Born and Raised in a Concentration Camp

The Crossing

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 clipped from www.msnbc.msn.com

A survivor: Soon Ok Lee

7 years of torture in N. Korean prison camp

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updated 5:01 p.m. MT, Tues., Oct . 28, 2003

Jan. 15, 2003 - Soon Ok Lee is a former prisoner at Kaechon Prison in North Korea. She recently published her memoirs and testified about her experiences before the U.S. Congress. She also spoke with NBC News about her time at Kaechon. Below is an edited account of that discussion, in her own words. (Editor's note: Soon's descriptions are graphic and may not be suitable reading for all.)

I was imprisoned for seven years at the political brainwashing camp Kaechon in Pyungbuk province.… I was in prison from 1987 till January 1993. I was imprisoned at the age of 39.

I worked at the chief product supply office, I was the general manager of the product supply office, in North Korea we were supplying food and materials to people. And I was imprisoned because the North Korean economy was in recession and the supply of materials was not in good condition, that's why I was imprisoned.

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In Kaechon Prison, there were more than 6,000 prisoners. All of them were political prisoners, and they were treated just like beasts.

And the guards of the prison told the prisoners, "You are not human beings. You must think that you are beasts; otherwise you will not survive."

Not all the prisoners were ideologically against the government — they were just miserable because of the lack of food, and when they uttered one word of complaint, they were considered to have a problem ideologically.

Among 7,000 prisoners there were about 2,000 housewives who had children at home, and after one month of my life in prison, I saw them publicly executed.

I was crying out, calling my children's name. And I saw one young housewife who had children age 5 and 7. I saw she was forced to come to the prison, and she shouted "I have children but I've been imprisoned, and my husband was imprisoned, and now the children will starve at home." And I saw her executed, in public, in front of 6,000 prisoners.

When I was in prison I was treated with no regard to my motherhood. Under the regime of Kim Jong Il's dictatorship. I was fastened to an iron pole, fastened at my bosom and stomach and legs.

There were six executioners with three bullets each. They would shoot a total of 18 shots to the heart. That is inhuman. I was so sad, and I was so stunned to see that young woman executed although we are not war prisoners and we are not enemies, but they executed a mother of children, just like that.

In the prison there were many Christians. And since the Korean War — in Korea they call it June 25 War — the No. 1 enemy is God. Kim II Sung hated God most.

Between 1956 and '63 many Christians were imprisoned, and the rest of their families were imprisoned in another separate prison for families.

In the Kaechon Prison, I believed in God, and I was kicked by the guards, and I had to work in the ironworks factory.

That type of work is done under a high temperature, and my spine started to shrink. And my height became 120-130 centimeters. And I was treated just like an animal. My back became curved like a soccer ball, and the distance between my heart and stomach narrowed, and my shoulders, the bones stuck out. And I looked like a strange animal.

I felt like I had two heads because my shoulder bone protruded so much. I felt I had become an alien, not a human being in this world. I was just like a beast. I was treated just like an animal, just like a slave.

I was beaten with a leather strap 10 centimeters wide and 1.5 meters long. And I was kicked with boots. And I became just like a strange animal in shape.

I experienced this atrocity during my prisoner's life, for seven years I got only 100 grams of corn for every meal. I had no other food. Not even once. The corn cake, 100 grams, that is the size of one choco-pie. And they gave me one small cup of saltwater. If someone does not fulfill his daily duty, then the portion will be only half — 50 grams.

I was merely a prisoner under the dictatorship. Under this dictatorship we cannot say anything and we cannot smile, and we cannot show tears, we cannot walk freely, and we were forced to go to the toilet only three times a day.

I cannot believe I could survive under such tight control, even controlling my physical functions and under the pressure of rifles and knives.

During my stay in Kaechon Prison most of the 6,000 prisoners were struggling to survive, and they were not political prisoners. They uttered a word, like this: "Why do we have to starve? If Kim Jong Il, the leader, is there, why do we have to starve?" Such a complaining word made us get put in prison.

I witnessed public executions. I felt that this is not a country to live in; it is a human being's hell on earth.

And I was really shocked when Kim II Sung was alive, he tried to manufacture biochemical weapons and testing not on animals but with human beings because our enemy is not an animal, but a human being.

This was Kim Jong Il's instruction. And they tested them on the prisoners instead of animals. I saw so many poor victims. Hundreds of people became victims of biochemical testing.

I was imprisoned in 1987, and during the years of 1988 through '93, when I was released, I saw the research supervisors — they were enjoying the effect of biochemical weapons, effective beyond their expectations — they were saying they were successful.

Recalling that scene, I still cannot rid myself of nightmares. You can see my face shrank like this, and I'm really so sad. My face shrank, and I was tortured on account of what I have not done. And the left side of my face is like this.… The left side of my face is deformed like this and cannot recover.

In this prison there were 6,000 prisoners, and there are a total of 200,000 political prisoners in North Korea (starts to cry). How can there can be so many political prisoners under a regime where we cannot express our own thoughts? So it is nonsense. It is nonsense to have so many political prisoners. So I would appreciate it if you understand that there are so many political prisoners in North Korea. Living on this side, I see many people are happy and free and free to take care of their children as they like, give them clothes and food

In the meantime when I recall my prisoner's life in the north, there were over 2,000 housewives and pregnant women. And there is a law for the political prisoners not to continue generations, for three generations. To stop the generations. So they were forced to abort their children. They put salty water into the pregnant women's womb with a large syringe, in order to kill the baby, even when the woman was eight months or nine months pregnant (crying). And then, from time to time there a living infant is delivered, and then if someone delivers a live infant, then the guards kick the bloody baby and kill it (crying). And I saw an infant who was crying with pain (crying).

I have to express this in words that I witnessed such an inhumane hell (crying). I was captured in October '86, and I was imprisoned in '87 and in May 1988. I cannot forget about this. The guards kicked me with their boots, and I was forced to do work that I never had done before.

Once they picked out 50 persons from our group, and they put them in the auditorium and gave them a piece of boiled Korean cabbage, and then as soon as they ate it, blood came out from their mouth and anus. And they died. I saw that in 20 or 30 minutes they died like this in that place.

Looking at that scene, I lost my mind. Was this reality or a nightmare? And then I screamed and was sent out of the auditorium. It was biochemical testing, using just a bit, the substance just 1/10,000. I cannot forget that image. I wonder how a human being can kill another healthy human being like that.

