A church pastor in his 40s who claimed during a sermon that ‘the May 18 Democratization Movement was a communist riot carried out under a directive from North Korea’ has been referred to prosecutors.

The Songpa Police Station in Seoul announced on the 6th that on the 31st of last month it referred Pastor A, of a church located in Songpa-gu, Seoul, to the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors’ Office without detention on suspicion of violating the Special Act on the May 18 Democratization Movement, etc.

A is accused of having claimed in a sermon video posted on his church’s YouTube channel on May 3 that “May 18 was not a democratization movement, but a communist riot that occurred under a directive from North Korea.”

Earlier, on the 7th of last month, two months after receiving a complaint from the Peace Tree Christian Restoration Center, the police questioned A as the accused. A acknowledged the facts during the police investigation.

The Special Act stipulates that anyone who distorts or disparages the May 18 Democratization Movement with falsehoods may face up to five years in prison or a fine of up to $37,500 (50,000,000 KRW).

A police official said, “Historical distortion regarding the May 18 Democratization Movement not only harms the honor of the victims but also spreads a mistaken understanding of history and can cause social disorder,” adding, “Going forward, the police will strictly investigate, in accordance with the law and principles, acts that produce and disseminate malicious and clearly false information.”