Shocked by the North Korean government's recent decision, more than 22,000 Internet users have signed a petition on the Change.org site (photo) for the safe return of Rev. Im Hyeon-soo (60, pastor of Keunbit Church in Toronto, Canada), who reportedly was sentenced by the North Korean government on December 16, to life in prison at hard labor. Rev. Im has been imprisoned since last February, following his arrest soon after he entered the North on January 31, 2015, on a regular humanitarian mission.
According to the petition, “Since 1997, Rev. Im has been giving support where it is most needed, including at an orphanage, public schools, and a nursing home in North Korea. He's made more than 100 trips to the North during the last 20 years, supplying food, textbooks, and agricultural tools to civilians.” The petition, in Korean, English, French, and Chinese, urges the Canadian and the United Nations to take immediate steps to bring Rev. Im safely home.
As of 3 p.m. December 21 (Korean local time), 22,700 persons had signed the petition. The initial campaign target is 25,000 signatures.
Click to Join the Petition!
Reporter Eun Jung Shin (sej@kmib.co.kr), with Yeara Ahn-Park (yap@kmib.co.kr)
Click here for the original article in Korean
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