By Choi Sung-jin
Civic organizations have called for the government to actively dispel suspicions about the defection of 13 North Korean workers at a restaurant in China.
The representatives of 67 civic groups, at a joint news conference in front of the Government Integrated Office in Kwanghwamun Friday, called for the government to allow the defectors to hold news conferences and interviews as well as guarantee them meetings with their families and lawyers.
"The mass defection is a very exceptional incident full of incomprehensible suspicions," leaders of the civic groups said. "We can't help but worry about the catastrophic effects this incident will have on inter-Korean relations."
The participants noted that speculations and suspicions are snowballing about the mass defection of the restaurant workers, which occurred only a week before the parliamentary elections in South Korea. "Not a few people suspect this is another case of using North Korea for election purposes to turn public opinion toward the governing camp," they said.
They specifically called for the Park Geun-hye administration to permit the defectors to meet their families, make clear the positions about the suspected involvement by the National Intelligence Service (NIS), explain the truth about the media reports that one of the female defectors has died during a hunger strike, and hold inter-Korean meetings in this regard.
"The defectors have been completely separated from the outside for as long as 37 days," the protesters said. "The government and the NIS should allow free access to them."
Lawyers working for these groups are planning to visit the detention facility on Monday and try to dissolve suspicions by meeting with the defectors, they added.
Civic organizations have called for the government to actively dispel suspicions about the defection of 13 North Korean workers at a restaurant in China.
The representatives of 67 civic groups, at a joint news conference in front of the Government Integrated Office in Kwanghwamun Friday, called for the government to allow the defectors to hold news conferences and interviews as well as guarantee them meetings with their families and lawyers.
"The mass defection is a very exceptional incident full of incomprehensible suspicions," leaders of the civic groups said. "We can't help but worry about the catastrophic effects this incident will have on inter-Korean relations."
The participants noted that speculations and suspicions are snowballing about the mass defection of the restaurant workers, which occurred only a week before the parliamentary elections in South Korea. "Not a few people suspect this is another case of using North Korea for election purposes to turn public opinion toward the governing camp," they said.
They specifically called for the Park Geun-hye administration to permit the defectors to meet their families, make clear the positions about the suspected involvement by the National Intelligence Service (NIS), explain the truth about the media reports that one of the female defectors has died during a hunger strike, and hold inter-Korean meetings in this regard.
"The defectors have been completely separated from the outside for as long as 37 days," the protesters said. "The government and the NIS should allow free access to them."
Lawyers working for these groups are planning to visit the detention facility on Monday and try to dissolve suspicions by meeting with the defectors, they added.
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