Sunday, February 05, 2006

Seoul Court sentences man helping North Korean agents

A South Korean court has sentenced a man to prison for helping North Korean agents kidnap a South Korean Christian pastor in China. The case sheds light on what Christian groups say is a serious danger posed by North Korean operatives in China, and those trying to help them.

The court in Seoul convicted 35-year-old Ryu Young-hwa of helping North Korean agents abduct South Korean Christian pastor Kim Dong-shik. Reverend Kim disappeared in northern China in 2000 while helping North Koreans who had fled their country.

Ryu, a Chinese citizen of Korean ancestry, was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Christian activists in Seoul think Reverend Kim died in North Korean custody. They view him as a symbol of the risks associated with helping North Koreans make the dangerous journey to South Korea through China via what has come to be known as the Christian underground railroad.

[From an article by Kurt Achin, VoA]

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