Unified Progressive Party

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Unified Progressive Party
통합진보당
Tonghap-jinbodang
Leader Lee Jung-hee[1]
Founded 5 December 2011 (2011-12-05)
Banned 19 December 2014 (2014-12-19)
Merger of People's Participation Party, Democratic Labor Party, elements of the New Progressive Party
Headquarters Noryangjin-ro 12, Solbom Building 12th floor, Dongjak-gu, Seoul
Ideology Progressive democracy[2]
Left-wing nationalism[3]
Political position Left-wing[4][5] to Far-left[6]
Colours Purple
Politics of South Korea
Political parties
Elections
Unified Progressive Party
Hangul 통합진보당
Hanja 統合進步黨
Revised Romanization Tonghap Jinbodang
McCune–Reischauer T'onghap Chinbotang

The Unified Progressive Party (UPP; Korean: 통합진보당, RR: Tonghap Jinbo-dang, Hanja: 統合進步黨) is a banned political party in South Korea. It was founded on 5 December 2011 as a merger of the Democratic Labor Party, the People's Participation Party of Rhyu Si-min, and a faction of the New Progressive Party.[2][7] Until 12 May 2012 it was jointly chaired by Rhyu Si-min, Lee Jung-hee, and Sim Sang-jung.[5][8]

The UPP has proposed an alliance with the major liberal Democratic Party, which the Democrats have rejected.[5]

In the 2012 National Assembly election the party gained eight seats for a total of thirteen seats out of 300, advancing to the third position, well ahead of the conservative Liberty Forward Party (which lost most of its seats).

On 24 April 2012, the party provisionally voted to drop the "Unified" component of its name, and adopt the name "Progressive Party". The change is subject to a vote of the party's Central Committee on 13 May.[9] On 3 May 2012, the party internal investigation revealed that wide-ranging irregularities occurred in selecting UPP's proportional representation candidates.[10][11] UPP won six proportional representatives in the 11 April general election,[12] but one legislator resigned amid the election scandal. All four co-leaders of the party subsequently resigned on 12 May.[13]

The South Korean government petitioned the Constitutional Court of Korea to dissolve the UPP due to their alleged pro-North Korea views in November 2013, two months after the UPP members allegedly involved in the 2013 South Korean sabotage plot were arrested. On 19 December 2014 the Constitutional Court of Korea ruled 8-1 in favour of the dissolution. The five UPP lawmakers were also deprived of their National Assembly seats.[14][15] According to Amnesty International, the UPP's ban raised "serious questions as to the authorities' commitment to freedom of expression and association".[16][17][18]

Lee Seok-ki sabotage plot

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Main article: 2013 South Korean sabotage plot

On 5 September 2013, South Korea’s intelligence agency, NIS, accused UPP lawmaker Lee Seok-ki of plotting a pro-North Korean rebellion. The case triggered a political and media firestorm in a nation where even praising the North can be considered a crime.[19] He allegedly led a May 2013 meeting, comprised partly of UPP members, in which reference was made to the prospect of attacking South Korean infrastructure in the event that recently heightened tensions between the Koreas led to war.

South Korean prosecutors subsequently indicted Lee on charges of plotting a pro-North Korea rebellion to overthrow the government, saying his plan posed a “grave” national security threat.[20] However, many people, including UPP lawmakers, say that while the meeting in question did take place, they had no intention of destroying Korean infrastructure.

On 17 February 2014, Lee was sentenced by a district court to 12 years in prison.[21] [22]

Position on North Korea

On 18 June 2012 the Unified Progressive Party announced a blueprint for reform of the party's political positions, including adoption of a critical position regarding North Korea's human rights record, a spokesman stating, "North Korea’s record on human rights cannot be justified at all, even when considering its dire economic situation".[23] The party's reform effort also included criticism of North Korea's nuclear weapons program and practice of hereditary succession. The party clarified its call for an end to military cooperation with the United States, explaining that this should follow peace with North Korea, denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, and reunification.[24]

References

  1. ↑ http://www.goupp.org/kor/intro/greeting.php UPP intro page(korean)
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ http://www.hankookilbo.com/v/c6c4633641084c87943ef62fc4f3cdff
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ http://news.tvchosun.com/mobile/svc/content.html?contid=2013031190070#dawinPlaying
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Progressives drop ‘united’ from party name, The Korea Herald. 24 April 2012, retrieved 24 April 2012.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ S Korea Court Orders Dissolution of Leftist Party
  15. ↑ Official court opinion (in Korean)
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ South Korea Lawmaker Arrested in Alleged Rebellion Plot
  20. ↑ South Korean prosecutors charge leftist lawmaker with plotting pro-North Korea rebellion
  21. ↑ Leftist lawmaker gets 12-year prison for rebellion plot
  22. ↑ (LEAD) Leftist lawmaker gets 12-year prison term for rebellion plot
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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