Habermas Sends Letter Pleading for Prof. Song's Release (The
Korea Times, 23.12.2003)
Habermas Sends Letter Pleading for Prof. Song's Release
By Soh Ji-young
Staff Reporter
The internationally-acclaimed German scholar, Juergen
Habermas, has sent a petition to a Seoul judge requesting the
release of Korean-German professor Song Du-yul who is on trial
for violating the anti-communist National Security Law.
``Your honor, please allow me the chance to voice my position
on the trial of my colleague and former student Prof. Song
Du-yul,¡¯¡¯ began Habermas¡¯s letter in German. The letter was
addressed to the judge of the Seoul District Court in charge
of Song¡¯s case and posted from Starnberg, Germany.
``I have observed with surprise and incomprehension the
arrest, questioning and indictment of Song, and am currently
following the hearings with a great amount of concern,¡¯¡¯ he
said.
``Based on what I know about Prof. Song, his indictment is by
no means appropriate if they (the prosecutors) respect and
value the standards of a law-governing country,¡¯¡¯ the
74-year-old philosopher wrote.
The trial of the Korean-German professor began on Dec. 2,
after he was indicted last month on charges of organizing
pro-North Korea activities in Germany and making unauthorized
trips to Pyongyang.
A committee campaigning for Song¡¯s release disclosed the
letter on Tuesday during a press conference in front of the
Seoul District Court.
Habermas went on to state that Song¡¯s papers had been written
purely out of academic purposes, and that if there was any
political motive, it was only passion for democracy and
patriotism, which he had also witnessed from so many Korean
scholars during his last visit to Korea in 1996.
``I have faith that your impartial ruling will block Prof.
Song, a great scholar and German citizen, from becoming a
victim in the domestic political struggle,¡¯¡¯ the scholar
wrote.
He appealed to the court to take into consideration the loss
Korea is due to suffer in terms of its international image if
the age-old National Security Law is again applied in Song¡¯s
trial.
Habermas indicated that he will send the petition to German
Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer to boost international
support for Song.