During 1990, '91, '92, they treated the Christians more strictly. They were moved to a separate working place. At that time, 30 prisoners were kicked to death by the guards' boots. Two guards did it. And when they cried to the Lord, "My Lord, my Lord," then those people had boiling water poured on them. And they became carbons. There is no other hell like North Korea.

We experienced malnutrition, and when we reached the third degree of malnutrition, the worst condition, when we drank water or ate bread, it came out through the anus immediately.

In the prison there were rats, they are manufacturing leather goods and leatherwear, so there are many rats. When we could catch rats, we thought it was a fortunate day.

If we were found catching rats, we were put in a separate solitary cell. When we caught a rat, we didn't cook it. We just ate it.

When we eat one piece of bread and cup of salty water and pass one year like this, the human loses the sense of taste, whether it is salty or fishy or whatever. So we can … could eat live rats. Without having any taste.

I have headaches from time to time because I was kicked in the head. And my eyesight still hasn't recovered. And my shoulder is curved. Both sides of shoulders are not even.

And I was tortured with water. And I was in water, and I had to drink water. I had to lie down and drink water, then when my stomach was full of water they stamped down on my stomach making the water level and my body level even and then the water came out of my mouth and anus. And they tramped until the water level and my body level was even.

And my breastbone, backbone and my legs are not in normal condition. Physical side effects after the torture in North Korea was too much until now. In the south I could get a stomach operation but still I am suffering from pains, because of the water torture.

When they do the water torture, they use a specially designed 10-liter kettle. They put the mouth of the kettle into the prisoner's mouth, then automatically the throat is opened. At that time I had a scar here on my face, by that tenure. Still you can see a bit here. And they hung me from the ceiling, two hands together and then beat me. Because of the heavy weight of my body, when I was hung, I have a wound on my wrists and the flesh removed, because of the handcuffs

The left side of my shoulder protrudes in a lump, the bone protrudes upward. And this side is hollowed because they tramped on me here.

He most painful moment for me at the time was the torture. I was captured by them in my office, without knowing the reason. They told me I was responsible for the non-supply of food to the people, although it was not my responsibility but the responsibility of the leader.

And they tortured me in order to get a "yes" from me, that it is my responsibility. While they were torturing me, sometimes for a couple of days, I lost consciousness, and when I came to, I saw I had a wound on my back and the large flies defecated on the bloody part and then sometimes maggots.

My heart was breaking because my only son and my beloved husband, they have no relationship to my imprisonment, but they had to go to a forced labor camp. And this type of system exists only in North Korea, nowhere else in the world.

At the time my only child was a university student, at Kim Il Sung University. And my husband was a school principal. And they had to work in the forced labor camp, and still I feel very bad because I was born in North Korea, and my husband passed away under such circumstances.

My father was in a high-ranking position in North Korea, and myself I was graduate of the university, and I was a member of the labor party, and I didn't suffer from anything before. That's why I was not strong enough to have patience to experience severe pain. So in the prison I had to experience such pain, and it is just a miracle that I was freed from such circumstances.

Now it has changed, totally changed 180 degrees. Right now I feel that I don't have to worry. I feel like I died and was reborn.

Right now I hope the day comes sooner when the 23 million North Koreans can be set free. I feel a physical threat from North Korea.

Kim Jong Il is an inhuman person. And I experience such atrocities, and I make it public, so Kim Jong Il may wish to kill me hundreds of times. Therefore I feel threatened. At the cost of my life I don't worry. That's why I have such courage.

I think the rest of the world's people should know about such atrocities in North Korea. Where there are no human rights — this exists only in North Korea.

So far almost no one has survived of those who were imprisoned there. There were a couple of them who survived from the family prison. But in the prison like mine, I'm the only person who survived. It is a secret.

And the facts should be known by the United States Congress and the government, and the United Nations, they should make Kim Jong Il set the prisoners free. By all the people's voice as one, I sincerely request this.

When I was there, there were 24 prison camps. After that, myself, my son and Kang Chol Van and Ahn Hyol and Ahn Nyung Chol and some other people made the facts known to the public, including the U.N., and I think Kim Jong Il took it seriously, and now the number is reduced to half. However, the number of prisoners are 200,000-plus, and other types of prisons 200,000 — total 400,000 prisoners are in the prisons.

Now I don't know how many persons are put into the prisons and how many prisoners are killed at this moment. But North Korea, they have a plan to put people into prison, the schedule the number of prisoners every year. That is not because they are guilty but because they need the manufacture of products by the prisoners.

All the North Koreans know there are prisons, and even 3-year-old kids know there are prisons, and when they cry, if they are told, "You will be sent to a prison camp," then they stop crying.

They are always very cautious to express their opinion, even one word because they don't know when they will be captured and imprisoned if they say the wrong thing.

I have a scar on the left corner of my eye because of the torture, and my teeth were broken. This left side of my face is paralyzed.

They tramped on me so strongly that my teeth were broken and my eyeball came out. And I put it back in the socket again and massaged it by hand for a couple of days. And it was swollen. And see this dent — I find it after recovering consciousness so I don't know what happened, but I must have been poked or stabbed with something.

© 2009 MSNBC Interactive

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MORE FROM CRISIS IN THE KOREAS

Child prisoner: Kang Chol Hwan

Death and terror in North Korea's gulags Is Uncle Sam still welcome in Seoul? U.S. weighs grim N. Korea options Former guard: Ahn Myong Chol A survivor: Soon Ok Lee Child prisoner: Kang Chol Hwan Refugees shed light on North Korea Crisis in the Koreas Section Front

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“When it comes to pain, love, joy, loneliness, and fear, a rat is a pig is a dog is a boy.”

