JEONJU, South Korea, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- A left-wing Catholic priest disobeyed a police summons Monday to face questioning for making remarks last year condoning North Korea's deadly naval attack on the South in 2010, police said.
On Nov. 22, a day before the third anniversary of North Korea's shelling of the South Korean border island of Yeonpyeong, the Rev. Park Chang-shin made comments during a Mass while criticizing President Park Geun-hye that it was natural for Pyongyang to attack the island because the South and the U.S. held military exercises near its sea border.
The priest also dismissed the government's findings that the North was responsible for the sinking of a South Korean warship earlier in 2010, claiming that Pyongyang is incapable of mounting such a sophisticated attack.
Local conservative civic groups soon filed a charge against the priest with the police, accusing him of violating the anti-communist National Security Law, which prohibits pro-North activities.
The Jeonbuk Provincial Police Agency probing the case said it will notify the priest two more times to appear for questioning.
"Police will notify priest Park up to three times if he continues to delay to face questioning and then will take appropriate measures after discussion with the prosecution," said Jeon Seok-jong, a head police officer.
The remarks caused an uproar among conservative South Koreans who still resent the two deadly attacks. Fifty South Koreans, including two civilians, were killed in the shelling of Yeonpyeong Island and the sinking of the warship Cheonan.
Earlier, President Park said she will not tolerate any attempts to cause social division and hurt national unity. Prime Minister Chung Hong-won also condemned the remarks as an act of "destroying the Republic of Korea and siding with the enemy."
On Monday, civic groups clashed over the priest's remarks by holding separate rallies in front of the police agency in Jeonju, some 240 kilometers south of Seoul.
Conservative civic groups slammed the priest, saying that his remarks "sided with North Korea and caused the division of public opinion, eventually threatening the existence of the country."
Progressive civic groups, however, defended Park, saying that the remarks were part of his prayer for peace on the Korean Peninsula.
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http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/yonhap-news-agency/140901/catholic-priest-snubs-police-summons-over-pro-north-remarks
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