[imText1]North Korea has released a propaganda video of interviews with the families of four people who are refusing to return to North Korea alongside another twenty seven, all of whom drifted by accident into South Korean waters early last month.
In the interviews, released by Uriminzokkiri, a website run by North Korea’s Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland, the families say they cannot trust the words of the South Korean authorities, who say the four made the decision to defect of their own free will, and demand that all thirty one are returned at once. Also, they calmly read what appear to be prepared scripts denouncing the South Korean authorities.
According to North Korea, the four are Hong (44), Ok (38), Pak (22) and Bong (21). The South has not revealed their identities for security reasons.
In the video, the mother of 22-year old Pak says, “I strongly denounce the South Chosun puppet authorities, who detained my daughter by force and have worked their defection schemes for more than a month, and are now making these wild claims about it being her own will.”
“I believe that my brother in law is not the kind of person who would defect, abandoning his children Cheong Song and Ok Geum and the Republic which raised him,” Ok’s sister-in-law, Rim Young Ok asserts. “I firmly denounce the defection maneuvers of the South Chosun authorities.”
Kim Hyeon Suk, wife of Hong says, “Hearing the sound of the South Chosun puppets saying my husband defected makes my blood boil,” and adds, “My husband is not that kind of person; I trust in this because he is someone who got a scholarship from Han Deok Su Industrial University, studied, has the honor of being a Party member and became a cadre, always working faithfully for the fatherland, people, Party and Suryeong.”
Kim continues, “Minister of Unification Hyun In Taek is a backstabber, and the South Chosun authorities must return all 31 people immediately.”
Hong’s daughter Ji Hyang also appears in the video, saying, “I miss you daddy. Please come home quickly.”
Elsewhere, Lee Jeong Hwa, the mother of Bong explains, “She grew up in a good system where she had no real worries and could enjoy learning, and her mother and father treasured her,” before noting, “Our daughter’s birthday was on the 6th, but our people were detained on the 5th.”
Bong’s father, Bong Yeon Cheol then adds, “Her brother, who went into the Army, asked us to send him a family photo, so we were going to get pictures taken, but now we can’t keep that promise. However, your father believes that you will come back for sure.”
