The Network for North Korean Democracy and
Human Rights NGO [NKnet] will be hosting an event to help spread the awareness
of current issues facing North Korea on November 14th. The first half of the
event will be the screening of two films featured at the North Korean
Human Rights International Film Festival: Choongshim, So So and Mourning Period. Both films will be subtitled in English.
Choongshim, So So centers on a young woman
who successfully escapes North Korea into China. Her stay in China presents
overwhelming difficulties as she attempts to adapt to an unfamiliar environment
while being betrayed by those she trusted. Then she meets a Korean man who
promises to help her get to South Korea; his only condition is that she lives
with him for a month first. The trailer for this film can be seen here.
The Mourning Period takes place shortly
after Kim Jong Il’s death as the nation enters a period of national
mourning for their leader and border patrol becomes stricter. Cracking down on
escapes, guards are told to shoot escapees on sight. Despite the nationwide
mourning period and reinforced border patrol, residents still decide to attempt
to escape. The trailer for this film is available here.
Following the two film screenings, a
special lecture given by the co-founder and head researcher of NKnet, Kim Young
Hwan is scheduled. Kim was originally a pro-North supporter living in
South Korea in the early 80s. He even managed to be smuggled out of the South
to meet with North’s leader at one point in time.
After completely converting his beliefs and
turning against the regime in the 90s, he was assigned a full-time bodyguard by
the South Korean government. Despite the fact that the North already wanted him
dead at the time, Kim spent 15 years since the late 90s working for North
Korean human rights in China. He was eventually caught in 2012 and imprisoned
for four months, during which he was tortured by guards.
This special gathering welcomes foreigners
and Koreans alike to attend; English interpretation of the lecture will be
provided. Many will gather to gain insight on the severity of the human rights
violations taking place not only in North Korea, but in China as well.
Attendees will get a rare opportunity to listen to Kim Young Hwan, a man who
was once an important asset to North Korea but is now working to promote
democracy there.
This event will be held at the Yonsei
University’s Gwangbok Hall Annex on Friday, November 14 from 5:00 – 8:30 PM.
While the event begins at 5:00p.m., the special lecture starts at 7:00p.m. For more information please visit the Facebook event page here.
