Sentenced to life five years ago, status of South Koreans in North Korea unclear

News

Sentenced to life five years ago, status of South Koreans in North Korea unclear

Choe Chun-gil and Kim Kuk-gi were charged with espionage, sentenced to hard labor on June 23, 2015

Chad O'Carroll | Jeongmin Kim June 23, 2020

Sentenced to life five years ago, status of South Koreans in North Korea unclear

KCTV, edited by NK News

Tuesday marked five years since two South Koreans were sentenced to life in North Korea for "espionage," with no updates about their detention or health recently made available by either government.

The cases of Choe Chun-gil and Kim Kuk-gi, who received "a penalty of indefinite compulsory labor" on June 23, 2015, have not been mentioned by North Korean state media since November 2017. An NK News request for comment to a DPRK embassy went unanswered.

About the Authors

Chad O'Carroll

Chad O'Carroll is the founder of NK News/NK Pro and related holding company Korea Risk Group. In addition to being the group's CEO, O'Carroll is a frequent writer and commentator about the Koreas, having written about the two nations since 2010. He has visited the DPRK multiple times, worked and lived in Washington, D.C. with a focus on peninsula issues, and lived in the ROK since 2016.

View more articles by Chad O'Carroll EMAIL Twitter Got a news tip?Let us know!

Jeongmin Kim

Jeongmin Kim is the Lead Correspondent at NK News and Editorial Director at KOREA PRO, based in Seoul. Kim covers inter-Korean relations and North and South Korean foreign and military affairs. Kim has covered the 2022 ROK presidential election on the ground, and prior to joining NK News, she worked for the CSIS Korea Chair in Washington D.C. and Reuters news agency’s Seoul bureau.

View more articles by Jeongmin Kim EMAIL Twitter Got a news tip?Let us know!