When will North Korea release his father?

On December 11, 1969, a North Korean agent hijacked a plane from South to Nouth Korea. For much of the past 20 years, Hwang In-Cheol, son of one of the people on that airplane, has been campaigning to have his father released. Yesterday he led a rally at Imjingak's Freedom Bridge (near the DMZ) to call on North Korea to reveal the truth about what happened to his father and to release him.

For much of those 20 years, Mr. Hwang has been on his own, although he has partnered with some organizations. In recent years Freedom Speakers International has been with him anytime has called on us (although sometimes we do call on him to see if he has any plans and if there is anything we can do to help).

He definitely wasn't alone yesterday! About a dozen South Koreans and I joined him yesterday.

I was the other featured speaker, although obviously, this is not the kind of event that you want to speak at, it would be much better for the family to be reunited or at least to have closure. We have been with Mr. Hwang since 2016, and it isn't the kind of anniversary that you want to have.

The main logistics for the event were taken care of by FSI co-founder Eunkoo Lee, with some help from Dahye and Brooke.

Here is the petition: https://www.change.org/p/when-will-north-korea-release-my-father

After the speeches and partial reading of the petition, participants threw paper airplanes in the direction of North Korea.

10 links related to Hwang In-Cheol's campaign

2016 trip to Imjingak

From Hwang Solo to Team Hwang (Korea Times, photo version at my blog) (2016)

In search of a forgotten passenger (2018)

Son Crusades to meet father hijacked to North (Joonang Daily Newspaper) (2016)

A Son's Fight (audio by JoonangDaily) (2016)

Sign the petition 2021

Panel at the National Assembly (2019)

Joining forces with Mr. Hwang (April 2016)

Mr. Hwang's first birthday celebration (Nov 2018)

Bring My Father Home for Christmas (2017)

* * *

* Make a donation of any amount to support the campaign
Send his father home - Freedom Speakers International

Support FSI: www.lovetnkr.org/donate

Rich talking back

The rich are talked about very often in negative terms, but how often do the rich respond in kind? Australian billionaire Gina Rinehart, who inherited most of her money but apparently has also done very well with it, recently railed against class warfare and had some advice for the non-rich : "There is no monopoly on becoming a millionaire," she writes. "If you're jealous of those with more money, don't just sit there and complain. Do something to make more money yourself - spend less time drinking, or smoking and socializing and more time working." She complained about politicians raising taxes, regulations that slow investment, and other anti-business policies that harm the poor. "If you want to help the poor and our next generation, make investment, reinvenstment and businesses welcome."

Common Sense on North Korea (Korea Times, April 2, 2012)

By Casey Lartigue, Jr. As interesting as Kookmin University professor Andrei Lankov’s writings are, there is nothing quite like attending one of his lectures. He can barely restrain himself behind the podium, often pointing and waving his arms. I also enjoy his unscripted speeches, but his answers in Q&A sessions are like the difference between watching Michael Jordan shoot baskets in warm-ups and an actual game. I have finally discovered the secret behind Lankov’s consistently solid analysis about North Korea: Use common sense. At an Asan Institute conference last summer, he argued that North Korea watchers should try to understand North Korea from its perspective. Don’t most people know that you must understand the mindset of others you are dealing with? Yet, common sense in theory gets ignored politically. From the North Korean perspective, nuclear weapons are the best thing they’ve got going. They will NOT give them up easily, even if President Obama ...

Random photos from today

I went walking around today. Whereas some people like to go walking in the mountains, I enjoy walking around in the city. Well, not D.C. or other cities with many homeless, crazy and/or armed people walking around... * * * Here's where I had lunch today. About $1.90 for a hamburger hamberger. * * * Ha-ha! Bet you never would have guessed that Batman is a drinking place in Korea! * * * Man Clinic? The Koreans walking by seemed to be very curious about why I was taking a photo of a "Man Clinic." They may know something I don't know...Actually, I wasn't curious enough to go in and find out what it was... * * * Right down the street from the Man Clinic...there's a Love Shop! I love the euphemism. "Love Shop" sounds much better than Sex Shop. I'm guessing that if you don't go to the "Love Shop" to buy condoms that you may need to visit the Man Clinic a short time later? * * * Nobo...

Last weekend: Suicide, Kim Young Ha, NK

Credit: Joanne Cho Event 1: Friday night I went to a talk given by Fulbright junior researcher Joanne Cho. She did a great job putting together statistics about some of the most commonly cited reasons that so many Koreans commit suicide. Probably the most provocative tidbit: Cho watched 86 dramas from the spring of 2012 to now, she says that 63 had "scenes depicting or discussing suicide" in a favorable light (as a way to solve problems, that troubled people can be forgiven for their sins and are even seen as sympathetic). Another interesting tidbit: While it is often cited that Korea is number one in the world in suicide (among countries reporting reliable statistics), what I had not realized or had forgotten is that Korean men are number 8 in the world compared to men in other countries with reliable statistics, Korean women are #1 in the world when compared to women in other countries. My questions for the speaker: 1) What was a finding in your research th...

Park Jin welcoming remarks to FSI (and Casey Lartigue)

National Assembly member Park Jin makes the welcoming remarks at FSI's conference featuring North Korean diplomats. Park Jin | Greeting message to FSI and Casey Lartigue mention - YouTube

The Casey Lartigue Show!

Search This Blog