A Clash of Civilizations

It’s Norbert Vollertsen and his chief U.S. ally, Michael Horowitz of the Hudson Institute (in Seoul until the 11th) against Roh Moo-Hyun this week. That may have been what inspired Roh to lash out at “hard-liners” yesterday. Fresh from staring down the Pusan Migra, he has his eye-poking finger unsheathed, calling his next activities “tourist information.” He even says he’ll bring “tourist” photos of North Korea plus more newsworthy antics that seem to beg the South Koreans to deport him :

• On Saturday, December 4th, from 2:00 – 5:00 p.m., they will hold a protest rally against human rights violations in North Korea at the Seoul City Hall Plaza.

• On Monday, December 6th, from 10:00 – 12:00 a.m., he will hold another North Korea Human rights Symposium at the Seoul Press Center, across from the Koreana Hotel.

Contact: Bum-Soo (?) of “Save North Korea,” at 011 9113 7305. He also sends a statement about what happened at Pusan:

On Nov. 29 I was first barred from reentering South Korea, then detained for 10 hours at Pusan Immigration without being allowed to communicate with the outside world according to some “government order” and after one “emergency call” to Donald Macintyre (“Time”), I was released with my new visa and finally escorted to the next train leaving for Seoul.

The authorities then explained to him that those on tourist visas were not allowed to engage in political activities, “disadvantage” the Korean government, or endanger the public security or public order. In the end, they threatened to deport him.

It would be an exceptionally easy thing for someone like myself who prefers “activism” from the comfort and safety of my suburban keyboard to criticize Norbert, so I won’t. Fact is, he’s done great things in raising publicity for these issues, and he’s given years of his life to doing it. Granted, Norbert’s had some incendiary statements. I once found myself writing to him for clarification of one in particular (and I got the answer I wanted to hear). He’s had some interesting incidents in his past in Germany. And at the same time, I think he understands that the threat or use of the kind of violence, chaos, and disorder that Hanchongryon considers a typical Saturday would be a grave setback for his cause.

How consistent has Seoul been about enforcing the rule against political activities by foreigners?

• In 1999, Seoul barred this American labor activist at Kimpo Airport. He was coming to protest Seoul’s jailing of KCTU activists. They didn’t say why they barred him.

• On the other hand, I distinctly recall that American far-lefties had showed up to join anti-American protests right in front of Yongsan Garrison. I wish I had a link, and I’d appreciate it if someone could find me one.

Pattern? Not enough data to say with any certainty, but it seems that enforcement standards are arbitrary. Norbert’s not a violent guy–certainly not as much at the KCTU!–so this really smacks of more of Korea’s soft censorship of criticism of North Korea’s atrocities.

UPDATE: Hmmm. This seems kind of political.