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Some 50 members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) and the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU) visited North Korea¡¯s Revolutionary Martyrs¡¯ Cemetery and paid a silent tribute during a trip on May Day. Among them, four officials including KCTU unification committee chairman Jin Kyung-ho laid floral wreaths at the communist monument, government officials said Friday.
A Unification Ministry official said all 150 members of the delegation visited the cemetery, while 50 paid a silent tribute and four laid flowers. Ministry officials accompanying the delegation stepped back as delegates formed a line for the tribute. ¡°I don¡¯t know what they said during the tribute,¡± the official said. The delegation was told about places the South bans its people from visiting before the trip and an accompanying government official pleaded with them not to visit the cemetery, according to the official, but in vain. He said Seoul warned them the visit could violate the National Security Law.
The KCTU unification committee chairman said the union leaders ¡°paid the visit to the cemetery since North Korea kept asking us to do so. And we concluded that the visit would not be problematic because the cemetery honors not only communist revolutionary martyrs but also those who fought against Japan¡¯s colonial rule. I don¡¯t understand why the visit is causing such a controversy.¡± Jin added the government¡¯s ban on visits to the cemetery is vague, inconsistent and arbitrary.
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North Korea¡¯s Revolutionary Martyrs¡¯ Cemetery, which members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions visited during their trip to the communist country in May.
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The National Intelligence Service is considering bringing charges against the officials for violating Article 7 of the National Security Law covering ¡°praise and encouragement of the enemy.¡± An official with the Supreme Prosecutors¡¯ Office said it will investigate the case as soon as the NIS makes a request.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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