South Korea: Activists criminalised, satire censored amidst political transition

South Korea’s civic space is rated as ‘narrowed’ by the CIVICUS Monitor. Among the civic space concerns documented previously are the targeting of unions, restrictions and investigations of civil society groups working on North Korea, press freedom and the right to privacy.

Amnesty International highlighted that in 2024, the authorities continued to unlawfully and overly restrict peaceful protests, and there was an increase in the number of prosecutions under the National Security Law, of people accused of contact with or expressing support for the North Korean authorities.

According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), press freedom has worsened dramatically in recent years. South Korea dropped 18 places in just three years to reach 61st in RSF’s 2025 World Press Freedom Index. This fall ended South Korea’s long-standing position as East Asia’s press freedom leader.

As previously documented, former President Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached by the National Assembly in December 2024 for his unconstitutional attempt to impose martial law. He also faces the charge of insurrection which is punishable by life imprisonment or the death penalty. In March 2025, Yoon was released after prosecutors decided not to appeal a court decision to cancel the impeached leader's arrest warrant on insurrection charges. However, in April 2025, the Constitutional Court of South Korea upheld Yoon’s impeachment. In May 2025, Yoon was indicted for abuse of power over his martial law declaration.

In June 2025, Lee Jae-myung, the candidate for the opposition Democratic Party, became the country’s 14th president after defeating Kim Moon-soo of the conservative People Power Party (PPP). The South Korean president serves a single five-year term without the possibility of re-election. He pledged to make the country ‘a beacon of exemplary democracy admired by the world.’

In recent months, Greenpeace activists have been prosecuted for boarding a tanker, and an individual was arrested for launching leaflet balloons towards North Korea. Civil society groups condemned censorship of satirical content related to the former President, trade unions have been prosecuted and convicted, while student activists were arrested around a protest.

Expression

Greenpeace activists prosecuted for boarding tanker

Five Greenpeace activists, including the captain of the group’s iconic Rainbow Warrior ship, went on trial in May 2025 related to a protest staged in November 2024 during a global plastics summit in Busan.

The activists — UK, German and Mexican nationals — were detained for two days and were charged with obstruction of business and unlawful intrusion onto a vessel that was about to load toxic plastic chemicals from the Hyundai Daesan Refinery complex in Daesan.

The charges stem from a demonstration held off the coast of Seosan, South Chungcheong Province, coinciding with the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution.

During the protest, the activists boarded a vessel transporting plastic resin and unfurled a banner that read “Strong Plastics Treaty,” urging negotiators to push for a binding international agreement to reduce plastic production.

All five individuals were prohibited from leaving South Korea, pending the outcome of the trial. According to information from Greenpeace, on 11th June 2025, they were convicted and sentenced to each pay a fine of KRW 2 million (USD 1,462.93). On 21st June 2025, it was reported that they were then allowed to leave the country.

New arrest for launching leaflet balloons towards North Korea

On 17th June 2025, it was reported that the police had arrested a man for launching a large balloon with leaflets attached aimed at North Korea. It was found in the border area between Incheon Ganghwa Island and Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province.

The Incheon Police Agency's Anti-Corruption Economic Crime Investigation Unit stated that he was arrested on suspicion of violating aviation safety laws. He has been accused of sending a large balloon carrying leaflets and various items toward North Korea on the night of 13th June from Incheon Ganghwa Island.

Police believe that the number of individuals involved in the balloon distribution totals around ten, and they are tracking these individuals while investigating the possibility of organised activity.

The arrest occurred after South Korean President Lee Jae-myung gave an order to prevent and punish flying balloons that carry leaflets criticising North Korea. This seems to be a return to the policies of former President Moon Jae-in (2017-222) - also from the Democratic Party - that adopted legislation prohibiting people from sending leaflets into North Korea and opened investigations, inspections and audits into human rights and defectors’ organisations. Some activists were also indicted.

In 2020, the UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in North Korea, said “the launches are protected in principle under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which guarantees the rights of freedom of expression, even to send information across borders”.

