| People walk past a leaflet that alleges a possible link between President Park Geun-hye and the National Intelligence Service's meddling in the 2012 presidential election near Sinchon Station in Seoul, Friday. / Yonhap |
By Kim Se-jeong
Police have launched an investigation into who is responsible for thousands of leaflets critical of President Park Geun-hye which were distributed on busy streets nationwide this week.
The leaflets were handed out in Seoul, Daegu, Busan and other cities. Police suspect the leaflets were distributed by activists who have organized rallies against Park.
On Thursday, police said they collected about 500 fliers near Gangnam Subway Station in southern Seoul.
One of the fliers criticized Park over the government's welfare policies for the elderly.
"All elderly people deserve a bigger government subsidy," the flier said, criticizing Park for failing to fulfill her campaign pledge to double subsidies for the elderly. Another flier demanded that school tuition be halved.
On Wednesday, when Park started her third year in office, anti-Park leaflets were found near Sinchon Station in western Seoul and Gyeongbok Palace near Cheong Wa Dae.
"The National Intelligence Service was found to have attempted to manipulate the presidential election. What would you do President Park?" one leaflet reads. Another criticized the government's recent decision to increase the price of tobacco. "The working class feels hopeless after the cigarette price hike."
In Daegu, where Park enjoys high approval ratings, some people distributed similar fliers just outside a regional office of the ruling Saenuri Party on Feb. 16.
On Feb. 12, the Busan police detained a man surnamed Yoon, 45, who distributed fliers depicting the President in a kimono, a traditional Japanese outfit. He is now facing a slander charge.
Critics say police should stop the investigation because punishing those responsible would be a violation of their freedom of expression.
The state-run National Human Rights Commission recently backed anti-North Korea groups sending leaflets across the Korean border, saying their activities should be protected under freedom of speech.
The agency, however, has taken no position on the liberal group's distribution of anti-Park leaflets.
Korean Language
서울 강남대로서 대통령 비판 전단 수백장 살포
서울 강남대로에서 박근혜 대통령을 비판하는 유인물이 대량으로 뿌려져 경찰이 수사에 나섰다.
26일 서울 서초경찰서에 따르면 이날 낮 12시 9분께 서초구 서초동 강남역 10번 출구 인근 모 빌딩에서 신원을 알 수 없는 인물이 유인물 수백장을 살포했다.
이 유인물은 박 대통령이 기초노령연금 인상이나 반값 등록금 실현 등 공약을 이행하지 못했다고 지적했다.
유인물에는 '담배세, 주민세, 자동차세 인상. 연말정산 폭탄!' 등의 문구로 현 정부의 각종 세금인상을 비판하는 내용도 담겼다.
강남대로에 뿌려진 유인물에는 '민주주의를 염원하는 시민들'이란 단체명이 적혀 있었다.
이는 지난 25일 경복궁 인근과 신촌 등에서 뿌려진 전단지에 적힌 단체명과 같은 것이다.
경찰 관계자는 '수백장에서 1천여장 정도가 뿌려진 듯 하다'며 구청 직원들과 함께 300여장을 현장에서 수거했다고 밝혔다.
경찰은 유인물이 뿌려진 현장 주변에 설치된 폐쇄회로TV(CCTV)를 분석하고 있으며, 살포자의 신원이 확인되는 대로 처벌 가능 여부를 검토할 방침이다. (연합뉴스)