North Korea Freedom Week 2009 Statements
STATEMENT GOVERNOR KIM Moon Soo (Governor of Gyeonggi Province) for the North Korea Freedom Day Rally April 28, 2009; Governor of Gyeonggi Province
The Lone Star Shining in the Darkness!
When I was young working underground for democracy of our country, I spent two and a half years in the South Korean prison. I was often sent to the solitary confinement cell. I spent many days in the solitary cell designated to the extreme radical criminals.
I had to go through five sets of security doors to reach the prison cell. I had to go through another four sets of security doors to reach the solitary punishment cell for the so-called dangerous criminals. Even if I shout to the top of my voice, the other cell mates could not hear me. I was not allowed to see any visitors, I was not allowed to exercise, I was not allowed to have any books, and I was not allowed any outside food.
When I was locked up in the solitary confinement cell for several days, I was so scared that I thought nobody would know even if I died there. I was so scared. When the prison guard announced, “Prisoner Kim Moon-soo! Your wife was here.” That simple announcement woke me up and gave me new hope; hope for living.
I was not allowed to see my wife; I could not talk to her. I was not allowed to receive any money she left for me, any books or clothes that she brought to me. Prisoners in the solitary confinement cells were not allowed anything. Even so, when I heard the announcement that my wife was there and she did not forget about me, my deep despair changed into instant high hope. I wanted to sing with joy.
“Yes, that will do for now! Now, I am all right!” From death to life! From despair to hope! Everything changed instantly. That somebody outside remembered and cared about me locked up in the dark corner of the prison cell was indeed “Good News.” That she came to the prison to see me was “Great News.” Yes, what I remember now from those dark days was that Good News and Great News.
That you get together in Washington, D.C., at the center of the world politics, to hold the North Korean Freedom Week, will be the Good News and Great News to the North Korean people who despair and suffer everyday in that vast prison called North Korea.
I know that we, the people in the Republic of Korea, should do this for our own brothers and sisters in North Korea. Instead, the leaders in the United States like Sen. Sam Brownback, Congressman Ed Royce, and my dear friend Suzanne Scholte, and many other heroic NGOs are always at the forefront of this movement, waking the world’s conscience. I do not know how to thank you all. This Rally on the sixth North Korean Freedom Day will shine upon the dark political prison camps in North Korea, brighter than the sun, the moon, and the stars in the sky.
I thank you all very much.
Kim Moon-soo, Governor of Gyeonggi Province
Republic of Korea, April 25, 2009
캄캄한 어둠속에 빛나는 별!
저는 민주화운동과정에서 2년6개월간 감옥에서 살았습니다. 감옥 안에서도 벌방에서 보낸 시간이 많았습니다. 벌방 가운데서도 중구금시설에서 보낸 시간이 적지 않았습니다.
감옥 안에 수감될 때는 적어도 5개 이상의 문을 통과해야 합니다. 그런데 감옥 안에서도 다시 문을 4개 이상 통과해야 중구금시설의 벌방에 갇힐 수 있습니다. 소리를 질러도 다른 재소자들에게 들리지도 않고, 면회도 안되고, 운동도 안되고, 책을 빌릴 수도 없고, 사식도 차입되지 않습니다.
벌방에 갇혀 며칠을 지나다 보면, 내가 여기서 불쌍하게 죽더라도 누가 알기나 할까? 겁이 덜컥 납니다.
이때 교도관이 와서, “야! 김문수! 너희 집사람이 면회 다녀갔다.” 이 한마디에 나는 완전히 새로운 희망을 가지게 됩니다.
물론 아내를 만날 수도 없고, 아내가 넣어주는 영치금이나, 책이나, 옷을, 징벌 받는 중에는 받을 수 없지만, 바깥에서 아내라도 나를 잊지 않고 찾아 줬다는 단 한가지 소식에, 절망이 갑자기 힘찬 희망이 되어, 콧노래를 부를 정도가 됩니다.
“그래, 됐어. 이제 됐단 말이야!” 죽음으로부터, 삶으로! 절망으로부터, 희망으로! 갑자기 바뀝니다.
