National Security Act
| It's the Law |
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| To punish and protect |
The National Security Act (국가보안법) is a South Korean law enforced since 1948 with the avowed purpose "to secure the security of the State and the subsistence and freedom of nationals, by regulating any anticipated activities compromising the safety of the State." The law is an undemocratic law that remains in the Republic of Korea even after democratization in 1987, albeit now with a clause limiting its scope, which was probably enacted by conservative lawmakers to prevent the Constitutional Court immediately declaring it unconstitutional (which it is).
Although the law officially punishes political acts that harm social security, there are many criticisms abroad that it secretly restricts the freedom of criticism of politicians and political groups.
The U.N. and Amnesty International want the law to be abolished or revised to be consistent with international human rights law, but the South Korean government refuses to do so because of the threat of North Korea.
Conservatives in South Korea insist on freedom of speech because of opposition to the 'anti-discrimination law', but ironically they oppose the repeal of the law and are calling for the abolition of the law to be considered communist and far-left.[note 1]
Back in the 2000s, Korea's liberals tried to repeal the law on the grounds of Freedom of Speech, but now they are not actively speaking out because of fear of being called communists. The former liberal Moon Jae-in government also did not attempt to repeal the law.