù. µûÁö°í º¸¸é °æÁ¦³ª Á¤Ä¡°è¿¡ ½ÃÀÛºÎÅÍ ³¡±îÁö »ç½ÇÀ» ¸»ÇÏÁö ¾Ê°í Àý´ë üÆ÷µÇÁö ¾Ê´Â »ç¶÷µéµµ ¸¹½À´Ï´Ù. »ç¶÷µéÀº ±×µéÀÌ ÇÑ ¸»À» µè°Å³ª µèÁö ¾Ê°Å³ª ±×·± ¸»¿¡ ÁÖÀǸ¦ ±â¿ïÀ̰ųª ¶Ç´Â ¹«½ÃÇصµ µË´Ï´Ù. ±×·¸Áö¸¸ ¾î¶² »ç¶÷ÀÌ ¾´ ±â»ç·Î ±× »ç¶÷À» üÆ÷ÇÑ´Ù´Â °ÍÀº È®½ÇÇÏ°Ô ±ÇÀ§ÁÖÀÇ·Î µÇµ¹¾Æ°£´Ù°í ÇÒ ¼ö ÀÖ½À´Ï´Ù. ÀÌ·± °ÍÀÌ À§´ëÇÑ ³ª¶óÀÎ ´ëÇѹα¹¿¡ ¾î¿ï¸®Áö ¾Ê½À´Ï´Ù.
If people were to be arrested on this basis, the present Korean Government would probably need to arrest, or investigate, thousands of people expressing personal views displeasing some government officials. Since Korea prouds itself in being a vibrant democracy, there can be no such thing as an arrest on the basis of some personal view expressed, because the power of any democracy resides in its ability to allow all kinds of dialogues to take place and all kinds of views to be expressed, and, in particular, views that oppose Government policies, which are the proof of a sane and dynamic democracy.
ÀÌ·± ÀÌÀ¯·Î »ç¶÷µéÀ» üÆ÷ÇØ¾ß ÇÑ´Ù¸é ¿äÁòÀÇ ´ëÇѹα¹ Á¤ºÎ´Â Á¤ºÎ °ü¸®ÀÇ ±âºÐÀ» »óÇÏ°Ô ÇÑ´Ù´Â ÀÌÀ¯·Î ¼ö¸¹Àº »ç¶÷À» üÆ÷ÇØ¾ß µÇ°Å³ª Á¶»çÇØ¾ß µÉ °Í °°½À´Ï´Ù. ´ëÇѹα¹ ½º½º·Î°¡ ¸Å¿ì È°±âÂù ¹ÎÁÖÁÖÀǸ¦ ÀÚ¶û½º·¯¿öÇÏ°í ÀÖ¾î¼ °³ÀÎÀûÀÎ ÀÇ°ß Ç¥Çö¶§¹®¿¡ üÆ÷µÈ´Ù´Â °ÍÀº ÀÖÀ» ¼ö ¾ø´Â ÀÏÀÔ´Ï´Ù. ¿Ö³ÄÇÏ¸é ¸ðµç ¹ÎÁÖÁÖÀÇÀÇ ÈûÀº ±× ¹ÎÁÖÁÖÀÇ ¾È¿¡¼ ´Ù¾çÇÑ ´ëȸ¦ ÇÒ ¼ö ÀÖ°í ´Ù¾çÇÑ ÀÇ°ßÀ» ¾Ë·ÁÁÙ ¼ö Àֱ⠶§¹®ÀÔ´Ï´Ù. ƯÈ÷ Á¤ºÎ Á¤Ã¥°ú ¹Ý´ëÇÏ´Â ³íÀïµéÀº °Ç°ÇÏ°í ¿ªµ¿ÀûÀÎ ¹ÎÁÖÁÖÀÇÀÇ Áõ°ÅÀÔ´Ï´Ù.
The power of a democracy resides in its people. I shall remind you a few articles of the Korean Constitution, on which all laws that exist in Korea are based and which is the foundation of Korea's democratic system of government.
¹ÎÁÖÁÖÀÇÀÇ ÈûÀº ±¹¹ÎÀÔ´Ï´Ù. ¾Æ·¡¿¡ ´ëÇѹα¹ Çå¹ýÀÇ ¸î °¡Áö Á¶Ç×À» ¾¹´Ï´Ù. ´ëÇѹα¹ÀÇ ¸ðµç ¹ýµéÀº Çå¹ý¿¡ µû¶ó¼ ¸¸µé¾îÁö°í ´ëÇѹα¹ÀÇ ¹ÎÁÖÀû Á¤ºÎ ü°èÀÇ ±Ù°ÅÀÔ´Ï´Ù.
Chapter I - General Provisions
Article 1
(1) The Republic of Korea shall be a Democratic Republic
(2) The sovereignty of the Republic of Korea shall reside in the people, and all state authority shall emanate from the people.
As you will have observed, and as you already know, the word "people" is the key word of these articles. Therefore, when one "people" is arrested in the manner as "Minerva" has been, it has serious implications for all the other "people" of the Republic of Korea. Namely, the potential outstripping of their personal liberties.
