An international hearing was held in the National Assembly in Seoul last Thursday, 4th of October which discussed possible ways to secure the repatriation of Shin Sook Ja and her daughters as well as to eradicate all forms of crimes against humanity in North Korea.
Lee Koon Hyon, lawmaker with the ruling Saenuri Party, presided over the event which was organized by the Committee for the Rescue of the Daughter of Tongyeong.
The event had four clear objectives: Discussing the case of Shin Sook Ja, Oh Hae Won and Oh Kyu Won to devise practical ways to rescue the three women, addressing the issue of political prison camps through witnesses to the arbitrary detention of the three women in Yoduk, providing people with an opportunity to better understand the practice of abductions by the North’s authorities, and encouraging international experts and foreign governments to take action to jointly respond to these violations.
It is hoped that the success of the hearing will be the starting point for similar hearings in the US and in Germany. Furthermore, a full National Assembly hearing in Seoul is also a desired outcome of the hearing.