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BreakPoint Commentaries Health & Science In Praise of PETA By Chuck Colson 2/12/2008 Related Audio/Video Downloads Darwin Day and Worldview It has taken me a long time to get to this point, but I am finally ready to praise People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or as they are more commonly known, PETA. This organization really gets it when it comes to worldview. In fact, PETA accepts and follows the logical consequences of a worldview better than almost any other group I can think of. Let me explain. Today is Darwin Day, the 199th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin. The Darwin Day Celebration website explains that Darwin Day "is an international celebration of science and humanity." The site suggests that we hold "civic ceremonies with official proclamations, educational symposia, birthday parties, art shows, book discussions, lobby days, games, protests, and dinner parties." If you think that sounds a little excessive, you ain't seen nothing yet. As Regis Nicoll wrote on our blog, The Point, next year will be proclaimed "the year of Darwin" to celebrate Darwin's 200th birthday. British organizations are planning an "Evolution Megalab" to teach visitors of all ages how to "see evolution at work in the natural world around them." And that will be just one of "an unequalled spate of high-profile broadcasting and public events throughout the world." Here's where PETA comes in. PETA was celebrating Darwin Day long before there was an official Darwin Day. You can see it in everything it does—from its ads comparing the slaughter of animals to the Holocaust, to PETA founder Ingrid Newkirk's famous statement that "When it comes to pain, love, joy, loneliness, and fear, a rat is a pig is a dog is a boy." What does that have to do with Darwinism? Everything. To a Darwinist, you see, there is no distinction between human beings and animals. We all came about by chance; we are made of the same "stuff," and we all end up as nothing more than dust. Instead of recognizing humans as bearers of God's image, Darwinism sees us as nothing more than competitively successful bipeds with opposable thumbs. Forget any talk of human dignity. And that is exactly the worldview that PETA lives by. If Darwinism—which we teach in the schools—is true, then they are right: Slaughtering and eating animals is just as bad as the Holocaust. It is cannibalism. If Darwinism is true, then PETA was correct when it recently compared the American Kennel Club to the Ku Klux Klan for trying to create a "master race" of dogs. Charles Darwin and Ingrid Newkirk are so much on the same page that without Darwin, there could be no PETA. It is a perfect example of following a worldview to its logical conclusion. You have gathered by now, I hope, that the first part of this commentary was satirical. But it is no joke that the kind of thinking I am describing is exactly what the Darwinian worldview can lead to. Darwin Day is not really about parties and science fairs; it is about a total loss of moral transcendence and the loss of dignity of human life. And the real tragedy is that people like PETA are more faithful in following their worldview than many Christians are in following ours. Christians who buy into Darwinian evolution need to understand what they are really saying: that their God considers them of no more value than a rat, or a pig, or a dog. Today's BreakPoint Offer Sharpen your biblical worldview: Learn more about the Wide Angle worldview video series with Chuck Colson and Rick Warren—perfect for small-group Bible studies! For Further Reading and Information Regis Nicoll, "The Year of Darwin Dawns," The Point, 21 March 2007. Learn more about Darwin Day. "Why Animal Rights?" PETA. Gina Dalfonzo, "Evolution Sunday," The Point, 11 February 2008. Gina Dalfonzo, "Striking Back at Darwin Day," The Point, 11 February 2008. Gina Dalfonzo, "Guess what, kiddies? Mom and Dad killed a dog!" The Point, 11 February 2008. BreakPoint Commentary No. 030507, "Abusing Our Power: Do Christians Sanction Cruelty to Animals?" BreakPoint Commentary No. 021120, "Are Pigs People Too?: Animal Stewardship versus Animal Rights."

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"My books are about killing God."

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Home --> Politics --> Religion --> The Golden Compass

The Golden Compass

Claim: The 2007 film The Golden Compass is based on a series of books with anti-religious themes.

Status: True.

Examples:

[Collected via e-mail, October 2007] There will be a new Children's movie out in December called THE GOLDEN COMPASS. It is written by Phillip Pullman, a proud athiest who belongs to secular humanist societies. He hates C. S. Lewis's Chronical's of Narnia and has written a trilogy to show the other side. The movie has been dumbed down to fool kids and their parents in the hope that they will buy his trilogy where in the end the children kill God and everyone can do as they please. Nicole Kidman stars in the movie so it will probably be advertised a lot. This is just a friendly warning that you sure won't hear on the regular TV. [Collected via e-mail, October 2007] I don't just generally dismiss a movie or book just because someone 'says' it's meant to be something else...but this is worth knowing if you plan to see it (or plan to take your kids). "Hi! I just wanted to inform you what I just learned about a movie that is coming out December 7, during the Christmas season, which is entitled THE GOLDEN COMPASS. It stars Nicole Kidman and it is directed toward children. What is disturbing to me is that this movie is based on the first of a trilogy of books for children called HIS DARK MATERIALS written by Philip Pullman of England. He's an atheist and his objective is to bash Christianity and promote atheism. I heard that he has made remarks that he wants to kill God in the minds of children, and that's what his books are all about. He despises C.S. Lewis and Narnia, etc. An article written about him said "this is the most dangerous author in Britain" and that Pullman would be the writer "the atheists would be praying for, if atheists prayed." Pullman said he doesn't think it is possible that there is a God and he has great difficulty understanding the words "spiritual" and "spirituality." What I thought was important to communicate is what part of the agenda is for making this picture. This movie is a watered down version of the first book, which is the least offensive of the three books. The second book of the trilogy is THE SUBTLE KNIFE and the third book is THE AMBER SPYGLASS. Each book gets worse and worse regarding Pullman's hatred of God. In the trilogy, a young girl becomes enmeshed in an epic struggle against a nefarious Church known as the Magisterium. Another character, an ex-nun, describes Christianity as "a very powerful and convincing mistake." As I understand it, in the last book, a boy and girl are depicted representing Adam and Eve and they kill God, who at times is called YAHWEH (which is definitely not Allah). Since the movie would seem mild if you viewed it, that's been done on purpose. They are hoping that unsuspecting parents will take their children to See the movie, that they will enjoy the movie and then the children will want the books for Christmas. That's the hook. Pullman says he wants the children to read the books and decide against God and the kingdom of heaven. If you decide that you do not want to support something like this, I suggest that you boycott the movie and the books. I googled a synopsis of THE GOLDEN COMPASS. As I skimmed it, I couldn't believe that in a children's book part of the story is about castration and female circumcision.

Origins: The Golden Compass, a fantasy film starring Nicole Kidman that is scheduled to be released into theaters on 7 December 2007, has been drawing fire from concerned Christians. The film is based on Northern Lights (released in the U.S. as The Golden Compass), the first offering in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy of children's books, a series that follows the adventures of a streetwise girl who travels through multiple worlds populated by witches, armor-plated bears, and sinister ecclesiastical assassins to defeat the oppressive forces of a senile God.

Books of the trilogy have sold more than 15 million copies around the world, with Northern Lights winning the Carnegie Medal for Children's Literature in 1995 and in 2007 being awarded the 'Carnegie of Carnegies' for the best children's book of the past 70 years. The Amber Spyglass, the final book of the series, won The Whitbread Prize in 2001, making it the first children's book to do so.

