A Christian group said Tuesday it has filed a criminal complaint against a former seminary professor who wrote on Facebook that he "wishes for the success of plans to assassinate Lee Jae-myung," leader of main opposition Democratic Party of Korea.
In the complaint filed by the Christian Recovery Center, an affiliate of left-leaning Christian media platform Peace Tree, So Gi-cheon, a former seminary professor of the Presbyterian University and Theological Seminary, is accused of instigating murder and inciting insurrection.
So wrote the controversial remarks wishing for Lee's assassination on his Facebook page March 12, in which he also called for a death penalty against Lee for supposed insurrection. He has since deleted the post on the plans to assassinate Lee.
The retired professor has been sharing far-right views on Facebook, including hate comments against progressives and LGBTQ+ community. In another post on March 7, he urged suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol to immediately declare martial law again. Yoon is currently on trial for impeachment while also facing criminal trial on charges of leading an insurrection and abuse of power for his Dec. 3 declaration of martial law, and cannot declare martial law as his presidential authority is suspended following his Dec. 14 parliamentary impeachment.
"(So's comments) can be regarded as an act instigating people who do not support Lee to murder him, or possibly to assist in murdering him," the center said. Concerning So's post calling for Yoon to declare martial law again, the center said So was suggesting the military should be mobilized just as during Yoon's Dec. 3 botched attempt to declare military rule on the country -- in other words, So was inciting another insurrection.
So's comments have sparked criticism even from students of his former school.
A student group from the university, the Social Missionary Group, released a statement on March 20, criticizing him for acting against the teachings of the Bible. "He used to abuse his position as professor to force students to write political statements, and now he is wishing for the murder of a politician that he opposes," the group said.
minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com
