[imText1]Knowledge of Bang Chul Kab’s appointment as Chairman of the Pyongyang People’s Committee became known through (North) Korean Central TV. As a naval officer, he had been in charge of the East Sea region.
Watching him deliver his speech at the annual 6.25 event reminded me of my former imprisonment in North Korea. I thought even though he must have endured severe oppression, he still seemed healthy and strong.
Bang Chul Gab, now in his 70s, and I first met 20 years ago at the Yoduk political prison camp in the North.
In the summer of mid-1980, while patrolling the cornfield of workplace No.2 as a guard for workplace No. 10 at Yoduk prison camp, I bumped into a tall, good-looking guard in a navy raincoat.
During that time, I had just graduated from school and had joined the camp work force. Thinking that because I was small I would not be an effective worker, I was placed as a guard in the cornfields. Bang Chul Gab was also given speacial treatment because of his last position and his fragile physical condition; he was put in charge of patrolling.
During the month-long corn harvest when I was working as a guard, I often saw Bang Chul Gab.
‘Do not salute the reactionary’
“Given that you are working at the workplace No.10, you must be Korean-Japanese?
“Yes”
“Why are you here?”
“I am here because of my grandfather. Though I do not know what he did”.
“Who are you?”
“Don’t you know me? I am Bang Chul Gab”
I could not believe that Bang Chul Gab, naval officer of the East Sea region, was standing in front of me. He was famous throughout the prison.
When the navy officer was taken to Yoduk camp, without his epaulets, guards in the prison saluted him. High-ranking officers were unsure of how they should treat him, but the head of the Political department at the National Security Agency said, “do not salute the reactionary. I will not forgive those who offer him respect”.
From that time on, Bang Chul Gab was mobilized to manual labor just like the other prisoners. As a result, after only three months he almost died of malnourishment. The National Security Agency, intending to dishearten him, ordered all prisoners to isolate him, harass him, and force him do hard labor, which broke him both physically and mentally.
The workplace cheif in charge of Bang Chul Gab felt sorry for him and gave him somewhat special treatment, which the national Security Agency overlooked, as his death would certainly call for explanation.
Bang Chul Gab had a lot of stories to tell us about, from his formidable strength as a child, to his first prize in the army unit contest, to the invasion of South Korea. Since the stories were usually his heroic episodes, I enjoyed listening to him brag about himself, which killed time.
As only he and his brother remained, he shed tears, cying “I know your pain”
After finishing work in the cornfields, he and I went back to our own workplaces. Bang Chul Eun, son of Bang Chul Gab, a leader of the Socialist Working Youth League of the National Railroad Administration, and part of the People’s special army, and his 4 daughters, including Jong Suk, who was attending Pyongyang Medical School, were taken to Yoduk prison with their father, Bang Chul Gab.
Two years after my family was freed from the Yoduk prison camp in 1987, Bang Chul Gab and his family were also released from prison. He was posted to the Yoduk region, and we were both ecstatic at seeing each other again.
Bang Chul Gab was appointed as a storage manager of the City Management Business in the Yoduk district. Although this was a severe demotion from navy officer to storage manager, he was just happy to be alive. His younger brother, Bang Chul Ho, worked as a commander of the Central Army Committee, therefore no one, even officers in the Workers’ Party, could demand anything from him.
Bang Chul Ho had used to visit to his older brother in Yoduk. At their first meeting, Bang Chul Ho asked his brother, “Why did you abandon your belief in the government?. It’s really a shame”. Being surrounded by other officers, he was forced to speak to his brother this way.
However, during moments alone, he would show his true feelings, crying, “I know your pain”
I’m sure it would not be easy to hold a position of leadership within the Kim Jong Il regime. Knowing the possibility that at any moment, they could be forced into labor, prison, or worse, would anyone be able to rest, even for a moment?
I would like to pay my respects to, Bang Chul Gab, who became chairman of the Pyongyang People’s Committee through his struggle to stay alive. I expect to see him when Unification day finally arrives.