The series' author, Philip Pullman (wo has described himself as both an agnostic and an atheist), has averred that "I don't profess any religion; I don't think it's possible that there is a God; I have the greatest difficulty in understanding what is meant by the words 'spiritual' or 'spirituality.'" Critics of Pullman's books point to the strong anti-religion and anti-God themes they incorporate, and although literary works are subject to a variety of interpretations, Pullman left little doubt about his books' intended meanings when he said in a 2003 interview that "My books are about killing God" and in a 2001 interview that he was "trying to undermine the basis of Christian belief." (In 2002 conservative British columnist Peter Hitchens labeled Pullman "The Most Dangerous Author in Britain" and described him as the writer "the atheists would have been praying for, if atheists prayed.")

Bill Donohue, president of The Catholic League, has condemned The Golden Compass as a "pernicious" effort to indoctrinate children into anti-Christian beliefs and has produced a 23-page pamphlet titled The Golden Compass: Unmasked in which he maintains that Pullman "sells atheism for kids." Donohoe told interviewer John Gibson on 9 October 2007 why he believes Christians should stay away from the film:

Look, the movie is based on the least offensive of the three books. And they have dumbed down the worst elements in the movie because they don't want to make Christians angry and they want to make money. Our concern is this, unsuspecting Christian parents may want to take their kid to the movie, it opens up December 7th and say, this wasn't troubling, then we'll buy the books. So the movie is the bait for the books which are profoundly anti-Catholic and at the same time selling atheism.

Other reviewers, however, have described Pullman's works as being more generally anti-religion rather than specifically anti-Christian or anti-Catholic:

In "His Dark Materials," Pullman's criticisms of organized religion come across as anti-authoritarian and anti-ascetic rather than anti-doctrinal. (Jesus isn't mentioned in any of the books, although Pullman has hinted that He might figure in a forthcoming sequel, "The Book of Dust.") His fundamental objection is to ideological tyranny and the rejection of this world in favor of an idealized afterlife, regardless of creed. As one of the novel's pagan characters puts it, "Every church is the same: control, destroy, obliterate every good feeling."

Last updated: 23 October 2007

The URL for this page is http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/compass.asp

Urban Legends Reference Pages © 1995-2007
by Barbara and David P. Mikkelson
This material may not be reproduced without permission.

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Sources:

Gibson, John. "The Big Story with John Gibson."

Fox News Network. 9 October 2007.

Hitchens, Peter. "This Is the Most Dangerous Author in Britain."

Mail on Sunday. 27 January 2002 (p. 63).

Hoyle, Ben. "Pullman Writes a Book That Will Shed Light on Darkness of His Beliefs."

The [London] Times. 1 August 2007 (p. 9).

Lurie, Alison. "His Dark Materials."

The Guardian. 3 December 2005 (Review; p. 12).

Meacham, Steve. "The Shed Where God Died."

The Sydney Morning Herald. 13 December 2003.

Miller, Laura. "Far from Narnia."

The New Yorker. 26 December 2005.

Pauli, Michelle. "Pullman Wins 'Carnegie of Carnegies.'"

The Guardian. 21 June 2007.

Wartofsky, Alona. "Philip Pullman's Trilogy for Young Adults Ends with God's Death, and Remarkably Few Critics."

The Washington Post. 19 February 2001.

Sunday Mirror. "Kidman Movie Is 'Atheist.'"

21 October 2007 (p. 24).

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Cut and paste this info and send your own letter to Pastor Son Jong Nam

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Coltrabagar's Message:

The letter is to be mailed to the North Korean delegation to the United Nations, along with a cover letter asking the North Korean government to spare Son's life, release him from prison immediately, report on his current status and deliver the personal letter to Son.

The purpose of this letter is for it to be a personal letter from you to Pastor Son Jong Nam. Make sure that your personal information, name and address, is included on the letter and the return address on the envelope. Hand writing the address on the envelope is best. Make sure no organization's info is on the letter you send. This will help protect Pastor Son Jong Nam and make your correspondence more effective. Even if Pastor Son Jong Nam does not receive your letter, someone will know that he is not forgotten and that his plight is being taken up by many.

 clipped from www.prisoneralert.com

Letter:

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Son Jong Nam

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Keep looking to Jesus, our only hope of heaven.

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You are fighting a good fight. May you keep the faith and finish the race.

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We love you and your family. We are praying for you, your family, and your guards.

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I pray the eyes, ears and hearts of those who persecute you may open to Jesus.

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Address:

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Permanent Mission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to the United Nations 515 East 72nd Street, 38-F New York, N.Y 10021 USA

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Approximate Postage Rates
Source: USA
Destination: North Korea

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Weight Range

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Shipping Cost

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0 oz - 1 oz

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$ .90

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1 oz - 2 oz

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$ 1.80

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2 oz - 3 oz

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$ 2.70

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* Please check with your local post office for exact postage fees.

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Worldwide Campaign to Save North Korean Facing Death for Christian Faith

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 clipped from www.persecution.com

July 10, 2007, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Alex Coffin @ 704-364-2049 or ACoffin@InChristCommunications.com

Download press kit and photos @ www.persecution.com/media

Presidential Candidate, Other Senators, Lend Support to Effort

International Ministry Launches Worldwide Campaign to Save North Korean Facing Death for Christian Faith

PYONGYANG, North Korea - The Voice of the Martyrs (VOM), an international organization that assists persecuted Christians around the world, today launched a worldwide campaign to free a North Korean man awaiting public execution for the crime of simply being a Christian.

For more than a year, Son Jong Nam, former North Korean Army officer turned underground evangelist, has been beaten, tortured and held in a bleak, North Korean death row basement jail in this capital city. He has been sentenced to public execution as an example to the North Korean people.

VOM has been joined in the initiative by U.S. Senator and presidential candidate Sam Brownback (R-Kan.), a noted supporter of human rights for North Korean refugees. Brownback sent letters last week, also signed by Senators Baucus (D-Mont.), Durbin (D-Ill.), Inhofe (R-Okla.) and Vitter (R-La.), asking U.S. Secretary of State Dr. Condoleezza Rice and U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to work to secure the release of the Christian prisoner.

VOM is calling on people in the United States and around the world to write letters and send emails on Son Jong Nam's behalf. They are directed to go to VOM web site www.prisoneralert.com, where they can compose a personal letter of support and encouragement to Son. The letter is to be mailed to the North Korean delegation to the United Nations, along with a cover letter asking the North Korean government to spare Son's life, release him from prison immediately, report on his current status and deliver the personal letter to Son.

