[imText1]June 25 (day of outbreak of the Korean War), 100,000 civilians (estimated by the hosts, police counts 35,000) gathered in University Road (Daehak-ro), Dongsung-dong, Seoul, for the “Citizens’ Cooperative Gathering for the Opposition of North Korean nuclear and for the North Korean Human Rights,” hosted by the Christian Council of Korea (Director Choi Sung Gyu).
The participants who filled the traffic lane for one way from the University Road all the way to Jongro held placards saying “there is no conservative and progressive for opposing against the North Korean nuclear” and urged the nuclear dismantlement and suspension of the human rights violations by the Kim Jong Il regime.
The participants held a prayer about the North Korean nuclear problem, peace on the Korean peninsula, North Korean defectors and North Korean human rights improvement for about an hour prior to the rally officially took off.
Once the rally started, more and more participants joined and filled the four lane traffic lanes of Ehwa 4 Street to the direction of the University Road of about 200m and stimulated the day’s event.
Jung Keun Mo, the dean of Myungji University, the special lecturer for the day’s event, urged, “we can hold a prayer meeting for North Korean human rights because we have our freedom secured. Now let’s put our heart together and pray to make North Korea a land where there is no hunger and have their basic rights guaranteed just as we do.”
In the mass gathering, letters to President Roh Moo Hyun, President Bush, and Kim Jong Il were recited. In the letter to Kim Jong Il, the Christian Council of Korea pleaded for the “recovery of North Korean human rights and return of Rev. Kim Dong Shik.”
People could also see an unprecedented scene of South Korean and North Korean university students (defectors) shouting slogans together. Suh Young Suk, director of the Family Assembly of the POWs (a North Korean defector) and Lee Yoo Mi, team leader of the University Team (for North Korean human rights) as student representatives shouted together, “North Korea must stop the nuclear development and recover the human rights for our Northern brethren.”
Rescue North Korea Movement on June 24, “International Prayer Meeting for North Korean Human Rights Improvement” Held
“International Prayer Meeting for North Korean Human Rights Improvement” was held on June 24 at 8 pm at Seoul Yonsei Jungang Church.
In the prayer meeting, Michael Horowitz of Hudson Institute, who was visiting South Korea at the time, attended the prayer session and together with Secretary General Deborah Fikes of the Ministerial Alliance of Midland, Texas, International Director of Elizabeth Vassar of Christian World Alliance based in the United Kingdom, participated and emphasized that it is the time for the Christians to actively take the lead for the North Korean human rights.
Kang Chul Hwan, the author of an autobiography about his life in a North Korean gulag, The Aquariums of Pyongyang, who recently had a visit to President Bush, also participated on the day’s event and testified about the reality in North Korea.
In his testimony about the public execution in North Korea, Mr. Kang said, “When I first came to South Korea, I thought North Korean democratization movement will become more active if I reveal the truth about North Korea, but actually they advocated for Kim Jong Il and did not believe me.”
“The North Korean defectors could not resist such distortion of truth, thus got involved in the North Korean democratization movement and have been working until now. Now that the children of God, Christians, are involved, let’s pray together and walk toward realization of North Korean human rights together.”
On the other hand, Catholic and Protestant churches have been holding events to protest against North Korean nuclear (possession) and North Korean human rights. We expect the religious sector to now take a prominent part in the North Korean human rights movement.
