Korean Job Discussion Forums

GaryCooper · Joined: 10 Jun 2006

This is one of the must-read articles about North Korean human rights activism:
"South Korea�s Spoilers" By Dr. Norbert Vollertsen
The article is here:
http://chosunjournal.com/2006/11/04/south-koreas-spoilers/

Excerpts:

SEOUL, Oct 18, 2006 -- For six years now I have been active in lobbying for human rights in North Korea. My associates and I provide detailed information to Western journalists. We organize protests at the Panmunjom border with North Korea, help North Korean refugees rush past guards and enter Western embassies in China, and coordinate the flight of North Korean �boat people.�

[...]

...never could I have imagined that the most difficult part of creating an awareness of human rights abuses in North Korea would be to raise a voice in South Korea.

Here in Seoul, I get around 1,400 hate-e-mails per day. As a result of an e-mail campaign organized by South Korean students, my e-mail account is often sabotaged. I am caught in the middle of an Internet campaign titled, ominously, �How to get rid of Norbert Vollertsen.� Suggestions include �Execute him,� �Kill him,� etc. People ? South Korean people ?shout and even spit at me on the street. My activities to help the enslaved people of the North ?such as my boat-people project ? are sabotaged by South Korean intelligence. My telephone is tapped, and I have minders following me the whole day. All in all, although I�m here in Seoul, I feel like I�m still in Pyongyang!

Yet for all the horrors I witnessed in North Korea, where I once worked for 18 months as a medical worker for Cap Anamur, a German aid organization, I was never beaten by the police -- not even in my last days there as persona non grata, just before my expulsion for the expression of pro-human rights views.

Here, in South Korea, I have been beaten by the police -- among others.

[...]

The article continues. Check it out.
http://chosunjournal.com/2006/11/04/south-koreas-spoilers/

Rteacher · Joined: 23 May 2005 Location: Western MA, USA

Here's more from the first article link:

...During our balloon-launching attempt on Aug. 22,2003 a young South Korean (well-fed, wanting for nothing) attacked me, threw me to the ground and escaped with a bundle of radios intended for his starving, destitute brothers across the border � an assault carried out right under the noses of the riot police. Then I was attacked by the police themselves. One officer jumped on my twisted knee while I was lying on the ground. But even that was not as painful as the incident in March this year when some riot policemen kicked me in the groin while I was standing in the middle of their crowd during a protest in front of the Chinese embassy here in Seoul.

On another Sunday, I was attacked by North Korean �journalists� at the World University Games in Daegu, while holding a peaceful press conference in front of the convention building there. The South Korean newspapers reported that I �exchanged punches with the North Koreans.� In reality, I was standing on my crutches, still suffering from my injuries from the balloon-launch assault, and could barely stay upright. I was also wearing a neck-brace, and so was unable even to swivel my head to face my North Korean attackers.

Afterwards, the same newspapers called me an �extreme ultra-right-wing activist,� even �fascist,� which is ironical, given that I am doing what I am doing for the North Koreans mainly to atone for the shameful fascist history of my home country, Germany. The local government in Daegu apologized to the North Korean delegation for my �grave offence,� and promised to punish me and get me expelled.
http://chosunjournal.com/2006/11/04/south-koreas-spoilers/

It's well known that there are a lot of North Korean/communist sympathizers and agents operating in South Korea - some with influencial positions at universities, unions, and political parties.

The current President - a former student radical himself - hasn't effectively stopped their radical political activities, I think, because he shares, at least in part, many of their socialist goals for a united Korea (and the end justifies the means...)

On the other hand · Joined: 19 Apr 2003 Location: I walk along the avenue

Typhoon · Joined: 29 May 2007 Location: Daejeon

A lot of people believe that DJ and Roh are connected to the South Korean communist party and affiliated with North Korea (possible agents). The meeting between DJ and lil Kim was kind of like a celebration for taking over the Blue House (hence his warm reception) and this last meeting between Roh and lil Kim was a repremanding for screwing up the sweet situation that DJ had created (hence the cold reception and clear loss of face that Kim tried to inflict on Roh). I think there are quite a few of Northern agents (families) placed in the South from the time of the Korean War and they have infiltrated into high places in society over the past 50 years. After DJ's term in office the South was very pro-North, but since Roh has totally blundered his way through the last 5 years the South is very anti-North. Anyways it was interesting to see Roh get totally ignored and looked down on by lil Kim.

On the other hand · Joined: 19 Apr 2003 Location: I walk along the avenue

GaryCooper · Joined: 10 Jun 2006

There are photos of a beaten Norbert Vollertsen at the August 2003 balloon launching. Not sure where I found mine, but they are on the web. He is surrounded by Korean police.

There is a long-standing record since the Kim Dae Jung administration of police exercising elective justice with regard to North Korean human rights protests. In Korean law, it's actually illegal to burn flags of foreign countries, yet the widespread burning of the US flag was permitted by police in 2002. However, burn a North Korean flag -- considered exempt from the law since it's part of Korea -- and police will stop the burning, citing "fire hazard" or some other excuse like that.

The "South Korea's Spoilers" article first appeared in the Wall Street Journal, not on the web. I believe the article, even without seeing the pictures. It's right to exercise caution about believing everything one sees on the web, but this one passes the caution test with flying colors.

Alyallen · Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2007 9:02 pm Post subject:

That's what happens when an outsider tries to tell South Korea anything. Right or wrong, you are an outsider and you must be wrong...

On the other hand · Joined: 19 Apr 2003 Location: I walk along the avenue

Alyallen wrote:

Alyallen · Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2007 11:00 pm Post subject:

Nowhere Man · Joined: 08 Feb 2004

I'm all for human rights in North Korea, but this guy seems to be a bit of a nutter.

To start with, if I were going to launch balloons into NK, I wouldn't do it with a bunch of police standing by watching me. Did he launch the ballons from Seoul? If so, how many made it out of the city, let alone to NK?

The police jumped on his twisted knee. Well, I'm not sure how one can see if someone has a twisted knee, so I find that a bit melodramatic.

If he's been allowed back in the country providing he doesn't engage in political activism, what's he doing attacking the SK government in the Wall Street Journal?

Finally, who isn't aware of the human rights abuses in NK? What he describes is not exactly what I'd call awareness-raising activities. It's more like he's helping people to defect from NK. A noble cause, indeed, but, as OTOH points out, of questionable legality.

When I went to Panmunjom, we weren't allowed to wear "provocative clothing" or make offensive gestures, so I'm not quite sure how one goes about holding a protest there. Of course, the legality of such an event is even more dubious.

On the whole, I find this guy extremely dodgy.

igotthisguitar · Posted: Sat Oct 06, 2007 2:07 am Post subject:

Has Dr. Vollertson ever appeared on ARIYANG TV's 'HEART TO HEART'?

God i just love that show!

On the other hand · Joined: 19 Apr 2003 Location: I walk along the avenue

On the other hand · Joined: 19 Apr 2003 Location: I walk along the avenue

Typhoon · Joined: 29 May 2007 Location: Daejeon

jinju · Joined: 22 Jan 2006