Civil society groups condemn censorship of satirical content

On 27th March 2025, Article 21 Net and other South Korean civil society organisations issued a statement condemning the Korea Communications Standards Commission (KCSC) for its decision to block two satirical videos mocking former President Yoon Suk-yeol.

The KCSC had cited the videos as “causing social disorder,” but the organisations argue that this decision constitutes unconstitutional and anti-democratic censorship that infringes on citizens' freedom of political expression. The two videos in question included a satirical animation showing Yoon and his wife in jail, using face composites, and a parody of Yoon making a fictional declaration of being a "monster destroying liberal democracy."

Both videos were clearly marked as fictional and AI-generated. The groups argue that satire should not be categorised as defamation or disorderly content and criticise the KCSC's vague and arbitrary standards, particularly the “causing social disorder” clause, which they say is overly broad and prone to abuse. The statement asserts that the KCSC’s actions “effectively equate the president with the state and suppress dissent under the guise of protecting public order". The organisations call for an immediate end to such unconstitutional political reviews, claiming that “the real source of social disorder lies in undemocratic censorship".

Peaceful Assembly

Conviction of trade unionists at Hanwha Ocean

In February 2025, IndustriALL, a global union federation, reported that the Tongyeong Branch of Changwon District Court had convicted 28 subcontracted shipbuilding workers at Hanwha Ocean of "obstruction of business" following their 51-day strike in 2022, part of their struggle for union recognition.

The local chair of the Korean Metal Workers’ Union (KMWU) Geoje, Tongyeong and Goseong Shipbuilding Subcontracted Workers' Local, Kim Hyoung-su, was sentenced to three years in prison and fined KRW 1 million (USD 670). The union’s former vice-chair, Yoo Choi-Ahn, received a two-year prison sentence, while the local general secretary, Lee-Kim Chun-Taek, was sentenced to one year in prison. An additional nine union activists were also sentenced to prison terms, while the remaining 17 workers received financial penalties. The judge granted a stay of execution for all prison sentences, citing the public interest nature of the strike.

The president of the Korean Metal Workers’ Union (KMWU), Jang Chang-year, condemned the court ruling, stating: “Attempts to imprison our union members and impose astronomical damages claims on them simply for demanding fair treatment and human dignity are clear evidence that the system is fundamentally broken. Hanwha Ocean must withdraw its civil suit, and the judiciary must deliver a not-guilty verdict in the appellate trial.”

In 2022, the Geoje, Tongyeong and Goseong Shipbuilding Subcontractors’ Local staged a strike at Dock 1 of the Okpo shipyard. The workers demanded collective bargaining with Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) to reverse a unilateral 30 per cent wage cut, improve health and safety conditions, guarantee trade union rights and address what they viewed as exploitative multi-tier subcontracting arrangements at the shipyard.

Despite the strike ending, the company sued the union and its leaders for US$37 million in alleged damages for missed production targets.

Union leader prosecuted for leading protest in Seoul

In May 2025, Chairperson Yang Kyung-soo and two other leaders of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions were handed over to the prosecution on charges of leading an illegal assembly in downtown Seoul in December 2024. They were charged with violating the law on assemblies and demonstrations and obstructing general traffic.

On 12th December 2024, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions held a "workers' citizens' meeting" to condemn the state of emergency and demand the resignation of then-President Yoon Suk-yeol in Seoul. Approximately 1,000 people participated in the meeting, according to unofficial police estimates.

Participants in the meeting attempted to march toward the Yongsan presidential office, but police blocked them, citing the possibility of clashes with conservative groups. Some participants then crossed police barricades, occupied the roadway, and clashed with the police. They later held a meeting while occupying the roadway after breaking through police blockades near the presidential residence in Hannam-dong.

Student activists detained after attempting to enter presidential office

In January 2025, police arrested 20 university students affiliated with a progressive group after they attempted to enter the presidential office in central Seoul.

According to the Korea Herald, the members of the Korean University Progressive Union were caught at the site for allegedly attempting to trespass on the presidential office compound by entering through its western gate and climbing over its fences.

Before the attempt, the students had staged a protest outside the compound, demanding a special probe into first lady Kim Keon Hee and a meeting with presidential officials.