Seminar ‘When Will the Spring Come to Pyongyang’ Held in Czech Republic
Sohn Moon-kyung, Director, Remarks, “Like the ‘Prague Spring,’ We Hope for a ‘Pyongyang Spring'”
[Seoul=Newsis] Journalist Nam Bitnara reports that THINK, a non-profit organization aimed at promoting North Korean human rights, hosted a seminar in the Czech Republic and shared vivid testimonies from North Korean defectors on the 19th.
THINK conducted the seminar titled ‘Dialogue Between Korea and the Czech Republic for the Promotion of North Korean Human Rights – When Will the Spring Come to Pyongyang?’ over two days on the 17th and 18th at Charles University and Palacky University for Czech youths.
Jeong Han-eul, who defected from North Korea by crossing the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in its entirety over 18 hours while serving in the military in 2012, mentioned during the seminar that “since Kim Jong-un (Chairman of the State Affairs Commission, North Korea) seems sensitive to international discussions on North Korean human rights, collective small voices could lead to changes in North Korean human rights.”
Jeong referred to media reports stating that North Korean soldiers involved in the Ukraine war shout “Long live General Kim Jong-un” while committing suicide by grenade. He added, “it seems the young North Koreans have not changed much,” and emphasized the importance of informing North Koreans about external information to raise awareness of their human rights violations.
Choi Eun-hye, who hid her face to protect her family in North Korea, shared that she defected at 16 but endured “hellish times” in China. She stated, “The concept of human rights, which I newly understood after arriving in South Korea, makes the experiences I went through in North Korea and during my defection utterly unacceptable.” She expressed a desire to support the oppressed in North Korea by raising her voice, even if it is a small one.
Hong Young-gi, the South Korean ambassador to the Czech Republic, expressed hope for increasing awareness and strengthening cooperation on human rights issues between civil societies in South Korea and the Czech Republic.
Sohn Moon-kyung, Director of THINK, urged interest in North Korean human rights issues to “let a ‘Pyongyang Spring’ sprout like the ‘Prague Spring’ of 1968.” He expects the Czech civil society to serve as a pivotal point in broadening awareness of North Korean human rights issues within European Union (EU) countries.