hankyoreh

standing advisor of the Korea Alliance for Progressive Movement

Although the Lee Myung-bak administration has banned South Koreans from visiting North Korea with the exception of the Kaesong Industrial Complex and Kumgang Mountains, Reverend Han Sang-ryeol, standing advisor of the Korea Alliance for Progressive Movement, visited Pyongyang Saturday without government permission.

North Korea’s Korea Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Saturday that Han arrived in Pyongyang and was greeted with fraternal affection by North Korean members of the Committee for Implementing the June 15 Joint Declaration, including committee Chairman An Kyong-ho. Upon arriving at the airport, Han said the adoption of the June 15 Joint Declaration ended inter-Korean confrontation and opened an era of peace. He said he risked his life to come to Pyongyang to contribute to Korean reconciliation, peace and reunification.

Han reportedly left South Korea on June 5 and traveled to Pyongyang via China. Han made his journey after inter-Korean commemorative events for the June 15 Joint Declaration in Pyongyang were cancelled when the South Korean authorities banned South Koreans from attending. An official from the Korea Alliance for Progressive Movement said Sunday

“We learned of Han’s visit only when we saw the news reports,” said a representative of the Korea Alliance for Progressive Movement on Sunday. “It appears Han made the trip based on a personal decision.”

An official from the Unification Ministry said they never received an application from Han to visit North Korea. He also said that authorities would deal with Han in accordance with the law, should he return, since visiting North Korea without permission is a violation of laws regulating inter-Korean exchanges and cooperation. He added that the security authorities would decide whether Han violated the National Security Law based on the objective of his visit and his activities in North Korea.

Han has been a minister at Gobaek Church in Jeonju since 1986. He has been part of the unification movement as standing representative of the Unification Alliance formed in 2001. After the Unification Alliance became the Korea Alliance for Progressive Movement in 2007, he served as standing representative and then standing advisor. In August 2008, when he was standing representative of the Korea Alliance for Progressive Movement, he was detained on charges of leading candlelight vigil demonstrations against the import of U.S. beef.

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