Speakers there said the SL has been used as a lever for suppressing the anti-government forces and ideology, aggravating the national division, indirectly legitimizing and allowing the U.S. forces' presence in south Korea.

As long as the SL is in force, pro-reunification patriots, religionists and democrats should become criminals, freedom of thinking and expression be quenched with the vital rights of the people violated, they noted.

Recalling that many prisoners of conscience are still in prison due to the SL, they warned that the regime of south Korea will face public criticism if it fails to reform the social system.

A statement by the spokespersons' office of the party was read out.

It termed the SL the worst evil law in the world, urging the regime to scrap it, detain Lee Myung Bak and release the prisoners of conscience.

At the end of the rally its participants staged a demonstration.