Robert Park (activist)

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Robert Park
Robert Park Photo.jpg
Born 1981 (age 35–36)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.[1]
Occupation Missionary, human rights activist
Known for Detention in North Korea in 2009–2010

Robert Park (born July 23, 1981)[citation needed] is a Korean-American missionary,[2][3] musician,[4][5][6] and human rights activist.[7] He is a founding member of the nonpartisan Worldwide Coalition to Stop Genocide in North Korea.[8] In December 2009 he was detained in North Korea for illegal entry after crossing the Sino-Korean border on Christmas Day[9][10] to protest against the country's human rights situation.[11] He was released in February 2010 after being detained for 43 days.[12] He reported having suffered torture during his detention.[13]

Early life[edit]

Park was born in Los Angeles, California.[1] His Korean name is Park Dong Hoon,[14] and his grandparents had lived in North Korea.[15] He spent much of his early life in Tucson, Arizona, where in 2007 he was ordained as a missionary by the Life in Christ Community Church.[16] Prior to his involvement with North Korea-related work, Park was active as a missionary in Sonora, Mexico, where he had assisted in the organization and delivery of humanitarian relief over several years.[17][18]

Detention in North Korea[edit]

In December 2009, Park, who had been living in South Korea since June 2008,[1] travelled to China, where on December 25, 2009, he crossed the Chinese border into North Korea by walking across a frozen stretch of the Tumen River.[19] He was quickly apprehended by North Korean border guards for illegal entry.[20] In a media interview conducted prior to his journey and published after his arrest, Park said he believed it was his duty as a Christian to enter North Korea to protest against human rights abuses in the country, and that he was carrying letters calling on North Korean leader Kim Jong-il to stand down and to release political prisoners.[9]

While under arrest, Park made a public confession and apology for his actions. On February 5, 2010 the North Korean government announced that it had pardoned Park. He was deported by plane to Beijing, China, from where he was then flown back to the United States.[21][12] He later recanted his confession as having been made under duress, and reported having suffered torture and beatings during his detention.[13]

Post-release[edit]

As a victim of North Korean torture,[13][22][23][24][25][26] Park is preparing to file a lawsuit in the U.S. Federal Court under the Torture Victims Protection Act of 1991.[27][28]

His writings on the North Korean human rights situation have been published in the Harvard International Review, The Washington Post, Haaretz, San Jose Mercury News, Asia Times, South China Morning Post, National Post, The Diplomat, World Policy, Columbia Journal of International Affairs, The Hill, Future Korea Journal, The Korea Herald, The Korea Times, and numerous other publications.[29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39] He is a contributor to World Affairs Journal.[40]

