5386

# October 5, 2004
# Korea Herald
# By Jin Hyun-joo



Tens of thousands of conservatives assembled in a mass rally yesterday in front of Seoul City Hall to protest the Roh Administration's plan to repeal the National Security Law. Some of the demonstrators also waved banners showing opposition to other administration policies.

The crowd, estimated by police at 100,000 was the biggest rally since supporters of President Roh Moo-hyun rallied to protest his impeachment last spring.

Those attending, who included many retired members of the military and conservative Christians, called for the National Security Law to be retained due to fears that pro-communists would disrupt Korean society and undermine national defense.

Speakers on a stage sharply criticized the proposed policy change, saying it would benefit the country's enemy, North Korea. They led the crowd in thundering slogans opposing the law's repeal.




Tens of thousands of members of conservative groups rally in front of Seoul City Hall yesterday to protest the government`s move to repeal the National Security Law.


"Abolition of the law would let communists hold street demonstrations, putting the nation in turmoil," 64-year-old Kim Sung-bae, told a reporter, identifying himself as a Christian.

"Our national identity is in danger. Why should we change the law while the North does not seem to change?" added Kim, holding flyers that had been handed out.

Kim Jeong-ah, a 30-year-old Yonsei University graduate, said she feared that discarding the security law would give pro-North activists too much free rein, affecting other citizens.

"When I went to university in the mid-1990s, I was confined in the school for two days due to a huge demonstration of pro-North students," said Kim, who appeared at the rally carrying her baby boy. During the activists' campus demonstration, police prevented all students from leaving the campus, she said.

President Roh advocates abolition of the law, saying it was misused by the nation's dictators in years past to suppress advocates of democracy. Other criminal laws are sufficient to maintain order even if the draconian law is repealed, administration spokespersons say.

"The conservatives are stymieing the unification of Korea under the cloak of national security," Kim Yong-ran, an official of the Citizens Union for Scrapping the National Security Law, told a reporter who telephoned her.

Advocates of the law's repeal have held weekend rallies in support of their position.

During Monday's rally in support of the law, demonstrators held up huge Korean and U.S. national flags. Conservative groups tend to favor a continued strong alliance with the United States.

Some participants burnt a North Korean flag and a picture of Kim Jeong-il.

Eventually, some groups of demonstrators tried to march towards the Blue House presidential residence, but were blocked by police.

Korean War veteran Yang Hyeong-mo, who was sitting in a wheelchair due to a back injury suffered during the war, became emotional. "How dare the government abolish the anti-communist law when those who were crippled in the Korean War are still alive," he asked.

Some at the rally said the government should be concentrating on improving the economy, rather than leading a divisive effort to repeal the security law. "Foreigners are reluctant to do business in an unstable country. Both sides shouldn't be spending their energy on less important things," said Kim Jeong-gu.

The huge rally was conducted on the first day of the National Assembly's annual audit of government, at which the National Security Law will likely be discussed intensely.

While President Roh's Uri Party wants to throw out the law, the main opposition Grand National Party is trying to keep it in place.

(hjjin@heraldm.com)