Conservative groups to sue singer for lauding N. Korea's rocket launch

SEOUL, April 17 (Yonhap) -- South Korean conservative groups said Friday they
will file a prosecution petition against a singer for allegedly violating the
National Security Law by praising North Korea's recent rocket launch.
Shin Hae-chul, a famed rock singer, posted a controversial entry on his Web site
on April 8 "congratulating" his "brethren" in Pyongyang for the successful
launch.
The North fired off a long-range rocket on April 5, in what South Korea and its
allies suspect was a test of a ballistic missile. The launch was unanimously
condemned by the U.N. Security Council on Monday.
Shin is no stranger to controversy. He has argued for the legalization of
marijuana in a country where possession of the illicit substance carries a
five-year jail term. The singer also drew fire when he appeared in an ad for an
after-school tutoring institution -- shortly after angrily criticizing the Korean
education system for making such tutoring necessary.
"Maintaining nuclear capabilities is the only effective way for weak nations to
resist stronger ones," Shin wrote. "I'm pleased with the fact that our brethren
possesses such independent defense capabilities."
The Right Korea and the Fighters for Free North Korea were set to file a petition
against Shin for violating the National Security Law, which seeks to punish North
Korea sympathizers.
"Shin congratulated the North on the success of its rocket launch and said he was
happy with the North becoming a nuclear power," said Bong Tae-hong, chairman of
the Right Korea. "His remarks praise the North, which poses a substantial threat
to South Korea's security and existence. This is a breach of the law."
The anti-communist law was adopted after the end of the Korean War in 1953, and
has been criticized as anachronistic.
brk@yna.co.kr
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