[imText2]Abducted fisherman Choi Wook Il (67) arrived at Incheon International Airport on the afternoon of 16th, after defecting North Korea on Dec. 25th and seeking protection from the Korean Consulate in Shenyang, China. It was the first time he touched his homeland after being abducted 32 years ago. <\/p>\n
On arrival, Choi\u2019s first words were \u201cI am very grateful to the government and the people for accepting me as a citizen once again.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter being abducted, life in North Korea was so hard I cannot even express the difficulties I experienced. I lived such a tough life under the North Korean regime and am just so grateful that the Korean government has accepted me back\u201d said Choi, moving the people surrounding him. <\/p>\n
As Choi passed through the arrival gates, his wife Yang Jung Ja, daughters Kyung Hee, Eun Hee and son Pil Gyu unable to control their emotions broke down in tears while hugging him. After the family bowed a traditional honorary bow to Choi they celebrated their joyous meeting, as onlookers and other travelers at the airport applauded welcoming Choi back. <\/p>\n
[imText1]His wife Yang could not control her tears as she expressed \u201cThere is not a word I can think of except happiness. I am very grateful to representative Choi Sung Yong of Come Back Home and all the people who helped with my husband\u2019s return.\u201d<\/p>\n
Choi’s daughter Eun Hee said \u201cFor the past 30 years, there was not a single moment where I forgot my father\u201d and \u201cTo meet like this again seems only like a dream.\u201d <\/p>\n
The claim for this reunion was first received by the Korean Consulate in Shenyang on the 5th and was made possible 12 days after. On Choi\u2019s arrival, the representative of Come Back Home, Choi Sung Yong handed Choi the Korean national flag in which Choi swayed on numerous occasions full of joy.<\/p>\n
After defecting to China, Choi was caught in a traffic accident in China and suffering from the aftereffects was found to be in an unhealthy state. On this day, Choi held a short press conference at the airport and left for Seoul with affiliates for an investigation with the security office.<\/p>\n
Originally a fisherman on the mariner Chunwang, Choi was abducted while working on the East Sea in 1975 and with the aid of organizations such as Come Back Home, Choi left North Korea.<\/p>\n
After defecting to North Korea, Choi sought help from the Korean Consulate in Shenyang only to receive inhospitable treatment. In response, the Ministry of Unification has formally warned the consulate in Shenyang. Two of their staff members are known to have received reprimands.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
[imText2]Abducted fisherman Choi Wook Il (67) arrived at Incheon International Airport on the afternoon of 16th, after defecting North Korea on Dec. 25th and seeking protection from the Korean Consulate in Shenyang, China. It was the first time he touched his homeland after being abducted 32 years ago. On arrival, Choi\u2019s first words were \u201cI […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":169,"featured_media":3339,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wikipediapreview_detectlinks":true,"footnotes":""},"categories":[67],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3337","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n