By J.R. Breen
Contributing Writer
Activists have expressed concern that Robert Park, the US missionary who crossed into North Korea last year, may visit the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the South from North to take further "drastic" action.
On Christmas Day last year, Park, 28, crossed the China-North Korea border carrying a letter addressed to Kim Jong-il calling on him to release political prisoners and "repent." He was set free on February 6th after 43 days in captivity but he has not publicly spoken about his ordeal.
Friends and family of Park are concerned after he apparently professed a desire to return to South Korea and take action at the DMZ, according to an e-mail from Suzanne Scholte, the chairman of the North Korea Freedom Coalition (NKFC), sent to Jo Sung-rae, a friend and fellow activist of Park's.
"I am writing this email to specifically ask you that if he should arrive in Korea that you provide him with 24-hour prayer and personal protection," reads the e-mail that was forwarded to The Korea Times by another activist. "He spoke frequently while in Washington D.C. about wanting to take his own life and do something drastic at the DMZ."
In the e-mail, Scholte, who had been helping prepare a press conference for Park, said, "It became very clear to all of us that Robert was still suffering from the effects of the torture he experienced in North Korea...Because of our love for him, we should do all we can to shelter and protect him and make it possible for him to be cared for so that he could recover from all that he has been through."
He was committed to the Long Beach Community hospital, California late last month. Last Friday Park, who apparently did not want to be in the care of the hospital, appealed to a California court and the judge agreed for his release from the care of the hospital and his family.
"Although Robert disagrees with us - his family, his pastor, his doctors, and Henry (Henry Song) and me, we all believe he needs the opportunity to further heal," said the e-mail.
"Robert has already put his life at risk, was already willing to sacrifice his life for the North Korean people, his true friends should be helping him recover, not exposing him to further harm. Please protect him and look out for him if he should arrive in South Korea."
Park, originally of Tuscon, Arizona had been working with civic groups in South Korea before he entered the North. He had been crucial in organizing numerous protests in Seoul and at the DMZ.
In a competency hearing on March 5 Park was deemed able to care for himself by the Los Angeles Superior Court, according to the website www.freerobertpark.wordpress.com
Despite Park's illegal crossing into North Korea from China, when asked, Immigration Service said that he is not on a watch-list.
"We have no information about him. Actually I have never heard of him," said Immigration spokesman Ahn Kyu-seok.
jrbreen@koreatimes.co.kr
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