Editor’s note: The following article is an opinion piece by Joseph Yi, a professor at Hanyang University and founding member of the Heterodox Academy East Asia Community. Views expressed in opinion articles are exclusively the author’s own and do not represent those of NK News.

Open discourse about North Korea and inter-Korean relations remains a fraught political issue in Seoul. Ruling conservatives regularly label left-wing opponents communists or totalitarians and seek to obstruct activists advocating for peace or reconciliation. 

Ironically, in recent years, ruling progressives have also labeled right-wing opponents as historical denialists and sought to imprison activists