South Korea deports American over positive N. Korea comments

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

South Korea deports American over positive N. Korea comments

AP foreign, Saturday January 10 2015

By HYUNG-JIN KIM

Associated Press= SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A Korean-American woman accused of praising rival North Korea in a recent lecture was deported from South Korea on Saturday, in the latest in a series of cases that critics say infringe on the country's freedom of speech.

The Korea Immigration Service decided to deport Shin Eun-mi, a California resident, after prosecutors determined that her comments violated South Korea's National Security Law, agency official Kim Du-yeol said.

Shin departed the country on a flight to the U.S. on Saturday evening, an immigration official said on condition of anonymity, citing department rules.

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In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Shin had been barred from exiting South Korea for three weeks, and the U.S. has seen reports indicating the prosecution has asked for her to be deported and banned from the country for five years.

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Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/world/feedarticle/11727851

[Fred Sanders]

1. Free speech rights in South Korea prohibit praise of North Korea? Who is being dictatorial now?

"NK is being demonized by the West and framed with the Sony hack", if I said that in SK they would show me the door?

All the defenders of unlimited, unrestricted free speech, where are you?
Where is the State Department?

[Eugene]

2. The article goes on to mention further State Dept. comments after the snip.

The spokesperson criticizes the security law that's been applied.