kimplicity » North Korea

Letter to Kim Jong Il – Please Free Euna Lee and Laura Ling

seonghuhn — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 01:50:14 +0000

To the Dear Leader:

This is my first letter I am writing to you. Please forgive me for presuming I could even begin to write a letter to you but I do hope you will find this letter interesting.

You may have already realized this but the recent story of Choson, North Korea, bears a striking resemblance to the story of Babylonia in the Book of Daniel in the Bible. I am sure you are well aware of the Bible, your grandmother was a Christian and your father received a Bible from Billy Graham. This Bible might even be in the museum dedicated to your father along with the many other gifts he has received from world luminaries.

One story in the Book of Daniel is about how Daniel was falsely accused by high ranking officials of Babylonia. King Darius was forced to sentence Daniel to death by being thrown into the lion pit but an angel of God saved him. The next day King Darius was overjoyed to see Daniel safe and had him taken out of the lion pit and the accusing officials thrown in instead.

Today Euna Lee and Laura Ling stand falsely accused by your government. They are not spies, they are journalists. They had no intention to harm North Korea in any way, in fact they wanted to help your beautiful country.

Officials in your government are trying to profit from this false accusation. They coerced a false confession from Euna Lee and Laua Ling. The North Korean courts have sentenced them to twelve years hard labor.

I ask on behalf of all who care about justice to free Euna Lee and Laura Ling just as King Darius freed the falsely accused Daniel in the Book of Daniel.

Your life is about your legacy. Consider how great your legacy will be when you come to aid these two. You will be praised throughout the world.

Sincerely,

Frank Kim
김성훈

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Laura Ling and Euna Lee’s Families on Today Show

seonghuhn — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 15:27:20 +0000

I just saw the moving interview of Laura Ling and Euna Lee’s families on the Today show. It was especially moving seeing Euna Lee’s beautiful four year old daughter who has not seen her mother for three months. Euna’s husband said her daughter knows nothing of Euna Lee’s imprisonment and just thinks Euna is still at work.

The families of two American journalists held captive in North Korea expressed fears for their safety today while pleading for their release.

“We’re terrified,” Lisa Ling, the sister of one of the journalists, said in an exclusive interview on TODAY. “We don’t know what to expect.”

Loved ones ‘terrified’ for captured journalists – TODAY People.

After watching the interview on TV I found it here on the Today show website. I wish I had looked there first, it would have saved me an hour of waiting and watching so many commercials.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Lisa Ling to Speak out for Laura and Euna

seonghuhn — Sun, 31 May 2009 15:24:47 +0000

Lisa Ling is going to speak out on June 1 to increase public support for her sister, Laura Ling and Euna Lee. They were captured on March 19 by North Korean border soldiers and have been detained since. Their trial is on June 4 and all of us are praying that they will be freed and not used as pawns by the immature and reckless North Korean government.

This is Lisa Ling’s message sent to the Detained in North Korea Facebook group.

Our families have decided to go public. The girls’ trial starts June 4, we must get the message of diplomacy out. We’ll start with the Today Show Mon (June 1) morning, Larry King, Nightline Mon night. Anderson Cooper during the week as the trial begins. Please help us spread the message. Thank you.

Schedule of appearances of Lisa Ling:

Monday June 1st
The Today Show (NBC)
the 7AM block on Monday morning.

Monday June 1st.
Larry King show (CNN)
9pm (EST) l 6pm (PST)

Wednesday, June 3rd
Anderson Cooper

Lisa has also just started a petition of her own. Please take a minute to sign this online. It’s very user friendly and extremely important. A click of the mouse makes all the difference in the world.
**** NEW ON-LINE PETITION GOING TO THE U.N. ****
Please click on the link and sign the petition to help Laura Ling and Euna Lee.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/free-euna-and-laura

If you are on Facebook, you may keep up to date with activities regarding Laura and Euna on the following group page:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=688331732&ref=profile#/group.php?gid=60755553149&ref=nf

Please pray for Laura Ling and Euna Lee. They were so courageous to attempt to reveal the plight of North Korean refugees. Pray that all of this will be used for God’s glory and not only will Laura and Euna be freed but so will all North Korean refugees.

North Korea Detains U.S. Reporters

seonghuhn — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 03:23:21 +0000

The repressive regime of North Korea never seizes to amaze in their quest to be the most evil country in the world. On March 19 it was reported that North Korea detained two U.S. reporters.

Two American journalists on a reporting trip to the border between China and North Korea have been detained by the North Korean military, a human rights activist and another source said Thursday.

Laura Ling, a Chinese-American, and Euna Lee, a Korean-American, were believed to have been detained by North Korean border guards on Tuesday morning …

The journalists went to China last week to report on North Korean refugees in northeastern China …

On April 23 it was reported that North Korea had decided to indict the two reporters.

North Korea said Friday that it had decided to indict two American journalists who have been detained for more than five weeks on charges of illegally entering the country and committing “hostile acts.”

It is sad how these journalists are going to be used by the North Korean government as leverage in negotiations with the U.S. government.

North Korean prisons are some of the cruelest in the world. Pray for protection for these two journalists and their quick release.