In addition, people are encouraged to send emails to the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights and the U.S. Department of State, asking that they intervene on Son's behalf.

"We are asking for prayers for Mr. Son, but also that people around the world take action on his behalf," said Todd Nettleton, director of media development for VOM. "Jesus said ministering to a prisoner was like ministering to Himself. Every letter and email can make a difference."

In his letters to Secretary of State Rice and Secretary General Ban, Sen. Brownback wrote: "Future cooperation and engagement with North Korea will be far more challenging if its leaders continue to persecute their own people for religious views. The United States has made political and religious freedoms important elements in its diplomatic relations, and we are gravely concerned about abuses of such basic rights in North Korea."

Some years ago Son complained to the North Korean Central People's Committee when his wife, while being investigated by the secret police, was kicked in the stomach and miscarried. He made plans to leave North Korea after being pressured to drop the matter.

Son defected to China in 1998 with his wife, son and brother. His wife died after arriving there. It was in China that he met a South Korean missionary and became a Christian. Mr. Son continued his religious studies and felt called to be an evangelist in North Korea.

But before he could return home, Son was arrested by Chinese police in 2001 and sent back to North Korea, charged with sending missionaries into his native country. He was imprisoned and brutally tortured for three years. Many of his 200 fellow inmates were Christians, imprisoned themselves for studying theology in China. Many died within six months.

Son was released on parole in May 2004 and expelled from Pyongyang to Chongjin to work at a rocket research institute. However, his health was so bad when he was released that he was unable to walk. But after receiving medical treatment, he went back to China to meet with his brother.

Son was arrested again when he returned to North Korea in January 2006, and has remained in prison since. The last word of him came in February. It is suspected that because he is being kept in the capitol city, North Korean officials view him as a special case and perhaps are keeping him alive, if barely, for unknown reasons.

According to Nettleton, North Korea, a one-man dictatorship with communist influence, is one of the most repressive and isolated regimes in the world and denies every kind of human right to its citizens. The country's previous leader, Kim Il Sung, founded an ideology called "juche," meaning "self-reliance," which is enforced in every aspect of the culture by the ruling elite. Kim Jong Il, the son of deceased leader Kim Il Sung, currently leads the country. In North Korea, both Kims are considered deities.

"All religions have been harshly repressed in North Korea," said Nettleton. "Thousands of Christians have been murdered since the Korean War. In 1953, there were an estimated 300,000 Christians; however, the number is much lower today. Christians must practice their faith in deep secrecy and are in constant danger."

There are three official churches in North Korea's capital, Pyongyang, said Nettleton, but they are only for show. Many North Koreans have fled to China, some of them Christians, and have been known to return to North Korea to share the gospel, he said.

"Any North Korean sent back by the Chinese government faces almost certain death if it is discovered they've had contact with Christians in China," Nettleton said.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) issued a report June 19 accusing North Korea of international crimes against humanity, and recommended the United Nations establish a commission of inquiry. The report said a "prima facie" case exists that North Korea has committed "murder, extermination, enslavement/forced persecution, enforced disappearance of persons, other inhumane acts and perhaps rape and sexual violence."

VOM has been launching helium-filled balloons, printed with either the Gospel of Mark or the text of a tract called "How to Know God" into North Korea for years, said Nettleton. They also smuggle in copies of an audio drama called "He Lived Among Us" and have sent copies of The New Testament in Korean to northern China through a VOM program called "Bibles Unbound" (www.biblesunbound.com).

The Voice of the Martyrs (www.persecution.com), headquartered in Bartlesville, Okla., is a non-profit, interdenominational organization with a vision for aiding Christians around the world who are being persecuted for their faith in Jesus Christ, fulfilling the "Great Commission" and educating the world about the ongoing persecution of Christians.

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North Korean Pastor Faces Execution For Preaching the Gospel

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 clipped from www.traditionalvalues.org

Printer Friendly Page Email To A Friend Support TVC Get Our Newsletter! North Korean Pastor Faces Execution For Preaching The Gospel July 19, 2007 – Pastor Son Jong Nam faces imminent execution by the North Korean government for preaching the Gospel in that nation. TVC has joined with other groups and numerous U.S. Senators to campaign to have Nam released from prison and permitted to live his life without persecution and the threat of death for being a Christian witness in his country. "We stand in solidarity with our Christian brother and faithful Pastor Nam," said TVC Chairman Rev. Louis P. Sheldon. "We will do whatever we can to help gain his release from prison and a death sentence." Pastor Nam had defected from North Korea in 1998 to China with his wife, son and brother. His wife died shortly after arriving in China. It was in China where he met a South Korean missionary who led him to Christ. Nam then felt a call to be an evangelist in his native North Korea. Before he could return to North Korea, the Chinese arrested him and kept in prison for three years and tortured. Many of his 200 fellow inmates were also Christians who had been imprisoned for studying theology in China. TVC is calling upon its supporters to write email letters of support for Pastor Nam's release to the following individuals: Your two U.S. Senators; Secretary of State Condolezza Rice, U.N. Secretary General, and the U.N. Secretary Commissioner for Human Rights. The Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) has more details on Pastor Nam's plight: The Voice of the Martyrs Media Room TAKE ACTION: Contact your two U.S. Senators by email by using TVC's CapWiz service. Secretary of State Condolezza Rice can be contacted here: Email Comments. The Secretary General of the U.N. can be contacted here: Feedback. The U.N. Commissioner on Human Rights can be contacted here: Human Rights Complaints. Please take a moment and share this article with a friend by clicking here

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What Can I Do?

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 clipped from freekorea.us

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What You Can Do for the People of North Korea

January 20, 2006 at 8:48 pm · Filed under Activism

It's been two years since I began blogging about human rights in North Korea. As regular readers know, I believe North Korea to be the world's greatest, and most underreported, humanitarian tragedy today. It is neither seriously disputed nor widely discussed that the North Korean regime deliberately chose to spend its resources on weapons and luxuries for its elites while 2 million of its people starved to death, knowing that it was happening, with malice aforethought. North Korea is also a grave proliferation danger to every nation that offends a client of its promiscuous intercourse in weapons of mass murder.

Often, readers write to ask, "What can I do for the people of North Korea?"

