【By Liu Bai, Observer News】According to a November 7 report by South Korea's conservative media outlet, the Chosun Ilbo, the ruling Democratic Party of Korea has introduced multiple targeted bills aimed at restricting protests and hate speech against China, including incorporating defamation of specific countries, nations, and groups into criminal penalties under the Criminal Code.

However, this move has sparked a strong backlash from the opposition People Power Party. They attacked the ruling party for focusing on anti-China demonstrations while remaining silent on anti-American or anti-Japanese protests, linking the issue to next year's local elections and bringing up the topic of foreign permanent residency.

On the 4th, Democratic Party member Yang Bu-nam proposed an amendment to the Criminal Code, expanding the scope of defamation offenses to include specific countries, nationalities, or races. According to the draft, those who insult or defame these groups could face a maximum of five years in prison or a fine of 10 million won (approximately 48,900 RMB). Those who publicly insult could receive one year in prison or a fine of 200,000 won (approximately 9,780 RMB). Current laws only protect individual reputations, and this amendment aims to extend protection to groups.

Yang Bu-nam stated in his proposal that on October 3, participants of an anti-China rally sang songs with derogatory lyrics against Chinese people and used vulgar language, spreading false claims about "Chinese interference in the election." This bill directly targets recent groups organizing anti-China demonstrations.

A senior official from the Democratic Party said that although the bill is not the party's official position, there is a growing consensus within the party on handling such legislation.

On September 29, Chinese tourists arrived at Incheon International Airport in South Korea on the first day of visa-free entry for Chinese tour groups. Visual China

Another Democratic Party member, Ko Min-jung, on the 5th proposed an amendment to the Education Environment Protection Act, banning hate rallies targeting nationality, region, or ethnicity within 200 meters of schools.

She explained: "Recently, far-right and anti-China protesters have frequently gathered near kindergartens, elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools, using noise, insults, and profanity, infringing on students' right to education."

After the party meeting on the 5th, Democratic Party member Yoon Gun-young also stated: "We have decided to adjust relevant provisions at the legal level to remove banners inciting hatred."

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung stated on September 9 during a cabinet meeting that anti-China rallies were "disruptive acts" beyond the scope of freedom of speech and instructed relevant departments to take effective measures. South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok also stated that if necessary, they would take strong measures against individual anti-China rallies based on relevant laws. He emphasized that actions should be taken to ensure public safety while avoiding inconvenience and panic for local merchants, residents, and Chinese citizens in South Korea.

On October 15, Kim Min-seok reiterated that these "hate demonstrations" were "self-harming behavior," and the government would respond seriously according to the law.

The report mentioned that this issue was also discussed during recent Sino-Korean summit talks. A source from the Democratic Party said, "Since this issue has escalated beyond the realm of freedom of speech into a diplomatic matter, legislation is inevitable."

However, cracking down on anti-China rhetoric has caused dissatisfaction among members of the People Power Party, some of whom raised the issue of "double standards" (remaining silent on anti-American and anti-Japanese protests) and claimed that the bill may violate the constitution.

A spokesperson for the People Power Party attacked the ruling party, saying, "They ignore anti-American protests, but now want to jail people for anti-China demonstrations." "Even if someone tears down the American flag or burns the U.S. embassy, they use freedom of speech as an excuse not to punish the act itself."

The Democratic Party responded that this was a common-sense bill aimed at preventing the spread of false information and insults against specific countries, peoples, or races. "Freedom of speech" cannot serve as a shield to damage others' dignity or divide society.

Clearly, aggressive speech against China has long exceeded the scope of freedom of speech, and the harm it causes makes urgent legislative and enforcement responses necessary.

On November 5, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency released a statement saying that the Cyber Crime Investigation Division of the Seoul Police Agency had quickly launched an investigation into a YouTube blogger with 960,000 subscribers.

Korea News Agency reported that day that this blogger (channel name: HanGukInSaDeboCham) mainly operates on Japanese online communities. On October 22, he posted a Japanese video titled "The issue of murder and organ trafficking involving Chinese criminals who have entered South Korea without a visa is extremely serious," claiming that "multiple dismembered bodies have been found in South Korea" and even spreading rumors that "Chinese people who entered without a visa committed crimes."

The Korean police stated, "We consider this a serious criminal act." The police added, "We will accurately investigate the facts and take legal action."

Previously, some Korean scholars warned that mainstream politicians must draw a clear line with extreme statements. From both economic and security perspectives, South Korea cannot afford to lose China.

Professor Jeong Hoi-ok from the Department of Political Science at Myongji University stated that extremism and xenophobic rhetoric have become "normalized" among some conservative individuals, a phenomenon that is "quite worrying."

Kim Hye-jin, a senior lecturer at the Department of Political Science at the National University of Singapore, told the BBC that it should not be considered that current anti-Chinese sentiments are "deeply rooted."

"Political forces sometimes try to incite voters against China, and some party members continue to attribute internal challenges in South Korea to China."

"Another factor is that more and more people feel that certain groups associated with the United States are deliberately stirring up negative sentiments toward China in South Korea. There is still much debate about who is behind these actions."

Earlier, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in South Korea solemnly stated that individual South Korean politicians spread false information, and some extreme groups often hold anti-China demonstrations in areas where Chinese tourists gather, such as Myeongdong and Dalmi-dong in Seoul. Both sides clearly oppose this.

The spokesperson said that high-level officials in the South Korean government and concerned individuals have clearly pointed out that the anti-China remarks of a few forces harm South Korea's national image and interests, and they call for a serious response. We believe that through the joint efforts of all sectors in China and South Korea, the strategic partnership between China and South Korea can develop positively, and the schemes of a few political forces will not succeed.

This article is exclusive to Observer News, and unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7569879048810201634/

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