Category Archives: North Korea
NK Defector Couple Face Death… or Life
Special Field Report
One of LFNKR’s local staff members went to Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, in the Jilin Province of China recently to interview a couple who, in hopes of reaching Japan, had decided in early 2007 to escape from North Korea. The husband and wife (names are not disclosed for their protection) were just children when their parents, ethnic Koreans born in Japan, moved to North Korea, expecting to find the “Paradise on the earth” that was being touted in a widespread campaign to attract immigrants. The husband had been 6 years old and his wife only 1 year old when their parents made the move.
International Conference on North Korean Human Rights
2-Day Conference in Thailand
Followed by 3-Day Tour
OVERVIEW
Sept. 17-18, 2007 – First day closed to the public
Sept. 19-21, 2007
Field trip to border area (Thailand-Laos-Myanmar) where North Korean defectors often cross into Thailand.
Visit with Thai abductee.
Street Beggar’s Ambition: Start a Business
Street Child (Kot-Jebi) Tells His Story
Just as I was coming out of a North Korean restaurant, I noticed a small boy, who appeared to be a beggar, following me. I was in Yanbian on business, and it was May 15 of this year. The boy suddenly stepped in front of me and said, “I’m from North Korea. Please help me.”
3 NK Orphans Headed for Classes in So. Korea
Three to Four Months of Orientation Ahead
The three young North Koreans who were imprisoned in Laos were charged with illegal entry into and exit from the country and given three-month sentences. After completing their sentences in the capital Vientiane, they remained in custody because as minors, they needed a guardian but none was forthcoming.
2 Tons of Rice Distributed to Poor in Hamgyong
This report is by Kim Hong-son, one of LFNKR’s local staff members. He writes:
In February of this year, I passed through the Chinese customs office at Kosong and headed for North Korean customs. Passing through Chinese customs took a mere 30 minutes, but on the North Korean side it took over three hours. The reason for this is the North Korean customs inspection process, which begins with a verification of relatives living in North Korea, and involves a full-body search in addition to an inspection of the goods being brought into the country.
Report from a Refugee Who Made It Back
No One Said Fitting into Japanese Society Would Be Easy
Mr. Park went to North Korea with his family when he was four years old. The family went to Onson County in North Hamgyong Province, where they were assigned to a coal mining operation. Then, in 1999, he fled to China to escape the food shortages and starvation that had plagued the country throughout the 1990s. Park found, however, that life in China was very hard due to his illegal status. One employer made off with Park’s wages, leaving him without a single yuan and in despair.
3 Orphans Freed
North Korean Orphans Walk Out of Jail
April 24th, 2:30 pm Laos time, the 3 North Korean orphans were released from the jail in Vientiane, Laos, and the consul accompanied them to the South Korean embassy in Laos. They appear to be out of danger of repatriation now that they are under the protection of the South Korean embassy.
We will give you more information as details become available. We at LFNKR wish to thank everyone for their wonderful generosity and kindness of spirit on behalf of these 3 children.