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Ultra-right groups have included South Korea’s Catholic Priests’ Association (CPAJ) and the National Council of Churches in Korea (NCCK) on a list of groups which allegedly support North Korea.
However, both groups dismissed the accusations as smears.
On Oct. 15, the Right Korea and Citizens’ Solidarity for Clean Cyber Space groups jointly released a list of 37 groups that they accuse of spreading “pro-North Korea” and “anti-state” information.
“These leftist groups clearly assist North Korea and promote anti-state activities by arguing for the abolition of the National Security Law and the withdrawal of US forces from South Korea,” the groups said in a statement.
“If people access the websites of these groups, they may be seduced by their propaganda sugar-coating communist North Korea,” the statement said.
Also named on the list are the Democratic Labor Party, the Korean Teachers and Educational Workers’ Union, and the People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy.
The CPAJ and NCCK were among six religious groups named on the list.
However, Father Mark Kim In-kook, secretary of the CPAJ, scoffed at the accusations.
“I don’t think that these immature groups released the list in good faith,” he said.
“We are a ‘pro-NK group’ in the sense that we love North Koreans as Jesus mandated us to love even our enemies.
“And we are an ‘anti-state’ group in so far as we object to the government acting against the Kingdom of Heaven,” Father Kim added.
Chang Ik-sung, public relations officer of NCCK, said that the groups “ignore the diversity of opinion” in Korea.
“They believe that only they are right,” Chang said.
“Our activities are based on the Church’s mission of spreading the Good News beyond ideology.
“It is insensitive to divide our activities into right or left, without understanding religion,” he added.