The heavy feet of a defector

I’m in Seoul, and a few hours ago I met with a high-level defector from North Korea.

The man, Kim Duk Hong, was once on the Central Committee of the Korean Workers Party, helping conduct a number of foreign operations on behalf of the Kim Jong Il regime.

After several hours of discussions on other topics, I asked him how he liked living in South Korea. He looked disgruntled.

“South Korea won’t give me a passport,” he said. “I can’t travel.”

I found that curious. He escaped a virtual prison, North Korea, and finds himself unable to move freely from his new home.

“The (South Korean) government thinks that if I go to the States, I’ll talk about North Korea’s involvement in nuclear matters, counterfeiting currency and human rights issues,” he explained. “President Roh (Moo-hyun of South Korea) would hate me. He wants me to keep my mouth shut.”

A bunch of beefy bodyguards accompanied Kim to our meeting. I asked a man who helped set up the meeting whether the bodyguards were to protect Kim from harm by others or to ensure that he doesn’t move about too freely. “Both,” he responded.

Now as I review the internet, I see this is a longstanding situation.

So this is the picture: South Korea, determined to improve relations with North Korea at all costs, is blocking top North Korean defectors from moving about freely and speaking their mind. It doesn’t want them to blab about how bad things are in the North for fear that Pyongyang will be piqued.

It isn't exactly the freedom that the North Koreans probably expected in the South.

Comments

[A B]

If Seoul shouldn't have 'unlimited' responsibility for resettling North Korean defectors in South Korea and giving them all the benefits of freedom, democracy, and other benefits every other South Korean citizen has, then maybe they should acknowledge that they are not the government of all Korea, but only of the territories south of the DMZ.

As for upsetting DPRK, well, they can always offer to pay to repatriate them back to DPRK like a good brother?

Don't they have any spine?

[A B]

If Seoul shouldn't have 'unlimited' responsibility for resettling North Korean defectors in South Korea and giving them all the benefits of freedom, democracy, and other benefits every other South Korean citizen has, then maybe they should acknowledge that they are not the government of all Korea, but only of the territories south of the DMZ.

As for upsetting DPRK, well, they can always offer to pay to repatriate them back to DPRK like a good brother?

Don't they have any spine?

[rio]

Think its more a matter a face, rather than a lack of spine on the souths part
While face saving isn't exclusive to asian cultures, its definitely at the core of many.
You can imagine in a household of 2 feuding brothers, when a nephew of one brother
comes to him for shelter and tales of abuse, he would certainly extend his hospitality and protection,
but at the same time ensure that the nephew stays under his watchfull eyes and the horrible stories of
his brother stays within his walls.
Having a brother labeled as an axis of evil is embarrassing and insulting enough, especially when you're
trying to mend fences and bring the family back together.

Whatever Kim Duk Hong has to say, it will certainly be fodder for Anti-North Korean rhetoric,
and crap smearing North Korea does not make the Korean ethnic image whiter.

[micD]

What?

"making the Korean ethnic image whiter"

I have no idea what that means?

Do you speak English?

What does this have to do with "white"ness?

Is that a reference to something cultural?

And as for anti-North Korean rhetoric, since when is telling the TRUTH considered "rhetoric"??

Do you work for DPKR?