The Korean-American pastor, which the National Election Commission reported to the Prosecutors' Office because of a newspaper ad seeking "judgment on Park Geun-hye" overseas recently, was confirmed to be Chang Ho-jun (photo), the third son of the late Chang Chun-ha. Chang Chun-ha mysteriously died after fighting against dictatorship during the Park Chung-hee government, and the bad blood between the two families seems to have continued on to the next generation.
On March 14, an official from the National Election Commission announced, "The first person to be forced to return his passport due to illegal election campaigning overseas was Reverend Chang Ho-jun." Earlier, the commission had announced that they had reported a Korean-American pastor to the prosecutors for placing newspaper ads against the Saenuri Party in the U.S. and France in connection to the April 13 parliamentary elections.
According to the commission, Chang placed ads that asked people, "Let's judge the unjust regime by voting," on eight occasions in an overseas Korean media outlet from last December until this February. In other words, he allegedly violated the Public Official Election Act. When Chang did not respond to the investigation, the commission gathered a committee to review restrictions concerning the issuance of a passport and the ban on foreigners from entering the country. Here they decided to have Chang return his passport and requested the foreign ministry to take necessary action. This is the first time since the introduction of overseas elections in 2012 that the commission has decided to take the passport of someone overseas for violating the election act.
Chang wrote on his Facebook account, "I think I can now stand somewhat proudly before my father, who told me, 'If you are not suppressed and you do not suffer under an unjust regime, that is shameful'."
As Chang is forced to return his passport for the first time in history for placing an ad calling for judgment on the Park Geun-hye government, the ill-fated relationship between former President Park Chung-hee and Chang Chun-ha has practically been handed down to the next generation.
Chang Chun-ha was the antipode of former President Park Chung-hee. Unlike former President Park, who was a military officer in Manchukuo, Chang devoted himself to the Independence Army (Gwangbokgun) and was called the "eternal soldier of the Independence Army." Chang was imprisoned three times for anti-dictatorship and pro-democracy movements under Park Chung Hee. On January 8, 1975, in his sickbed during the Yushin years, Chang wrote a public letter to President Park and warned, 'The Yushin system must be abolished to protect freedom and guarantee survival." Afterwards, he was discovered dead in Yaksabong, Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province on August 17 that year. People suspected murder, but the government announced that Chang had accidently fallen to his death. In the process of relocating his remains in 2012, experts confirmed a round dent, 6-7cm in diameter, in his skull, supporting the murder allegations. In 2013, a special bill to identify the truth of Chang Chun-ha was tabled, but is currently pending due to the opposition from the Saenuri Party.
President Park Geun-hye and the children of Chang Chun-ha are also experiencing discord. Chang Chun-ha's third son, Reverend Chang is the head of the Coalition of Koreans in America, a progressive group in America. He was in the spotlight recently for having placed an advertisement against the state published history textbook in an overseas Korean media outlet. In 2013, he was the one who released a statement on state affairs made by Koreans in America condemning the National Intelligence Service's involvement in the presidential election and criticized the Park Geun-hye government.
Shortly after the National Assembly passed the Terrorism Prevention Act, Chang Chun-ha's eldest son, Chang Ho-gwon, chairman of the Coalition of Koreans in America announced, "The people must come together and abolish the bad law." In an event commemorating the fortieth anniversary of the death of Chang Chun-ha last August, Chang Ho-gwon said, "If President Park seeks unity and democracy as the president of a country and not as the daughter of the former President Park Chung-hee, then she should disclose the truth concerning those who died fighting against the Yushin dictatorship." President Park did not send flowers to this event.
On March 14, an official from the National Election Commission announced, "The first person to be forced to return his passport due to illegal election campaigning overseas was Reverend Chang Ho-jun." Earlier, the commission had announced that they had reported a Korean-American pastor to the prosecutors for placing newspaper ads against the Saenuri Party in the U.S. and France in connection to the April 13 parliamentary elections.
According to the commission, Chang placed ads that asked people, "Let's judge the unjust regime by voting," on eight occasions in an overseas Korean media outlet from last December until this February. In other words, he allegedly violated the Public Official Election Act. When Chang did not respond to the investigation, the commission gathered a committee to review restrictions concerning the issuance of a passport and the ban on foreigners from entering the country. Here they decided to have Chang return his passport and requested the foreign ministry to take necessary action. This is the first time since the introduction of overseas elections in 2012 that the commission has decided to take the passport of someone overseas for violating the election act.
Chang wrote on his Facebook account, "I think I can now stand somewhat proudly before my father, who told me, 'If you are not suppressed and you do not suffer under an unjust regime, that is shameful'."
As Chang is forced to return his passport for the first time in history for placing an ad calling for judgment on the Park Geun-hye government, the ill-fated relationship between former President Park Chung-hee and Chang Chun-ha has practically been handed down to the next generation.
Chang Chun-ha was the antipode of former President Park Chung-hee. Unlike former President Park, who was a military officer in Manchukuo, Chang devoted himself to the Independence Army (Gwangbokgun) and was called the "eternal soldier of the Independence Army." Chang was imprisoned three times for anti-dictatorship and pro-democracy movements under Park Chung Hee. On January 8, 1975, in his sickbed during the Yushin years, Chang wrote a public letter to President Park and warned, 'The Yushin system must be abolished to protect freedom and guarantee survival." Afterwards, he was discovered dead in Yaksabong, Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province on August 17 that year. People suspected murder, but the government announced that Chang had accidently fallen to his death. In the process of relocating his remains in 2012, experts confirmed a round dent, 6-7cm in diameter, in his skull, supporting the murder allegations. In 2013, a special bill to identify the truth of Chang Chun-ha was tabled, but is currently pending due to the opposition from the Saenuri Party.
President Park Geun-hye and the children of Chang Chun-ha are also experiencing discord. Chang Chun-ha's third son, Reverend Chang is the head of the Coalition of Koreans in America, a progressive group in America. He was in the spotlight recently for having placed an advertisement against the state published history textbook in an overseas Korean media outlet. In 2013, he was the one who released a statement on state affairs made by Koreans in America condemning the National Intelligence Service's involvement in the presidential election and criticized the Park Geun-hye government.
Shortly after the National Assembly passed the Terrorism Prevention Act, Chang Chun-ha's eldest son, Chang Ho-gwon, chairman of the Coalition of Koreans in America announced, "The people must come together and abolish the bad law." In an event commemorating the fortieth anniversary of the death of Chang Chun-ha last August, Chang Ho-gwon said, "If President Park seeks unity and democracy as the president of a country and not as the daughter of the former President Park Chung-hee, then she should disclose the truth concerning those who died fighting against the Yushin dictatorship." President Park did not send flowers to this event.
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