Korea has found three cases of human rights violations against its nationals imprisoned overseas, the foreign ministry said Wednesday, after interviewing hundreds of Koreans held overseas on allegations of various crimes.
The ministry started interviewing Korean nationals imprisoned abroad since July, following accusations by prominent activist Kim Young-hwan, who claims he was tortured by Chinese security officers during his detention early this year.
So far, the ministry has conducted consular interviews with about 90 percent of an estimated 1,169 Koreans held overseas and three of them, in addition to Kim, reported that they were beaten during their imprisonment, the ministry said in a report to the National Assembly.
A Korean who detained at a Mexican prison last November told that he was hit in the head with a steel pipe by a prison guard.
Another national who was arrested by Chinese police in July said he was hit in the head and choked twice, while a Korean woman also in a Chinese jail was beaten in the face by a fellow inmate, the ministry said.
The ministry has requested the Chinese and Mexican governments to take measures to prevent the recurrence of such cases, according to the report. (Yonhap)