[imText1]On the 13th, Chosun Ilbo reported that the daughter and grandaughter of Shon Ju Bok (born in 1933), who was executed by firing squad 10 years ago for helping abducted pastor Ahn Seung Un, are now wandering in a 3rd country, hoping to come to Seoul after having defected from the North two years ago.
Mr. Shon was one of the elite graduates of Beijing University, and worked as an advisor in the North Korean Foreign Currency Earning Department. The turning point of his life (a so-called a successful life in North Korea) was meeting with pastor Ahn in 1991. It was known that Mr. Seon was influenced by pastor Ahn and brought bibles and US dollars into North Korea and worked as a missionary in Heechun City of Jagang Province.
It was said that because religious activities were prohibited in North Korea, the Shon family was concerned with his activities. According to the news report, Shon Young Hee, a daughter of Mr. Shon, stated, “My mother held him back from doing religious activities, saying ‘Money is good. Yet it is not the only matter of yours. Why do you keep doing this? Do you think about our children?’. Considering what his wife said, Mr. Shon replied, ‘I could be wrong, but my children are well-off. The South Korean government will protect them’”.
In March 1996, Mr. Shon was caught doing missionary work, and executed by firing squad on a charge of ‘resident spy systemically trained by the U.S’. After, his wife and son were taken to the National Security Agency of North Korea.
It has been claimed that Mr. Shon was connected with not only pastor Ahn, but also South Korea’s National Security Agency (now the National Intelligence Agency). Representative Choi Sung Ryong of The Family Assembly, who was abducted to North Korea, disclosed a picture showing Mr. Shon posing with pastor Ahn and two people assumed to be staff of South Korea’s National Security Agency. This implies that South Korea’s National Security Agency was involved either directly or indirectly.
Pointing out the person assumed to be the director of South Korea’s National Security Agency, Shon Young Hee revealed that, “My father said ‘you must visit him later. At least he will protect you’”.
According to the news report, regarding the request to confirm the position of the two people shown in the picture, the National Intelligence Agency responded only “We can not confirm the identifications of them. This picture must not be opened”.
Now, Mr. Shon’s daughter and his grand daughter are waiting for the chance to come into Seoul. They defected from North Korea in June 2004, and are working as cleaners or washers, avoiding the police of the country in which they presently reside, and are not being protected by the South Korean government. Representative Choi said that he received a request from Mr. Shon’s daughter last April, whic he conveyed to the National Intelligence Agency, although it has not taken any responsive actions.
Meanwhile, pastor Ahn, who had worked as a missionary in Yanbian, China from 1990, was abducted by 3 North Korean agents, Lee Kyung Chun and other two agents, and taken to North Korea. Now it is known that he is vice-president of the North Korean Chosun Christianity League.