On December 19, 2011, Genocide Watch, an international NGO and human rights watchdog, published a report which quoted heavily from a 2011 article penned by Park for the Asia Times, entitled "North Korea and the Genocide Convention." The paper concluded North Korea was actively committing genocide as defined by the UN Genocide Convention.[41][42] Park has repeatedly called for concerned persons and organizations to increase financial support towards North Korean defectors, who are able to remit money back to their families in the North, potentially making possible an organized movement to halt atrocities.[43][44][45][46][47]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c "North Korea Apparently Detains U.S. Missionary, Activist Says". Fox News. 28 December 2009. Archived from the original on 17 July 2017. 
  2. ^ Herskovitz, Jon (29 December 2009). "North Korea says U.S. man arrested for illegal entry". Reuters. 
  3. ^ Teresa Jun. "Tucsonans hold prayer vigil for missionary detained in North Korea", KOLD, December 30, 2009.
  4. ^ Blurt Staff. "Anti-genocide Activist Robert Park Releases Debut Music Video", Blurt Magazine, July 8, 2013.
  5. ^ "Video Premiere: "I am but a Child" by Malheur VOL". Retrieved 2015-06-02. 
  6. ^ "Video Premiere: "In Love/Ascent" by Malheur VOL". Retrieved 2015-06-02. 
  7. ^ World Affairs. "Robert Park", World Affairs Journal, 2013.
  8. ^ Carnegie Council. "Robert Park", Carnegie Council: The Voice for Ethics in International Affairs, February 15, 2012.
  9. ^ a b Herskovitz, Jon (30 December 2009). "Interview with North Korea border crosser Robert Park". Reuters. 
  10. ^ "The True Meaning Of Martyrdom". Forbes. Retrieved 2015-06-02. 
  11. ^ Carnegie Council. "Robert Park", Carnegie Council: The Voice for Ethics in International Affairs, February 15, 2012.
  12. ^ a b Gabbatt, Adam (7 February 2010). "US human rights campaigner freed by North Korea returns home". The Guardian. 
  13. ^ a b c Mcdonald, Mark (2010-10-27). "N. Korea Prison Torture Described". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2015-06-02. 
  14. ^ "Missionary a 'Prayer Warrior'". Radio Free Asia. 26 December 2009. Archived from the original on 26 May 2011. 
  15. ^ Harlan, Chico (February 1, 2011). "Ex-prisoner can’t pull his mind away from North Korea". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on March 24, 2017. 
  16. ^ "North Korea says it will free 'repentant' American missionary Park". NY Daily News. 5 February 2010. Archived from the original on 17 July 2017. 
  17. ^ Love Responds."The Real Truth concerning Minister Robert Park", Medium.com, April 15, 2014.
  18. ^ Anna, Cahn. "Quest to end North Korean genocide evokes parallels to the Holocaust", Arizona Jewish Post, October 14, 2011.
  19. ^ Beaumont, Peter (26 December 2009). "US human rights activist crosses Chinese border into North Korea". The Guardian. 
  20. ^ Kim, Hyung-jin (27 October 2010). "U.S. missionary says North Korea jailers tortured him". Deseret News. 
  21. ^ "American Missionary Freed by North Korea". The New York Times. 5 February 2010. 
  22. ^ "US Christian activist Robert Park on N Korea imprisonment - BBC News". BBC News. Retrieved 2015-06-02. 
  23. ^ American Recalls North Korea Torture, retrieved 2015-06-02 
  24. ^ "US missionary says NKorea jailers tortured him". Retrieved 2015-06-02. 
  25. ^ "Asia Times Online :: North Korean ordeal haunts US activist". www.atimes.com. Retrieved 2015-06-02. 
  26. ^ "North Korea: Witness to Transformation | Robert Park and Genocide and Torture II". blogs.piie.com. Retrieved 2015-06-02. 
  27. ^ Carnegie Council. "Robert Park", Carnegie Council: The Voice for Ethics in International Affairs, February 15, 2012.
  28. ^ "North Korea: Witness to Transformation | Robert Park and Genocide and Torture II". blogs.piie.com. Retrieved 2015-06-02. 
  29. ^ Carnegie Council. "Robert Park", Carnegie Council: The Voice for Ethics in International Affairs, February 15, 2012.
  30. ^ Robert Park."North Korea and the Genocide Movement", Harvard International Review, September 27, 2011.
  31. ^ Robert Park."When will we stop the genocide in North Korea?", Washington Post, April 21, 2011.
  32. ^ Robert Park."Battling a system of starvation", Haaretz, December 9, 2011.
  33. ^ Robert Park."Robert Park: North Korean refugees face slaughter when China repatriates them", San Jose Mercury News, February 28, 2012.
  34. ^ Robert Park."North Korea and the Genocide Convention", Asia Times, September 9, 2011.
  35. ^ Robert Park."The case for genocide in North Korea", Korea Herald, February 8, 2012.
  36. ^ Robert Park."South Korea must act to save the lives of refugees from the North", National Post, December 27, 2011.
  37. ^ Robert Park."US silence on North Korea", Korea Times, November 14, 2012.
  38. ^ "Responsibility to Protect in North Korea". Archived from the original on 2015-05-02. Retrieved 2015-06-02. 
  39. ^ "North Korea: The World’s Principal Violator of the "Responsibility to Protect" - JIA SIPA". Retrieved 2015-06-02. 
  40. ^ World Affairs. "Robert Park", "World Affairs Journal", 2013.
  41. ^ Hye-Won, Kim. "GENOCIDE and POLITICIDE ALERT: NORTH KOREA", "Genocide Watch", December 19, 2011.
  42. ^ Robert, Park. "North Korea and the Genocide Convention", Asia Times, September 9, 2011.
  43. ^ Park, Robert (2011-03-29). "When will we stop the genocide in North Korea?". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2015-06-02. 
  44. ^ "(Yonhap Interview) Robert Park calls for cash remittances to N. Koreans to topple regime | YONHAP NEWS". english.yonhapnews.co.kr. Retrieved 2015-06-02. 
  45. ^ Herald, The. "Seoul should protect North Korea defectors in China by law: activist". Retrieved 2015-06-02. 
  46. ^ https://youtube.com/devicesupport, 2015-04-17, retrieved 2015-06-02  External link in |title= (help)
  47. ^ "North Korea: Witness to Transformation | Yodok Update". blogs.piie.com. Retrieved 2015-06-02. 
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