If you have a few bucks you can spare. If you're one of those fortunate ones with enough money to be generous to a good cause, I'd first ask, "What kind of activity do you want to support?" If your intention is to support political activity and contribute to the building of a grand, nonpartisan human rights coalition in Washington, then your best choice is the North Korean Freedom Coalition, run by my friend, Suzanne Scholte. The NKFC is an activist group that lobbies influential policymakers in Washington and elsewhere. Better yet, if you pull any weight with the leader of your church or synagogue, ask that leader to involve the congregation, its members, or another worthy organization with which it works.

The U.S. Committee for Human Rights in North Korea sponsors the best research on the subject. That research regularly finds its way into congressional hearings. HRNK recently produced the single best, most comprehensive study of human rights in North Korea anywhere. This study should have been written by the U.N. a decade ago; instead, it was commissioned by Elie Wiesel, Vaclav Havel, and Kjell Magne Bondevik and written on the donated pro-bono time of the California law firm DLA Piper.

If you want to give to a group that helps North Koreans escape to freedom along an "underground railroad" through China and other places, give to Helping Hands Korea, an affiliate of the Family Care Foundation established by the Rev. Tim Peters. Rev. Peters came to South Korea many years ago, and was once thrown out of the country for opposing its old right-wing dictatorship. HHK's agenda is unapologetically and proudly Christian. Peters is a modern-day Harriet Tubman, a modest, gentle, Godly, and yet highly intrepid man. Read more about him here and here.

If you want to give to a group that is does direct activism, lobbying, and clandestine refugee assistance, then give to LiNK, Liberty in North Korea. LiNK is a nonpartisan coalition that can get meetings with senators and ambassadors. It's a young organization that can put hundreds of protestors on a target. LiNK is also changing hearts and minds in South Korea, something it's in a unique position to do because its membership contains so many Korean-Americans (as well as others of every conceiveable ethnic group). LiNK has also set up a series of clandestine shelters and orphanages in China that are saving North Korean kids from freezing and starving to death at this very moment. A reminder from LiNK:

All travel by the LiNK team is covered by special sponsorships and individual fundraising- no travel fees were taken from LiNK's funds whatsoever. All donations to LiNK's Safe Haven operations go straight to the field- in other words, there is no overhead.

They also remind us why they do it:

The LiNK team visited many of the shelters personally, and interviewed refugees in hiding under LiNK's care, but not before purchasing large amounts of nae-bok, or long underwear, a crucial article of clothing in the below-freezing area, particularly in the mountains. The team also purchased enough thick ski/snow style pants for all refugees under LiNK's care as well, and toys, crayons and dolls for the orphans.

Many of the refugees the team encountered had heartbreaking stories to share. One woman was sold for only a few hundred dollars, and spent three months essentially in sexual slavery, before she was rescued by a man who was able to purchase her freedom, and connect her with underground networks. Two orphaned young men, aged 21, also shared their stories- siblings and parents dying of hunger, relatives missing. At one point the team compared heights with a member of the LiNK team and the two refugees, all in similar age ranges. The difference was shocking, and tragic. They also spoke of witnessing public executions.

Some of the refugees the team met with have been captured while attempting to cross, or being close to the border. They tell us that standard policy is detention for about 6 months. They also told us that when the same individual was caught three times, they would summarily be executed. The two boys, as well as several others we met with, were at that stage. "I don't want to be caught again. If I'm sent back, I will be killed."

That is the reality there.

LiNK is perpetually in need of funds to carry out its activities. If you can help, please do.

If you have nothing to give but your hard work, LiNK is looking for help in its offices in Washington, D.C., and at its new branches, most of them on college campuses, all over the United States, South Korea, and elsewhere. It's a rather unique position description:

LiNK is looking for a few good men and women to join us at the LiNK headquarters office in Washington, D.C., the first, full-time office outside of Seoul devoted solely to North Korean human rights. Staff will be selected based on the following criteria: passion for making the world a better place, willingness to make sacrifices, find common ground with near-anyone and persuade others for said cause, and the desire and ability to give up their own time and resources for strangers an ocean away. No prior experience or education required- simply a willing heart and open mind. There is no talent or skill that cannot be used to help others.

There will be no pay, no stipends, and probably, little recognition in the real world [ at least, until the movement has succeeded ]. In fact, most will likely scoff at such "youthful idealism" and wait for you to give up and move on. And frankly, at this point in time, the officers at HQ are paying to work- not something we do by choice, but a necessity until our operations and shelters get more stable funding. But do not misunderstand- you will be making a difference.

Volunteers to start branches in Europe and Japan are also strongly welcomed.

If you live in Seoul, LiNK is also looking for interns to work with Assemblyman Hwang Woo-Yea in Seoul, who stands alongside Kim Moon-Soo as a giant in the defense of human rights in North Korea. If Kim Moon-Soo is the movement's populist, then Hwang, a former lawyer and judge, is its ambassador, having set up an international coalition of parliamentarians supporting human rights in North Korea. You must speak fluent English and Korean–please inquire with adrian@linkglobal.org.

Finally, if anything you see here causes you to believe that your government should be thinking about these things, too, then write to your parliamentarian or congressman. If you live in the United States, the House is here and the Senate is here.

Update: Brendan Brown, who lives in Seoul and teaches North Korean refugees, adds:

Joshua, Can I add that if there is anyone living in Seoul that can volunteer some time per week to teach North Korean defectors that would be highly appreciated? It could be a foreign language especially English or Chinese. Or for Korean speakers subjects like business, economics or information technology. Or on a Friday evening if you fancy yourself as a bit of a cook, a soup kitchen for the defectors can be an option. The soup kitchen could be say once a month.

I do ask that if you are interested in teaching it should be that you avail yourself for
at least a year. Unfortunately some (perhaps, perhaps not) well intentioned people teach for a few weeks and then leave. This has an unsettling effect on any student and so it would be better not to offer at all if you were merely curious in meeting North Koreans but not neccessarily in helping them.

You can contact Brendan (or any of the rest of these deserving organizations) through me. Just drop a comment.

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Gas Chambers in North Korea

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 clipped from www.guardian.co.uk

Revealed: the gas chamber horror of North Korea's gulag

A series of shocking personal testimonies is now shedding light on Camp 22 - one of the country's most horrific secrets

Antony Barnett
Sunday February 1, 2004
The Observer

In the remote north-eastern corner of North Korea, close to the border of Russia and China, is Haengyong. Hidden away in the mountains, this remote town is home to Camp 22 - North Korea's largest concentration camp, where thousands of men, women and children accused of political crimes are held.

