International Declaration for Protection of Democracy and against Forced Dissolution of the Unified Progressive Party
- The Park Geun-hye administration should immediately stop its attempt to dissolve the Unified Progressive Party.

The forced dissolution of the Unified Progressive Party, the third biggest party in Korea is a retreat from democracy.
Protecting political activities of political parties is the true province of democracy. We find the Korean government’s forcing the dissolution of the Unified Progressive Party is no less than denying the political pluralism and setting back democracy in the Republic of Korea.

The injustice of the Korean government’s attempt to dissolve the Unified Progressive Party has been revealed.
Regarding the so-called ‘insurrection conspiracy case of Rep. Lee Seok-ki and others’ which was a fundamental element of requesting the dissolution of the Unified Progressive Party to the Constitutional Court, the Court of Appeal made a very significant judgment. After fact-finding proceedings, the Seoul High Court acquitted the charge of ‘insurrection conspiracy’ and did not accept the existence of an underground revolutionary organization. The prosecution failed to provide any evidence proving the Unified Progressive Party was related with North Korea. The decision in the Seoul High Court clearly demonstrated that the major grounds of the so-called ‘insurrection conspiracy case of Rep. Lee Seok-ki and others,’ a key element of establishing the adjudication on the dissolution of the Unified Progressive Party have been effectively denied.  

The Korean government’s request for dissolution of the Unified Progressive Party is not consistent with international standards.
The Korean government is violating the European Commission for Democracy through Law (or the Venice Commission)’s relevant guidelines in requesting for dissolution of the Unified Progressive Party, the third biggest party which aims to take power through election under the parliamentary system. The Venice Commission in Article 3 and 6 of the “Guidelines on Prohibition and Dissolution of Political Parties and Analogous Measures” adopted in 2000, clearly provides that “prohibition or enforced dissolution of political parties may only be justified in the case of parties which advocate the use of violence or use violence as a political means to overthrow the democratic constitutional order, thereby undermining the rights and freedoms guaranteed by the constitution.” Moreover, it states that “any such measure must be based on sufficient evidence that the party itself and not only individual members pursue political objectives using or preparing to use unconstitutional means.”
As such, the Venice Commission guidelines guarantee the right to freedom of association of a political party.

The Korean government’s stigmatizing the Unified Progressive Party is undermining democracy in South Korea.
We are fully aware of the facts that there were alleged scandals of state organizations such as the National Intelligence Service illegally intervening in the 2012 Presidential election and Korean people have struggled to find truths. While the Korean government avoided the crisis by accusing the members of the Unified Progressive Party including Rep. Lee Seok-ki of ‘conspiring an insurrection’ and requesting for dissolution of the party to the Constitutional Court, Korea’s democracy is facing a grave crisis.  

The Korean government mobilized the fear and hatred in politics and blocked democratic thinking of Korean people by suggesting the so-called ‘Jongbuk (followers of North Korea),’ very similar with ‘McCarthyism in the U.S. The Korean government argues that the Unified Progressive Party should be dissolved on the ground of its platform which is far from radical, even compared with the platforms of center-right political parties in Europe. In doing so, it effectively stigmatizes the Unified Progressive Party so that Korean people become afraid of supporting the Party, which consequently undermines democracy in South Korea. The Korean government’s request for dissolution of the Unified Progressive Party, a peak of its attacks on the Party is forcing Korean people to keep silent. We recognize that such repression by the Korean government is highly likely to be extended beyond the Unified Progressive Party to other political parties and even the entire Korean society into danger.

Therefore, in concerning over the weakening democracy in South Korea, opposing the forced dissolution of the Unified Progressive Party, and sending the message of support and solidarity to Korean people under the name of democracy and consciousness across the globe, we demand the Korean government and the Constitutional Court of Korea as follows.

To the Korean government, we demand the immediate withdrawal of its request for dissolution of the Unified Progressive Party.
To the Constitutional Court, we demand the dismissal of the government’s request for dissolution of the Unified Progressive Party. We expect the Constitutional Court of Korea to take the initiative in protecting the political pluralism, which is the heart of democracy.