The offices of the publisher “Minjok Sarangbang” in Seoul were raided on May 26th, 2021 by the south Korean Security Forces for the offence of publishing the reminiscences of President Kim IL Sung “With The Century”. Invoking the “National Security Law” of south Korea the Police and the National Security Agency arrested the owner of “Minjok Sarangbang”, Kim Seung Kyun. Now Kim Seung Kyun and his staff face the prospect of long prison sentences and hefty fines for the publication of “With The Century”. Since it came off the presses in April 1992 the memoirs of President Kim IL Sung have been published and distributed throughout the world, including here in the UK. The people of south Korea with the recent publication of “With The Century” had the opportunity to learn about the epic revolutionary activities of Kim IL Sung and the fight to free Korea from Japanese colonialism during the 1930s. This decision to detain Kim Seung Kyun and to ban the publication of “With The Century” is an extremely retrograde action by the south Korean authorities which goes against the trend towards peace and reconciliation between north and south Korea. Staffordshire KFA calls for the immediate release of Kim Seung Kyun and for the south Korean people to have the chance to read “With The Century”. We demand that the draconian National Security Law in south Korea is scrapped in the interests of peace, reunification and democracy! Our branch urges all progressives to bring pressure on the south Korean authorities to free Kim Seung Kyun from captivity and bring about freedom of publication.
KOREA IS ONE!!