Now, it is claimed, it is also where thousands die each year and where prison guards stamp on the necks of babies born to prisoners to kill them.

Article continues

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Over the past year harrowing first-hand testimonies from North Korean defectors have detailed execution and torture, and now chilling evidence has emerged that the walls of Camp 22 hide an even more evil secret: gas chambers where horrific chemical experiments are conducted on human beings.

Witnesses have described watching entire families being put in glass chambers and gassed. They are left to an agonising death while scientists take notes. The allegations offer the most shocking glimpse so far of Kim Jong-il's North Korean regime.

Kwon Hyuk, who has changed his name, was the former military attaché at the North Korean Embassy in Beijing. He was also the chief of management at Camp 22. In the BBC's This World documentary, to be broadcast tonight, Hyuk claims he now wants the world to know what is happening.

'I witnessed a whole family being tested on suffocating gas and dying in the gas chamber,' he said. 'The parents, son and and a daughter. The parents were vomiting and dying, but till the very last moment they tried to save kids by doing mouth-to-mouth breathing.'

Hyuk has drawn detailed diagrams of the gas chamber he saw. He said: 'The glass chamber is sealed airtight. It is 3.5 metres wide, 3m long and 2.2m high_ [There] is the injection tube going through the unit. Normally, a family sticks together and individual prisoners stand separately around the corners. Scientists observe the entire process from above, through the glass.'

He explains how he had believed this treatment was justified. 'At the time I felt that they thoroughly deserved such a death. Because all of us were led to believe that all the bad things that were happening to North Korea were their fault; that we were poor, divided and not making progress as a country.

'It would be a total lie for me to say I feel sympathetic about the children dying such a painful death. Under the society and the regime I was in at the time, I only felt that they were the enemies. So I felt no sympathy or pity for them at all.'

His testimony is backed up by Soon Ok-lee, who was imprisoned for seven years. 'An officer ordered me to select 50 healthy female prisoners,' she said. 'One of the guards handed me a basket full of soaked cabbage, told me not to eat it but to give it to the 50 women. I gave them out and heard a scream from those who had eaten them. They were all screaming and vomiting blood. All who ate the cabbage leaves started violently vomiting blood and screaming with pain. It was hell. In less than 20 minutes they were quite dead.'

Defectors have smuggled out documents that appear to reveal how methodical the chemical experiments were. One stamped 'top secret' and 'transfer letter' is dated February 2002. The name of the victim was Lin Hun-hwa. He was 39. The text reads: 'The above person is transferred from ... camp number 22 for the purpose of human experimentation of liquid gas for chemical weapons.'

Kim Sang-hun, a North Korean human rights worker, says the document is genuine. He said: 'It carries a North Korean format, the quality of paper is North Korean and it has an official stamp of agencies involved with this human experimentation. A stamp they cannot deny. And it carries names of the victim and where and why and how these people were experimented [on].'

The number of prisoners held in the North Korean gulag is not known: one estimate is 200,000, held in 12 or more centres. Camp 22 is thought to hold 50,000.

Most are imprisoned because their relatives are believed to be critical of the regime. Many are Christians, a religion believed by Kim Jong-il to be one of the greatest threats to his power. According to the dictator, not only is a suspected dissident arrested but also three generations of his family are imprisoned, to root out the bad blood and seed of dissent.

With North Korea trying to win concessions in return for axing its nuclear programme, campaigners want human rights to be a part of any deal. Richard Spring, Tory foreign affairs spokesman, is pushing for a House of Commons debate on human rights in North Korea.

'The situation is absolutely horrific,' Spring said. 'It is totally unacceptable by any norms of civilised society. It makes it even more urgent to convince the North Koreans that procuring weapons of mass destruction must end, not only for the security of the region but for the good of their own population.'

Mervyn Thomas, chief executive of Christian Solidarity Worldwide, said: 'For too long the horrendous suffering of the people of North Korea, especially those imprisoned in unspeakably barbaric prison camps, has been met with silence ... It is imperative that the international community does not continue to turn a blind eye to these atrocities which should weigh heavily on the world's conscience.'

·This World is being broadcast on BBC2 at 9pm tonight.

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Location of Concentration Camps

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From Dr. Norbert Vollertsen

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 clipped from chosunjournal.com

South Korea's Spoilers

By Dr. Norbert Vollertsen

SEOUL, Oct 18, 2006 — For six years now I have been active in lobbying for human rights in North Korea. My associates and I provide detailed information to Western journalists. We organize protests at the Panmunjom border with North Korea, help North Korean refugees rush past guards and enter Western embassies in China, and coordinate the flight of North Korean "boat people." We also attempt simple, utilitarian projects such as the sending into North Korea — by balloon — of small radios, which those lucky enough to retrieve might use to learn about the world outside their Gulag-state.

Some of these projects have failed, many of them have succeeded. But never could I have imagined that the most difficult part of creating an awareness of human rights abuses in North Korea would be to raise a voice in South Korea.

Here in Seoul, I get around 1,400 hate-e-mails per day. As a result of an e-mail campaign organized by South Korean students, my e-mail account is often sabotaged. I am caught in the middle of an Internet campaign titled, ominously, "How to get rid of Norbert Vollertsen." Suggestions include "Execute him," "Kill him," etc. People — South Korean people –shout and even spit at me on the street. My activities to help the enslaved people of the North –such as my boat-people project — are sabotaged by South Korean intelligence. My telephone is tapped, and I have minders following me the whole day. All in all, although I'm here in Seoul, I feel like I'm still in Pyongyang!

Yet for all the horrors I witnessed in North Korea, where I once worked for 18 months as a medical worker for Cap Anamur, a German aid organization, I was never beaten by the police — not even in my last days there as persona non grata, just before my expulsion for the expression of pro-human rights views.

Here, in South Korea, I have been beaten by the police — among others.

During our balloon-launching attempt on Aug. 22,2003 a young South Korean (well-fed, wanting for nothing) attacked me, threw me to the ground and escaped with a bundle of radios intended for his starving, destitute brothers across the border — an assault carried out right under the noses of the riot police. Then I was attacked by the police themselves. One officer jumped on my twisted knee while I was lying on the ground. But even that was not as painful as the incident in March this year when some riot policemen kicked me in the groin while I was standing in the middle of their crowd during a protest in front of the Chinese embassy here in Seoul.

