Three of four Koreans, including a pastor with U.S. citizenship, who were detained earlier by China’s Ministry of Public Security, have been released after a period of 11 days. It has been confirmed that the fourth, a Korean missionary who originally defected from the North, is still being held.
Missionaries in China informed Kukmin Daily by phone on February 21 that “Among the persons arrested by Chinese Public Security on February 9 and taken from the hotel where they were staying in downtown Yanji, Jilin Province, three of them paid fines on the 20th and were released.” Those released were Rev. Park Won-cheol (right in photo), a Korean American who has been working to aid North Korean defectors; and two Korean Chinese persons surnamed Kim (an evangelist) and Son. But the period of administrative custody for missionary Kim, who holds Korean citizenship, has been extended.
The missionaries said they understood that missionary Kim’s custody was extended due to additional matters that Chinese Public Security wants to investigate. “The three released Christians are on their way to Seoul,” one missionary said. “They will go to a retreat center for a while to discuss and pray about their future direction of mission.”
Reporter Yeong Dae Yoo (ydyoo@kmib.co.kr), with Marion Kim (marionkkim@icloud.com)
Photo provided by Korean Missionaries in China
Full Story in Korean:
중국, 한국계 미국인 목사 일행 3명 석방: 탈북민 구호하려다 공안에 체포돼… 탈북민 출신 선교사는 “조사할 것 남았다” 구금 연장 상태
China Releases Three Detained Koreans Including American Pastor
2017-02-23 10:27
