Seoul human rights NGO calls for safety of 9 repatriated N. Korean youth

In late May of this year, the Laotian government made a diplomatic move garnering the attention of international news outlets: upon catching nine young North Korean refugees attempting to cross its border, they immediately turned them over to the North Korean authorities.

After living as “kotjebi” (a Korean word meaning “wandering swallow,” meant to describe the many homeless orphans who were forced to adopt mobile lifestyles as a result of the devastating 1990s famine), these nine youth were able to escape to China.

Popular escape routes along the 4,800km “underground railroad” from North to South Korea. The Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas is nearly impossible to cross, due to strong military surveillance and heavy use of landmines. (Photo: Radio Free Asia)

Living secretly in China under the protection of a South Korean couple sponsored by the US-based NGO Defense Forum, the refugees awaited the day when they could escape to Southeast Asia, the next step on their journey to freedom.

After successfully making it across China to the Laotian border, the youth were caught by Laotian border guards. Despite being assured that no harm would come to the youth, the South Korean couple who accompanied them was devastated to later hear that they had been handed over to the North Korean authorities.

By sending the youth to the North Korean Embassy, the Laotian government made a shockingly unprecedented decision. In the past, North Korean refugees secretly crossing the Chinese border into Laos have not faced the same fate.

“I was greatly distraught at the news of the nine repatriated children,” said Peter Jung, Founder and Director of Justice for North Korea, a human rights NGO based in Seoul. “The news is all the more unsettling because it happened in Laos, which is a popular route taken by North Korean defectors to escape into South Korea.”

North Korean refugees face perilous fates

The North Korean government highly restricts domestic and international movement for its citizens. Even high-ranking party officials who are granted permission to go abroad on official business are restricted to tightly-controlled schedules.

An iconic photo of a North Korean child safely in the confines of a Japanese consulate in China. She stands by as her mother, only seconds from freedom, gets caught by Chinese guards. (Photo: Chiangrai Times)

Those who are successful in escaping the country, mainly via crossing the Chinese border, face severe punishment if caught.

Along the Yalu and Tumen Rivers that separate China from the Hermit Kingdom, North Korean border guards have a “shoot-to-kill” policy if any refugees are spotted attempting to escape.

Those who are not shot or beaten on the spot are forcibly returned to North Korea, where their fate as “political criminals” is sealed.

Political criminals are sent to high-security prison camps, which many have likened to Stalin’s gulags or Holocaust-style concentration camps.

Since a national policy created by North Korea’s founding father, Kim Il-Sung, states that political crime is a hereditary issue, offenders are often sent to the camps with up to three generations of their closest relatives. This measure was designed to “cleanse” the rebellious gene from North Korea’s society.

China has supported North Korea in restricting the movement of its citizens. Despite being in violation of international law, China chooses not to recognize North Koreans within its borders as political assailants; instead, they are labeled merely as “economic migrants.”

If caught in China, either by North Korean agents or the Chinese authorities, North Korean refugees are first detained, then sent back to North Korea to serve out their sentences as political criminals.

It is because of these circumstances that many in the international community have expressed concern over the safety of the nine youth sent back to North Korea.

Hope for the nine North Korean youth still possible

It is not unheard of for the North Korean authorities to lessen or remove the sentences of repatriated refugees in the face of international pressure. In light of this, a Seoul-based NGO called Justice for North Korea has created a new campaign to raise awareness about the nine youth.

Dubbed “Save My Friends Before Christmas,” the campaign calls for the United Nations and South Korean government to pressure North Korea to ensure the nine’s safety before December 25, 2013.

“Save My Friends Before Christmas”

Launched on June 4th at a candlelight vigil in downtown Seoul, the Save My Friends Before Christmas campaign criticizes the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ apparent apathy in regards to the youth’s case.

“We need the international community to strongly censure the Lao and the Chinese governments for their irrevocable crime against humanity,” Jung said. “But I personally blame the South Korean embassy the most; it needs to take responsibility and do something about its diplomatic blunder.”

The name of the campaign was created in honour of a photo taken of the nine youth before they were caught in Laos. In the photo (see right), the youth are seen holding pieces of paper that spell out “Merry Christmas” in Korean characters.

The Laos Nine pictured with fellow North Korean refugees. The signs spell out “Merry Christmas” in Korean characters. (Photo: Defense Forum)

Justice for North Korea (JFNK) is also calling for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to pressure the international community to join in demanding the safety of the nine repatriated youth. The NGO, which is best-known for its regular street campaigns in Seoul’s traditional Insadong district, has begun collecting signatures for a petition that will be sent to the United Nations.

Peter Jung (with microphone) speaks at a recent protest in support of the Laos nine. Several North Korean human rights NGOs gathered for this event in June 2013. (Photo: NKnet)

An electronic copy of the petition is also being distributed via Change.org. As of July 3rd, 1,760 supporters from around the world had signed the petition. Peter Jung noted that he hopes the Change.org signature drive can help the youth, and that it may prevent mishaps like this from happening again in the future. JFNK has also circulated a video message explaining the campaign, accessible both on the Save My Friends Before Christmas campaign website and YouTube channel.

Justice for North Korea

Donations collected at JFNK’s events in South Korea go towards rescuing North Korean refugees who live secretly in China. The cost of rescuing a single North Korean through JFNK is around $1,000 USD. These funds go towards paying brokers who smuggle the refugees across China to Southeast Asia, where they can receive asylum at a South Korean embassy.

The non-profit organization’s founder, Peter Jung, was previously detained and tortured in China for his role in aiding the refugees escape. In 2007, he founded Justice for North Korea. Today, the grassroots organization is made up of a small amount of dedicated Korean and international volunteers.

JFNK’s activities in Seoul include: regular street demonstrations, seasonal fundraisers in Seoul’s international district, free English tutoring services for North Korean refugees, film screenings, volunteer training seminars, and friendship-building activities between North Korean refugees, South Koreans and international residents.

One of JFNK’s regular street campaigns in Seoul. Volunteers dress up as North Korean guards and refugees and are joined by musical performers in this awareness-raising initiative. (Photo: Dustin Cole Photography)

The organization is beginning planning for its upcoming summer events in Seoul. Additionally, it has begun the process of setting up an online store. Once completed, supporters from around the world will be able to use PayPal to purchase t-shirts (see right), postcards, books featuring illustrations from former concentration camp prisoners, and other materials.

Justice for North Korea’s originally-designed t-shirts for sale at a recent fundraiser at Dillinger’s Bar, Seoul. The back reads: “China: stop the forceful repatriation of North Korean refugees” (Photo: Dustin Cole Photography)

Those interested in learning more about JFNK and the North Korean humanitarian crisis can visit JFNK’s website, Facebook page, Twitter feed or YouTube channel. JFNK’s volunteer team can also be contacted via email at rescuenorthkorea@gmail.com.