With the exception of the two powerful candidates running for the office of mayor of Seoul-Na Kyung Won and Park Won Sun-there has been only one person who has been mentioned in the South Korean media almost every day this fall. This is Dr. Oh Kil Nam.

 

Dr. Oh’s family-his wife Shin Suk Ja and his two daughters Hye Won and Gyu Won-have been held in North Korea since 1986 when Dr. Oh fled from North Korea.

 

Now, over 30 NGO’s have joined together in the campaign to rescue Dr. Oh’s family. This grass roots campaign has now grown into a nation-wide cause here in South Korea. Currently, the ICNK is trying to develop this campaign into an international movement sprouting from the passionate support of the South Korean people.

 

The purpose of this campaign is to organize a meeting between Dr. Oh and the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon. In this meeting Dr. Oh will urge Secretary General Ban to deploy a UN envoy to North Korea to confirm the whereabouts of his family.

 

On October 25th of this year, Dr. Oh traveled to Germany to participate in a conference hosted by the International Society of Human Rights (IGFM) in Berlin. While in Germany-which is where Dr. Oh first set off for North Korea with his family in 1985-Dr. Oh will ask the German government and NGOs for their cooperation in the return of his wife and daughters from North Korea.

 

Dr. Oh and Kim Tae Jin, the president of Free NK Gulag (an ICNK member organization), will also be meeting with Koreans currently residing in Germany. Dr. Oh plans to expose the true nature of North Korean supporters such as the nationalist Korean-German composer Yun Isang, as well as others.