º¸½Ã´Ù½ÃÇÇ ±×¸®°í ¾Æ½Ã´Ù½ÃÇÇ ÀÌ·± Á¶Ç×ÀÇ ÇÙ½ÉÀº ¹Ù·Î ±¹¹ÎÀÔ´Ï´Ù. ±×·¡¼ ¾î¶² "±¹¹Î"ÀÌ '¹Ì³×¸£¹Ù'¶ó´Â »ç¶÷ó·³ üÆ÷°¡ µÈ´Ù¸é ´Ù¸¥ ¸ðµç ´ëÇѹα¹ ±¹¹Î¿¡°Ô ¾ÆÁÖ ½É°¢ÇÑ Àǹ̸¦ ³»Æ÷ÇÕ´Ï´Ù. ´Ù½Ã ¸»ÇÏÀÚ¸é ±× ±¹¹ÎµéÀÇ °³ÀÎ ÀÚÀ¯°¡ »ç¶óÁú °¡´É¼ºÀÌ ÀÖ´Ù´Â °ÍÀ» ¶æÇÕ´Ï´Ù.
I have no doubt you are aware of the supreme honour that is being President of the great Korean people, and I also do not doubt that your life has been dedicated to the advancement and betterment of your country, like so many other hard-working Koreans of your generation. Ordinary citizens know this and are thankful to you for having fulfilled this task of the most honourable manner. Nonetheless, the events I was referring to at the beginning of this letter are worrying in the extreme, because they threaten one central tenet of a democracy: freedom of speech; the right of all individuals to express their views, be they for or against the government.
´ëÅë·É ¿ªÇÒº¸´Ù ´õ ÀÚ¶û½º·¯¿î ÀÏÀÌ ¾ø´Ù´Â °ÍÀ» Àß ¾Ë°í °è½Å´Ù°í È®½ÇÈ÷ »ý°¢ÇÕ´Ï´Ù. ±×¸®°í °°Àº ½Ã´ë ¿½ÉÈ÷ ÀÏÇß´ø ´Ù¸¥ ±¹¹Îµé°ú °°ÀÌ ´ëÇѹα¹À» ¹ßÀü½ÃÅ°±â À§Çؼ ±×¸®°í ´ëÇѹα¹À» ´õ ÁÁÀº ³ª¶ó·Î ¸¸µé±â À§Çؼ ´ëÅë·É²²¼ Æò»ý ÃÖ¼±À» ´Ù Çϼ̴ٴ °Í¿¡ ´ëÇؼµµ ÀǽÉÇÏÁö ¾Ê½À´Ï´Ù. ´ëºÎºÐÀÇ »ç¶÷µéµµ ÀÌ·± °ÍÀ» Àß ¾Ë°í ÀÖÀ¸¸ç ÀÌ·¯ÇÑ »ç½ÇµéÀ» ÀÚ¶û½º·´°Ô »ý°¢ÇϽŴٴ °Í¿¡ ´ëÇؼµµ °í¸¶¿î ¸¶À½À» °¡Áö°í ÀÖ½À´Ï´Ù. ±×·±µ¥µµ ÆíÁöÀÇ Ã¹ ºÎºÐ¿¡¼ ¸»¾¸µå¸° ÀÏÀº ¾ÆÁÖ °ÆÁ¤½º·¯¿î ÀÏÀÔ´Ï´Ù. ¿Ö³ÄÇÏ¸é ¹ÎÁÖÁÖÀÇÀÇ ±âº»ÀûÀÎ ¾ð·ÐÀÇ ÀÚÀ¯, °³ÀÎÀÌ Á¤ºÎ¿¡ ¹Ý´ëÇϰųª ¾È Çϰųª ÀÚ½ÅÀÇ ÀÇ°ßÀ» Ç¥ÇöÇÒ ¼ö ÀÖ´Â ±Ç¸® ÀÚü¸¦ À§ÇùÇϱ⠶§¹®ÀÔ´Ï´Ù.
"ÀÇ°ß Ç¥ÇöÀº ¹ÎÁÖÁÖÀÇÀÇ ±âº» ¿ø¸®"
If that basic tenet becomes threatened, we will witness no less than a threat to democracy itself.
ÀÌ·± ±âº»ÀûÀÎ ¿ø¸®°¡ À§Çù¹Þ´Â´Ù¸é ¹ÎÁÖÁÖÀÇ ÀÚü¿¡µµ À§ÇùÀÌ µÉ °Å¶ó´Â °ÍÀ̶ó ÇÒ ¼ö ÀÖ½À´Ï´Ù.
Mr President, it is the proof of a sane and vibrant democracy when opposing views can be expressed without fear of being arrested by the Government in place. If that were to disappear from the Korean political life, it would mean no less that a return to the days of authoritarian regimes that Koreans had to live through for many years and during which so many people suffered.
