March 28, 2024
News

‘They saw us as lowlives’: Defectors condemn police for investigation tactics

After leaflets raised ire in Pyongyang, Seoul police are investigating activist groups — but some say it's going too far

Two defector-activists working on North Korea human rights and escapee resettlement condemned the South Korean government for "excessive civilian inspection" after they were questioned by police. The activists also called out the South Korean government for its scrutiny towards beneficiaries of Kuensaem, an activist group currently in danger of losing its corporate permit as part of a wider government crackdown on cross-border leaflet and rice bottle launches towards the DPRK.

"The police is directing all its energy to lay Kuensaem bare," Jung Gwang-il, a representative of activist group No Chain for North Korea, told NK News. Jung was recently summoned by police to act as a witness in a broader investigation against Kuensaem, which is under investigation for launching rice bottles into the North.

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