THE KUKMIN DAILY

With successive South-North and U.S.-North Korea summits now being planned, there is cautious anticipation of the possible early release of Korean Americans who are currently under detention in North Korea. As a way to create positive conditions for the summits, North Korea may use the opportunity to present a “surprise card.” Since the detained U.S. citizens include Christians who have been involved in education and other services for North Koreans, the Korean churches are paying more attention to the situation.

According to North Korea mission organizations consulted on March 12, there are 10 or more Korean Americans and North Korean defectors presently detained in North Korea, including Rev. Kim Dong-cheol; Prof. Kim Sang-deok (American name: Tony Kim) and Kim Hak-song, who both used to work at Pyongyang University of Science and Technology (PUST); South Korean nationals Rev. Kim Jeong-uk and Rev. Kim Guk-gi; and former North Koreans missionary Choi Chun-gil and Go Hyeon-cheol, both of whom are South Korean nationals.

Among those with U.S. nationality, Rev. Kim Dong-cheol, a member of the Virginia-based North Korea Ministry in the U.S., was accused of spying and attempting to overthrow the state, and was arrested in October 2015 in Rason Special Economic Zone. Kim Sang-deok was a visiting professor of accounting at PUST when he was arrested in April last year at Pyongyang Airport on suspicion of hostile, anti-republic activity. Korean Chinese Kim Hak-song was arrested on the same charge in May last year at Pyongyang Station on his way home to Dandong, China. He majored in agriculture at a college in China before studying theology in the U.S., and was reportedly managing a testing farm while teaching agricultural techniques including composting.

Rev. Kim Jeong-uk, one of the six detained South Korean nationals, was arrested in October 2013 and held in captivity for attempting to subvert the state, and was sentenced to life with hard labor. Rev. Kim Guk-gi, detained since October 2014, and missionary Choi Chun-gil, detained since October 2013, are serving the same sentence.

In a telephone interview with Kukmin Daily on March 12, Kim Seong-eun, representative of Galeb Mission Society, said, “A video clip produced for North Korean residents by the system’s propaganda agency names Rev. Kim Jeong-uk as one who attempted to overthrow the state. The clip also depicts South Korea as a place where an average 46 persons commit suicide every day, calls the Sewol Ferry Disaster as a common kind of incident in the South, and presents the Cheonan sinking as South Korea’s self-plotted drama.”

The Korean churches have continuously prayed and campaigned for these detainees’ release. Every evening at 10 o’clock, all 3,200 members of Seonhanmokja (Good Shepherd) Church (Rev. Yu Gi-seong) in Seongnam, Gyeonggi-do, call out the name of each Christian currently detained in North Korea and China, and pray for them. The Civil Organizations’ Council Urging the Release of North Korea Detainees” (representative: Rev. Kim Gyu-ho), formed by 25 church and civil organizations, published a statement in August last year demanding, “Immediately release Rev. Kim Jeong-uk and other detainees in North Korea!”

The South Korean government’s policy is to consistently request the release and return of the detained South Koreans. The Unification Ministry said at this day’s regular briefing, “So far we have made several requests for the earliest possible release and return of our nationals, and we will continue to make various kinds of efforts for this.”

Representative Kim Seong-eun said, “Persons currently detained in North Korea have put their lives on the line to help North Koreans…The government and Korean churches should never give up working for the return of these Korean pastors, who gave up all they had in their resolve to support North Korea.”

Reporters Yang Minkyeong, Jaechan Park, & Narae Kim (grieg@kmib.co.kr), with Yeara Ahn-Park (yap@kmib.co.kr)


Original Article in Korean:
‘北의 깜짝 카드’… 억류된 사역자들 조기 석방될까: 교계, 석방기도·구명운동 전개


Related Article:
Rev. Im Hyeon-soo Released By North Korea After Nearly Three Years’ Detention