Missionary Kim Guk-gi, Detained in North Korea for 10 Years This October
Government: "International Community Must Warn and Take This Seriously"
The government has issued a statement urging North Korean authorities to immediately release missionary Kim Guk-gi. This October marks the 10th year since Missionary Kim was illegally detained in North Korea.
On the morning of the 30th, the Ministry of Unification released a statement under the spokesperson's name, condemning "North Korea's illegal and inhumane atrocities" and strongly urging "the immediate and unconditional release of our detained citizens." Missionary Kim Guk-gi began his missionary work in the Dandong area of China in 2003, operating shelters for defectors and supporting North Korean residents. He was illegally detained by North Korea in October 2014 and was sentenced to life labor reform (life imprisonment) after being taken to North Korea.
The Ministry of Unification explained, "This coming October marks the 10th year since our citizen, Missionary Kim, was forcibly detained and imprisoned by the Kim Jong-un regime," adding, "Kim Hee-soon, the wife of Missionary Kim, who is over seventy years old, writes letters and prays earnestly every day, hoping for her husband's safe return."
It continued, "The government has repeatedly urged for confirmation of the life status and immediate repatriation of our citizens, but North Korea has not provided even the minimum information," and condemned, "Elizabeth Salm?n, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in North Korea, emphasized that the pain and sorrow experienced by the families are 'equivalent to torture.'"
Furthermore, the statement said, "North Korea must abandon the mistaken judgment that this issue will fade away over time and seriously recognize the legitimate demands for the life and safety of our citizens and the warnings from the international community," adding, "The government will clearly convey to North Korea our determination to prioritize the protection of our nationals, confirm the detainees' life status, facilitate communication with their families, and ensure their immediate repatriation, and will do its utmost to resolve this promptly."
Meanwhile, North Korea is detaining six of our citizens. Missionary Kim Jeong-uk was detained in 2013, and Missionaries Kim Guk-gi and Choi Chun-gil were detained in 2014. In 2016, three defectors who acquired South Korean nationality were additionally captured. The whereabouts and life status of all these individuals remain unknown. On the 20th, Minister of Unification Kim Young-ho issued a statement condemning North Korea on the occasion of the 4,000th day of Missionary Kim Jeong-uk's detention in North Korea.
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