[imText1]A stir has been expected since Assemblyman Choi Jae Chun of Uri Party said that ‘Songs in Prisons(English title: Aquariums of Pyongyang)’ of Kang Chul Hwan, a North Koran defector, was written by the National Intelligence Service in South Korea. Therefore, the book could not be a criterion to judge the reality of North Korean human rights in a hearing on inauguration of Han Myung Sook, an unofficially decided Prime Minister.

Assemblyman Choi Jae Chun said, “(I also) read the book of Kang Chul Hwan. The book that I have was written by the National Intelligence Service which heard from Kang Chul Hwan and summed up the story,” adding, “It is stiffening us and a musical ‘Yoduk Story’ which resulted from it is raising up the confusion by being considered as a standard to evaluate North Korean human rights. This is wrong and the story can not be the estimating criterion.”

Assemblyman Choi Jae Chun stated “(‘Songs in Prisons’) was published in France, because it was difficult to be done in South Korea”.

Responding to it, Kang Chul Hwan, a writer of ‘Songs in Prisons’, revealed his opinion, “(Assemblyman Choi Jae Chun) alleged it as if a fact without confirming whether or not it is and I will sue him a libel.” Mr. Kang also said, “It is a ridiculous situation that I have to assert that my book is mine. How an assemblyman can be such ignorant?”

Regarding his allegation that the difficulty in publishing in South Korea led to publication in France, Mr. Kang pointed out that, “In 1993 the book was first published in the name of ‘Festival of Great King’ in South Korea and the French version was published in 2000. What is he talking about?” adding that, “Is it possible that he made such a groundless assertion in a public hearing on Prime Minister inauguration which was telecasted live all over the country.”

He said that, “The musical ‘Yoduk Story’ was cross-examined and testified not only by me but also by Lee Young Guk, Kim Young Sun and Kim Tae Jin who were in the same prison”, adding, “We witnessed exactly in a form of a comparison with satellite pictures”. He also said that, “I cannot figure out why telling the truth is such a ‘great confusion’”.

He criticized that, “Assemblyman Choi Jae Chun should reveal what was wrong in ‘Songs in Prisons’”, adding, “Especially the conception that ‘if the National Intelligence Service always forges stories’ is a fake logic of the left who did not get away from the past student-activists’ perspective.”

Meanwhile, Director Jeong Sung San who produced the Musical ‘Yoduk Story’ based on ‘Songs in Prisons’ firmly said that, “What he said is unworthy of any response regarding what Assemblyman Choi Jae Chun alleged”, adding “We made the musical for general people who do not know about the reality of North Korean human rights, not for politicians.”

‘Songs in Prisons’ is the book that contains Mr. Kang’s experiences made for 10 years in the Gulag #15 located in Yoduk district of South Hamkyung province in North Korea. It has been interpreted in Japanese, English, and French versions and introduced to the world. Last July, President Bush of the U.S. had an interview with Kang Chul Hwan after reading this English version titled Aquariums of Pyongyang.