SEOUL — Wednesday at the Seoul Press Center, Human Rights Foundation (HRF) will launch a global effort to raise awareness about the North Korea Human Rights Act—a bill stalled in South Korea’s National Assembly since 2005. The International Coalition is led by Garry Kasparov and includes democracy activist Srdja Popovic, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, Malaysian opposition leader Nurul […]
North Korean Human Rights Act Gets New Push
On How North Korean Defectors Resettle In South Korea
Following the lead of Germany, more and more European countries are accepting asylum seekers who are mostly from war-torn Syria. The countries, including the United Kingdom and France, are to set out plans to resettle refugees. In 1990s, South Korea faced similar issues regarding refugees, as the number of North Korean residents who defected to […]
Two Koreas Reach Deal After Three-Day Marathon Talks
After three day-marathon negotiations between high-level officials, South Korea agreed to halt its propaganda loudspeakers on the board, while North Korea ended the semi-state of war on August 25. Last Thursday, the two Koreas exchanged artillery fire, and North Korea announced a semi-state of war the following day, criticizing the anti-Pyeongyang propaganda loudspeakers, which South Korea […]
North Korean camp survivor Dong-Hyuk Shin tells true feelings about his book and campaign
Dong-Hyuk Shin, the only North Korean prison camp escapee, revealed that the inaccurate details in his autobiography “Escape from Camp 14” were neither lies nor confusion about his memories following his traumatic experiences. He just wanted to keep some painful experiences to himself. “First of all, let me tell about the controversial issues surrounding my book, as some […]
South Koreans mark one year anniversary of ferry tragedy
SEOUL, South Korea — South Koreans paid tribute to the victims of the Sewol ferry disaster today in central Seoul, one year after the ferry sank, causing the deaths of 304 people April 16, 2014. The Sewol ferry was heading to Jeju Island from Incheon International Port Passenger Terminal, carrying 476 passengers. Of those, 325 were high […]
Justice for North Korea launch street campaign for North Korean defectors in central Seoul
SEOUL, South Korea — Nongovernmental organization Justice for North Korea (JFNK) launched a street campaign last Saturday in Insadong Street, Central Seoul to bring attention to the North Korean crisis. Founder of JFNK and activist Peter Jung and street campaign coordinator Aaron Peterson held the campaign with four volunteers. Three people handed out flyers which explained about the […]
N. Korean defector reveals scars of prison camp torture
SEOUL, South Korea — North Korean defector Dong-Hyuk Shin has revealed photos of scars on his body, which he says were suffered in a prison camp in the hermit kingdom. Shin published the photos to his Facebook page last week after admitting to several inaccurate accounts in his autobiography in January. Shin is famous for being the only survivor to have escaped from a North Korean […]
US Ambassador to S. Korea attacked with a knife during a breakfast meeting in Seoul
SEOUL, South Korea — US Ambassador to South Korea Mark Lippert underwent a surgery after being slashed in his right cheek and left hand with a knife by a Korean activist during a breakfast meeting in central Seoul Thursday. Lippert, being bleeding from wounds, was removed from the Sejong Centre for the Performing Arts with the aid […]
Missing South Korean teen training with IS
SEOUL, South Korea — A South Korean teenager who disappeared near the Syrian border in Turkey last month has been found to be receiving training from the Islamic State (IS), South Korea’s spy agency said Tuesday. The head of the National Intelligent Service (NIS), Byung-kee Lee reported during a closed-door parliamentary meeting that the 18-year-old, surnamed […]
South Korean swimmer attending doping hearing due to failed doping test
South Korean swimming super star Tae-Hwan Park will attend FINA’s doping hearing, held in Lausanne, Switzerland on Feb. 27, as he failed a doping test last September during the 2014 Incheon Asian Games. FINA, the international governing body of swimming, informed the Korea Swimming Federation (KSF) at the end of last October that Park tested […]
Missing South Korean teen expressed desire to join IS on social media
SEOUL, South Korea — A South Korean teenager who disappeared in Turkey this month is believed to have joined the Islamic State (IS). Authorities are basing this suspicion on the teen’s social media communications, which consistently included sentiments of longing to join the Muslim militant group. Kim’s disappearance The 18-year-old, whose surname was given as Kim, went missing […]
South Korea tries to remove the deadlock
Monday South Korea proposed a series of talks with North Korea. It is an attempt to remove the gunpowder between the two borders which has led to a huge amount of fighting in the past few decades. Since the Korean War of 1950-1953 there has not been any major progress towards negotiations between the two countries. Unification Minister Ryoo […]