On another Sunday, I was attacked by North Korean "journalists" at the World University Games in Daegu, while holding a peaceful press conference in front of the convention building there. The South Korean newspapers reported that I "exchanged punches with the North Koreans." In reality, I was standing on my crutches, still suffering from my injuries from the balloon-launch assault, and could barely stay upright. I was also wearing a neck-brace, and so was unable even to swivel my head to face my North Korean attackers.

Afterwards, the same newspapers called me an "extreme ultra-right-wing activist," even "fascist," which is ironical, given that I am doing what I am doing for the North Koreans mainly to atone for the shameful fascist history of my home country, Germany. The local government in Daegu apologized to the North Korean delegation for my "grave offence," and promised to punish me and get me expelled.

In Beijing, where the next round of the so-called six-party talks shall take place again to my consternation, the talks are only focusing on nukes. But the human right abuses of regime of Kim Jong Il is the real cause of all the military problems.

Kim Jong Il has to fight for survival like the leader of a religious cult, like the head of a family mafia clan — he can only do so by blackmailing the whole world: "Feed me or I will kill you with my nuclear weapons." He will never abandon these weapons, his only real "security guarantee."

And there is only one security guarantee for the starving children in North Korea: When there is no more security for Kim Jong Il and his regime and he has to face justice at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

The only way to get rid of the North Korean nukes and missiles is to get rid of Kim Jong Il, and the best way to do that is by creating an inner collapse of the North Korean regime.

In order to achieve this inner collapse we first of all have to inform the ordinary North Korean people about the outside world. Because they do not have any access to foreign media they do not know anything about Western societies. They are brainwashed into believing that we are all homeless, drug-addicted and depraved.

Because of this non- and misinformation there are no uprisings like those in former East European countries and no defections on a mass scale. That is why our project to send radios by balloon is so potent — and why friends of Kim Jong Il in South Korea are determined to foil us.

Seoul is proving to be the real external obstacle to freedom for North Korea. Many people in foreign countries wonder about the general South Korean attitude toward Pyongyang, the increasing anti-Americanism here, and the perverse likelihood of pro-North Korean diplomacy by Seoul during the six-party talks and the whole nuclear discussion.

The truth is, South Korea is infiltrated by Pyongyang's agents. According to the NIS, the South Korean intelligence, there are up to 6,000 secret agents from North Korea operating in South Korea's establishment; and the main targets, besides the government, are the NIS itself, the military, the student organizations, the workers' unions — and the media.

Until now I have been talking about human-rights violations in North Korea, and the need for regime change there. Maybe it is time now to talk about rights violation in the South too — and even regime change as well, by the power of the people, by election of course.

Here in South Korea basic civil rights, the freedom of speech and mainly the freedom of the press, are endangered by the current administration. The government of President Roh Moo Hyun is cracking down on critical journalists.

I will continue my activities here in South Korea even after I got expelled from this Korean nation too and only was allowed to reimmigrate under the "final order" not to engage in any "political activities" at all. No speeches, no shouting, no publicity stunts. So I will try a new approach…

This entry was posted on Saturday, November 4th, 2006 and is filed under Dr. Norbert Vollertsen's Column. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

1. June 11th, 2007 at 7:52 am

   Dr. Vollertsen,

   I am an attorney in Texas, U.S.A.
   Recently, I met two North Korean refugees who are seeking asylum in the U.S. and became interested in learning about what is going on in North Korea.
   I am so touched by what you are doing for Korea.
   I'll keep you in my prayer, and in whatever way I can I will advocate for suffering North Koreans.

   Submitted by: Angie

2. April 24th, 2007 at 1:08 pm

   Dear Dr.Vollertsen,

   Hello, my name is Beth Hong, and I am President of a student organization called North Korea Freedom Network, based at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec. NKFN aims to advocate for North Korean human rights and educate students and the wider community about the human rights crisis, and mobilize to pressure the Canadian government to take action. We hope to attain NGO status in Quebec in a few months' time.

   In March or April of 2008, we are planning to hold a one-day conference at McGill on the North Korean human rights crisis, similar to the one held at Yale on April14th. We are in the process of contacting and confirming potential speakers and experts on the field of North Korea and the various aspects of the human rights crisis. I believe that your presence at this conference will highlght the acute lack of basic healthcare services and civil liberties in North Korea.

   The goal of our conference is what can be done about the crisis in a Canadian context. We would like participants of the conference to be able to walk away with a clear idea of what can be done to publicize and advocate for the North Korean human rights crisis- as students, Canadian citizens (or as a citizen of an industrialized country) and voters. I hope that your perspectives on the situation in North Korea, and your courageous dedication against such vehement opposition and danger can inspire participants to take action.

   As a student club and soon-to-be start up NGO, our funds are limited. However, we are also in the process of searching for sponsors and donors to fund our conference, and we plan to pay for your transportation and accomodation for your time in Montreal. Thank you for your attention, and I look forward to your reply.

   Sincerely,

   Beth Hong
   President, North Korea Freedom Network
   Tel: (514) 616 3174
   Email: nkfn.mcgill AT gmail DOT com

   Submitted by: Beth Hong

3. January 9th, 2007 at 3:04 am

   Dr. Vollertsen,
   I have been inspired by your recent activites in both North and South Korea over the past 5-6 years. I really want to make a difference and try and help and raise awareness of the plight of the North Koreans. If i can be of any help in your struggle to fight for the people of Korea please don't hesitate to contact me. Im located in Seoul and would really like to try and make a difference here to try and raise the awarenes within the expat population here.

   Keep up your inspirational work
   Peter Carney

   Submitted by: PeterC

4. December 28th, 2006 at 12:47 pm

   Dr. Vollerstan,

   Your hunger strikes and campaign of hope for NK refugees have made a great impact on me. I am just soley and individual like yourself but what you have shown the world is how desperate NK's refugees need our help. Thank you for your loyalty, bravery and most of all your will to spread the message of social injustice. Through yuor tireless efforts, Kim Jong Il will meet his ruin and the people of NK will be free.

   Submitted by: Gina

5. November 11th, 2006 at 12:07 pm

   Dr. Vollertsen,

   I cannot put into my words of love and graditude to what you are doing for the North Korean people. My heart goes out to you and others like you that sacrifice so this cause. You and many others like you are truly amazing and wonderful people. It is people like you that make this world worth living. You are an inspiration to everyone. Thank you for all you have done and sacrificed.

   You will be in my prayers. Good will conquer Evil. Bless you.

   Submitted by: Emily

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