hankyoreh

By Park Byong-su, staff reporter

North Korea human rights activist Kim Young-hwan said on July 21 he was subjected to “acts of cruelty” during his questioning in China where he was detained for 114 days in China. Kim, 49, and three colleagues were released from China on July 20.

Kim made this claim during a press conference held at the Community Chest of Korea in central Seoul.

He said, “I did not engage in hostile activity against China. I could not understand why they treated me so cruelly.”

The South Korean government said it had sternly raised the issue with China, demanding a confirmation.

As for the specific acts of cruelty, he kept silent, saying, “If I get into specifics, I think the North Korean human rights issue will get buried beneath the Chinese human rights issue, and I understand the diplomatic authorities have already raised the issue.”

When asked whether the “acts of cruelty” involved physical pressure or things such as sleep deprivation, however, he answered, “I can say there were both.”

Kim said, “From two months prior to my release, China tenaciously demanded I admit I violated Chinese law and pledge not to talk about the acts of cruelty when I went back to Korea as conditions for my return home... But I refused to make such a pledge to the very end, and even when I was with Korean consulate officials in Shenyang on the day I was freed, I shouted to Chinese officials, ‘Officially explain your acts of cruelty and apologize.’”

Kim also said he gave Korean consulate officials a one-minute summary of the Chinese authorities’ cruel acts when he met with them the second time during his detention on June 11.

A senior Foreign Ministry official said, “The day after the second consular meeting, we officially raised the issue with China. The Chinese have claimed that their investigations found no evidence of cruelty.”

He added, “With Kim raising the issue again after his return home, we summoned Chen Hai, proxy for the Chinese ambassador to Korea, and strongly demanded a reinvestigation.”

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]