Gospels by Balloon

seonghuhn — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 22:51:04 +0000

I am not sure what to think of what Voice of the Martyrs is doing in South Korea. Many years ago VOM opened my eyes to the severe oppression in North Korea when they gave me an autobiography of a North Korean refugee. I know VOM has been sending tracts by balloon over the border to North Korea for many years.

In some ways it is admirable they are doing this, trying to get the gospel across in any way possible to one of the most closed countries in the world. On the other hand the cost for the North Korean recipients is incredibly high. Being found with a tract could result in imprisonment/torture/death. Becoming a Christian is illegal. A person and three generations of his family could be jailed and tortured because a tract could have been found on his property without him even knowing.

I guess VOM’s reasoning is that regardless of the cost the gospel is worth that much, that it is the only way to eternal life. I think they are right but I just wonder if there’s a better way.

Christian activists in South Korea sent hundreds of thousands of gospel tracts over North Korea’s closed border in November using helium-filled balloons. Equipped with a time-release mechanism, each balloon carried 10,000 leaflets that tell the story of a 1907 Christian revival in Pyongyang, and compare Kim Jong-Il to Nebuchadnezzar. The effort is part of a resurgence of balloon launches, used for decades by political and religious groups to send propaganda past the North’s information blackout. Such launches worsened relations between North and South in 2008. In response, North Korea’s government further restricted travel and communication between the two countries.

Gas-Powered Gospels | Christianity Today

A NK Defector’s Testimony

seonghuhn — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 03:19:40 +0000

At my old church, Highrock, a North Korean refugee gave her testimony. Honestly I have read many first hand accounts of the suffering of North Koreans but this is one of the worst.

After reading this and chatting about it with Alan who was reading it at the same time I looked down at my bowl of rice, kimchee, and chicken and started to cry. The bowl in my hands would be a week to a month of food for those poor suffering people of North Korea.

I think one of the reasons this testimony so affected me was because I imagined the younger brother of this refugee as being Isaac and the baby as Victoria.

God forgive us. Forgive us for living trivial lives while your heart breaks for the North Koreans. Thank you for this testimony to remind me of what matters.

Chinese troops line up against North Korea

seonghuhn — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 19:39:27 +0000

Please pray for Korea. There are two things I have always feared for this nation.

China would invade and overtake North Korea.
North Korea would implode and its nuclear weaponary would fall into the wrong hands and/or be loosed onto South Korea.

LONDON – Analysts on the Asian Desk at MI6 say China’s People’s Liberation Army has moved as many as 100,000 troops to its border with North Korea, ostensibly to block refugees from fleeing into China in the event of the death of Kim Jong-II, the president of the pariah state, according to a report from Joseph Farah’s G2 Bulletin.

North Korea also has announced it will reinforce its border with South Korea after accusing its neighbor of “provocation beyond the danger level.”

The result, according to one analyst, is “the most explosive situation since the Korean War.”

Chinese troops line up against North Korea

South Korea begins investigating North Korean human rights abuses

seonghuhn — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 16:58:23 +0000

The good news is that South Korea, under new Presdient Lee Myung-bak, is investigating human rights abuses in North Korea. The bad news is that the gulags are still there and North Korea remains one of the most repressive and cruelest regimes in the world.

For a decade, North Korea has denied such accounts from defectors, and South Korea has shied away from them to maintain good relations with its wartime rival. But now, under new President Lee Myung-bak, South Korea is investigating alleged abuses, including the prison camp system. South Korea’s state-run human rights watchdog is interviewing defectors and is hosting a two-day international forum this week on the issue…

One inmate, Choe Kwang Ho, sneaked away from his work for 15 minutes to pick fruit. He was executed, his mouth stuffed with gravel to prevent him from protesting, Jung recalled…

Defectors describe executions, torture in NKorea – San Jose Mercury News.

Also in the news is the rumors that North Korean leader Kim Jong Il is recovering from a stroke and might still be leading the country from a hospital bed. Another rumor is that he had a ‘serious’ setback.

Escaping North Korea

seonghuhn — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 14:48:50 +0000

The Wall Street Journal has an article, Fights and Flight, about two new books about North Korea, Meltdown and Escaping North Korea.

Meltdown sounds like a strong criticism of the current presidency’s policies towards North Korea. This is a criticism I share.

However it is the second book, Escaping North Korea, which I am more interested in. The author Mike Kim is a friend of a friend and founder of Crossing Borders. I’m fascinated by how he chose to live in China for several year specifically to help North Korean refugees. I am hoping he will be in the Bay Area to promote his book.

Update – November 3, 2008
Today I received an email from my local library saying yes to my request to purchase Escaping From North Korea.

North Korea Photo Essay

seonghuhn — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 23:36:00 +0000

My friend essny told me about a fascinating set of photos from North Korea on Flickr taken by a French photographer. The photos look like the ones I have seen before by others who have gone on the same tour as this photographer did (it seems like there is only one tour). But these photographs are high quality and have some interesting descriptions and comments.

Here are a few of the photos I liked.

Stopping the Invisible man

Pyongyang beauty

Do not talk to strangers

Mansudae Hill, in Pyongyang, where visitors (locals and tourists) are invited to lay flowers and pay respects to the Great Leader Kim Il Sung.

Not an easy task to shoot a smiling soldier!