이 세상 누군가가 이 구석진 곳에 갇혀 있는 나를 기억하고, 찾아왔다는 이 소식이야말로 “Good News"다. 이 보다 더 좋은 뉴스는 없다. 그렇다. 나를 기억하고 있다는 바로 그 뉴스다.
오늘 세계정치의 중심인 워싱턴에서, 가장 비참하게 고립되어 있는 북한주민들을 위한 인권주간행사를 가진다는 사실 그 자체가, 거대한 수용소인 북한에서 신음하는 주민들에게, 희망의 Good News가 아닐 수 없다.
우리 대한민국 국민들이 자기 동포를 위해 마땅히 해야할 일을, 샘 브라운백 상원의원님, 에드 로이스 하원의원님, 수잔숄티선생님을 비롯한 미국의 용감한 양심들께서 늘 먼저 앞장서 주심에 감사드립니다.
여러분의 오늘 이 모임은 어두운 북한의 수용소 위에, 해와 달과 별처럼 영원히 빛날 것입니다.
감사합니다.
2009. 4. 25. 경기도지사 김문수올림
A Congratulatory Message for North Korea Freedom Week 2009
Dear Suzanne Scholte –
To the people of America who are fighting for the human rights and democracy of North Korea –
To all the defector colleagues participating in North Korea Freedom Week 2009 –
On behalf of all North Korean people I send my warm regards to all of you.
I especially want to extend my deep gratitude to Suzanne Scholte and to all the American citizens who have dedicated their lives to rescue and help the defectors and refugees, and also for fighting for the human rights of North Korean citizens who are suffering from hunger and pain. This year’s North Korea Freedom Week has a special meaning due to a new President in America, Barack Obama, who has championed human rights issues, and also due to President Lee Myung-bak’s fight for the human rights and freedom of North Koreans. Currently the regime of North Korea is worsening the North-South relations, and relations between the United States and North Korea, to escape from the crisis it faces. This is proof that due to the illness of Kim Jong-il, who portrays himself as a deity, there are cracks appearing in the North Korean political system. Therefore if the people of South Korea and the United States join hands and fight together the dictatorship of Kim Jong-il will fall.
Let us lift up high the banner of the fight against Kim Jong-il and dictatorship.
Long live the unification of our homeland!
Long live the alliance of South Korea and the United States!
Hwang Jang Yop, Chairman, Committee for the Democratization of North Korea
April 25th, 2009
STATEMENT OF RABBI COOPER
ASSOCIATE DEAN OF THE SIMON WIESENTHAL CENTER
Dear Family and friends of the people of North Korea.
Please accept our warmest greetings and solidarity with your efforts to secure the freedom and well-being of the long suffering people of North Korea. Today,after its latest Missile test, the entire world in aware of the dangers a nuclearized North Korea poses to peace and stability in the region and beyond. The world is also now well aware that Pyongyang has emerged as a destabilizing factor in the Middle East with its involvement in the now destroyed nuclear facility in Syria.
While these are crucial issues that must be dealt with by the United States,South Korea, Japan, China, Russia and others, we urge President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton not to sideline or forsake the basic human rights so many North Koreans lack in our time. We urge the United States, South Korea and Japan to make it their policy that the basket of human rights issues be raised at every meeting of the 6-party Talks. Because we know that Silence is Death.
Last week I attended a major international Human Rights conference at the United Nations in Geneva. Tragically,while Iran's President Ahmadinejad was given the opening keynote speech to attack fellow member states, no time was found to deal with critical human rights issues of the day in Africa and Asia.
Across the street from the United Nations Gate #40 is the world headquarters of the International Red Cross.Until now, the IRC has refused to even meet with the North Korean Freedom Coalition to discuss the North Korean Gulag. We reiterate our call at this rally for the International Red Cross not to repeat its own acknowledged failures during World War II when it utterly failed to protect millions of innocent Jews sent to concentration and death camps by the Nazis. Today, we urge the IRC to demand that North Korean authorities allow IRC representatives to visit each camp,to account for each prisoner and to begin the repatriation process for family members who were incarcerated only for the sin of being related to a person charged with committing a crime.
Thank you for making this important event such a success because it sends a clear message to the people of north Korea that we will never forget or forsake them. We will not be silent.
Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate Dean, Simon Wiesenthal Center, and Vice Chairman of the North Korean Freedom Coalition.