Unification Minister’s Statement regarding the 4000th Day of the Arbitrary Detention of Kim Jung-wook in North Korea

Unification Minister's Statement
4000th Day of the Arbitrary Detention of Kim Jung-wook in North Korea

September 20, 2024

Following the trilateral summit at Camp David in August last year, where the leaders of the Republic of Korea (ROK), the United States, and Japan reaffirmed their commitment to resolving the issue of abductees, detainees, and prisoners of war (POWs), the Ministry of Unification has established an Abductees Response Team under direct ministerial oversight and has been undertaking various initiatives to advance this cause.

At the ROK-New Zealand summit held on September 4, the leaders of both countries also jointly called for the immediate resolution of the issue of abductees, detainees, and POWs.

Today, September 20, marks the 4,000th day of missionary Kim Jung-wook's arbitrary detention under the Kim Jong Un regime.

This October and December mark the 10th year since missionaries Kim Kook-kie and Choi Chun-gil were unlawfully arrested and detained in North Korea.

A total of six ROK nationals, including three missionaries-Kim Jung-wook, Kim Kook-kie, and Choi Chun-gil-and three North Korean defectors with ROK citizenship, have been unlawfully detained for a long time, deprived of their freedom and against their free will.

North Korea has sentenced our people to lifelong "reform through labor" for helping North Korean defectors facing difficult circumstances and needing assistance in China.

North Korean authorities do not provide even minimal information, such as confirmation of life or death about our nationals who were illegally arrested and are currently detained, adding to the suffering of their families over the years.

The ROK Government condemns North Korea's illegal and inhumane human rights violations and strongly urges the North, which is a party to major international human rights instruments, to immediately and unconditionally release our nationals who are illegally detained.

The ROK Government strongly condemns North Korean authorities for the unreasonable and excessive sentencing of our people without a fair and public trial by a competent, independent, and impartial tribunal; the failure to provide basic procedural justice upon arrest and during detention; and the continued arbitrary detention of the six individuals to this day.

North Korea's practice of unlawfully arresting and arbitrarily detaining individuals is a concern not just for the ROK Government; it also violates universal human rights and the international community continuously reaffirms that it is in direct contradiction with international human rights instruments.

The return of our six detainees, including the three missionaries-Kim Jung-wook, Kim Kook-kie, and Choi Chun-gil-to their families is a concern shared by the international community. Therefore, with today's statement, international solidarity and calls for their immediate release will only grow stronger.

North Korea must not ignore our legitimate demands concerning the lives and safety of our citizens and must clearly recognize the seriousness of the issue, as well as the international community's strong warnings against their repeated violations of universal human rights norms.

The ROK Government will continue to strengthen cooperation with the international community to ensure that efforts are made not only to resolve the issue of our abductees, detainees, and POWs, but also to ensure that Japanese abductees and other individuals from various countries are no longer victims of North Korea's human rights abuses.

The ROK Government, while recognizing the protection of our nationals as our top priority, will strive to resolve the issue as soon as possible by continuing to work closely with the international community to secure information on the fate of our detainees, facilitate any possible communication between them and their families, and clearly demonstrate to the North our unwavering commitment toward the immediate return of our nationals.

* Unofficial translation

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