By Park Si-soo
An evangelical Christian activist in the United States is poised to take legal action against North Korea for the “extensive torture” he allegedly suffered during his 43-day detention in the communist nation in 2010.
The Worldwide Coalition to Stop Genocide in North Korea, an NGO, said Wednesday in a press release that Robert Park, 30, will take action. A related press conference will be held at 4 p.m. Friday in front of the Chinese Embassy in Seoul.
Park crossed illegally into North Korea from China on Dec. 25, 2009, carrying only a Bible and some letters urging then North Korean leader Kim Jong-il to resign after freeing all political prisoners there. He was freed in February 2010.
He has since been diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and continues to suffer frequent nightmares and flashbacks. He has attempted suicide twice as a result of the treatment he sustained in North Korea.
The torture was a “flagrant violation of international laws and principles,” the organization said.
It added Park is not interested in a financial settlement but in speaking out against the North’s mass atrocities and ongoing genocide and has vowed to devote any money received to funding anti-Pyongyang forces within North Korea and in China.