Á¤ºÎ¿¡ ´ëÇÑ µÎ·Á¿ò ¾øÀÌ Ã¼Æ÷µÇÁö ¾Ê°í ¹Ý´ë ÀÇ°ßÀ» ³¾ ¼ö ÀÖ´Â °ÍÀÌ °Ç°ÇÏ°í ´ÙÀ̳ª¹ÍÇÑ ¹ÎÁÖÁÖÀÇÀÇ Áõ°Å¶ó°í ÇÒ ¼ö ÀÖ½À´Ï´Ù. ¾ÕÀ¸·Î ÀÌ·¯ ÀÚÀ¯·Î¿î Ç¥ÇöÀ» ÇÒ ¼ö ÀÖ´Ù´Â °ÍÀÌ Çѱ¹ Á¤Ä¡°è¿¡¼ ¾ø¾îÁø´Ù¸é ±ÇÀ§ÁÖÀÇÀûÀÎ Á¤ºÎ·Î µÇµ¹¾Æ°¡´Â °ÍÀ» Àǹ̸¦ ÇÕ´Ï´Ù. ¸¹Àº Çѱ¹ »ç¶÷µéÀº ¿À·§µ¿¾È ±× ½Ã´ë¸¦ À̰ܳ»°í °íÅëÀ» ¹Þ¾Æ ¿Ô½À´Ï´Ù.
Please, do not impose on Koreans a return to darker days nobody really wishes for any more. Even though I am only an ignorant foreigner coming from France and living in Korea since 2002, and therefore I might not be someone to listen to when it comes to Korean internal matters, I am not ignorant in the principles of democracy. In that, you can trust me. That is why I am hoping your Government will eventualy realize it is not in Korea's interest to arrest people based on anything they might have said or written.
Á¦¹ß ¾îµÎ¿î ½Ã´ë·Î µ¹¾Æ°¡Áö ¸¶½Ê½Ã¿À. ºÎŹ µå¸³´Ï´Ù. ±×·¯ÇÑ ½Ã´ë¸¦ Áø½ÉÀ¸·Î ±×¸®¿öÇÏ´Â Çѱ¹»ç¶÷Àº Çϳªµµ ¾ø½À´Ï´Ù. Àú´Â 2002³âºÎÅÍ ¼¿ï¿¡¼ »ç´Â ¿Ü±¹¿¡¼ ¿Â ¹«½ÄÇÑ ÇÁ¶û½º »ç¶÷À̱⠶§¹®¿¡ Çѱ¹ ¹®Á¦¿¡ ´ëÇØ À̾߱⸦ ÇÒ ÀÚ°ÝÀÌ ¾øÀ» ¼ö ÀÖÁö¸¸ ¹ÎÁÖÁÖÀÇ¿¡ ´ëÇØ ¹«½ÄÇÏÁö´Â ¾Ê½À´Ï´Ù. À̰͸¸Àº ¹Ï¾î ÁֽʽÿÀ. ±×·³À¸·Î ¾î¶² °³ÀÎÀÌ ÇÑ ¸»À̳ª ¾´ ±Û·Î ±× »ç¶÷À» üÆ÷ÇÑ´Ù´Â °ÍÀº °á±¹ ´ëÇѹα¹ÀÇ ÀÌÀÍÀÌ ¾Æ´Ï¶ó´Â »ç½ÇÀ» ´ëÅë·ÉÀÇ Á¤ºÎ°¡ ±ú´Ý°Ô µÇ±æ ¹Ù¶ø´Ï´Ù.
I might even say that it could be probably be considered anticonstitutional. Athough I am not myself a lawyer, please let me quote here again the beginning of another article of the Korean Constitution.
»Ó¸¸ ¾Æ´Ï¶ó Çå¹ý°ú ¾î¿ï¸®Áö ¾Ê´Ù°í ÇÒ ¼ö ÀÖÀ» °Í °°½À´Ï´Ù. Á¦°¡ º¯È£»ç°¡ ¾Æ´Ô¿¡µµ ´ëÇѹα¹ Çå¹ý¿¡¼ ÇÑ Á¶Ç×ÀÇ ÀϺκÐÀ» ÀοëÇØ µå¸³´Ï´Ù. ±× Á¶Ç×Àº ´ÙÀ½°ú °°½À´Ï´Ù.
Chapter II - Rights and duties of citizens
Article 21
(1) All citizens shall enjoy freedom of speech and the press, and freedom of assembly and association.
(2) Licensing or censorship of speech and the press, and licencing of assembly and association shall not be recognized.
Mr President, with all due respect to your position, I humbly urge you, for the sake of Korea's democracy and future among the democracies of this world, to consider this letter with all due attention, and take appropriate measures to ensure the fundamental right of freedom of speech is not trampled upon.
´ëÅë·É´Ô, ´ëÇѹα¹ÀÇ ¹ÎÁÖÁÖÀÇ¿Í ¹Ì·¡ÀÇ ¹ÎÁÖÁÖÀÇ ¼¼»óÀÇ Çϳª°¡ µÉ Çѱ¹ÀÇ ¹ÎÁÖÁÖÀǸ¦ À§ÇØ ¹ÎÁÖÁÖÀÇ ±âº»ÀÎ ¾ð·ÐÀÇ ÀÚÀ¯°¡ Áþ¹âÈ÷Áö ¾Êµµ·Ï ÀûÇÕÇÑ ´ëÃ¥À» ¸¶·ÃÇØ Áֽñ⠹ٶø´Ï´Ù.