Park to take defector issue to U.N.

Rep. Park Sun-young will lead a delegation of local lawmakers to the meeting of the U.N. Human Rights Council on March 10 to further her cause of preventing the repatriation of North Korean defectors.

Park, of the conservative Liberty Forward Party, has been the most vocal among local politicians about the issue and staged a hunger strike outside the Chinese Embassy in Seoul. After fasting for 10 days, Park fainted and was hospitalized on Friday.

“She made the suggestion on Friday when she met with Rep. Hwang Woo-yea, the floor leader of the ruling Saenuri Party, after she was hospitalized. The details of her activities are being drawn up, but the trip is likely to be from March 10 to 14,” an official at Park’s office said.

She added that Park will be attending the meeting as an observer and that arrangements were being made to meet with U.N. officials. Park will also be accompanied by representatives from the Saenuri Party, the Democratic United Party and the Liberty Forward Party.

“We are setting up meetings with several officials including Canada’s ambassador to the U.N. as Canada’s Parliament has shown much interest in the topic, but the schedule has not been finalized.”

Regarding Park’s health, the aide said that there are worries she may be too weak to travel overseas, but she is recovering.

The Canadian Parliament has been one of the most active among foreign governments and legislative bodies on the issue of North Korean defectors. On Dec. 8, 2011, the Canadian Parliament’s Subcommittee on International Human Rights condemned Pyongyang for its detention of Shin Sook-ja and her two daughters. The subcommittee also agreed to call on the Canadian government to take up the issue of returning Shin and her daughters to South Korea with the U.N. Secretary-General.

Shin is the wife of Oh Kil-nam, who defected to North Korea in 1985 before escaping alone in 1986. Following Oh’s escape, his wife and daughters were sent to a political prison, according to reports.

By Choi He-suk  (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)