Unconverted long-term prisoners - Revision history

Verda.Majo: added clarification to lede

2026-04-15T19:08:19Z

added clarification to lede

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:08, 15 April 2026
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	[[File:Unconverted long-term prisoners in south Korea.jpg\|thumb\|A demonstration calling for a second repatriation of unconverted long-term prisoners in south Korea. The sign reads "Call for repatriation of non-converted long-term prisoners" ("비전향장기수 송환 촉구").<ref>장동욱 (Jang Dong-wook). [http://www.saramilbo.com/5940 “비전향장기수 2차 송환 촉구.”] ("Call for second repatriation of non-converted long-term prisoners.") 사람일보. (Saram Ilbo.) 2006-09-02. [https://web.archive.org/web/20240311145007/http://www.saramilbo.com/5940 Archived] 2024-03-11.</ref>]]		[[File:Unconverted long-term prisoners in south Korea.jpg\|thumb\|A demonstration calling for a second repatriation of unconverted long-term prisoners in south Korea. The sign reads "Call for repatriation of non-converted long-term prisoners" ("비전향장기수 송환 촉구").<ref>장동욱 (Jang Dong-wook). [http://www.saramilbo.com/5940 “비전향장기수 2차 송환 촉구.”] ("Call for second repatriation of non-converted long-term prisoners.") 사람일보. (Saram Ilbo.) 2006-09-02. [https://web.archive.org/web/20240311145007/http://www.saramilbo.com/5940 Archived] 2024-03-11.</ref>]]
	'''Unconverted long-term prisoners''' (Korean: 비전향 장기수 or 미전향 장기수) is a term which refers to [[Political prisoner\|political prisoners]] imprisoned in [[Republic of Korea\|south Korea]], generally on charges of "anti-state" activities or views in support of [[communism]] or [[Democratic People's Republic of Korea\|DPRK]].<ref name=":1">[https://www.amnesty.org/es/documents/asa25/033/1993/en/ “South Korea: Unfair Trial and Torture: Long-Term Political Prisoners.”] [[Amnesty International]], September 30, 1993.</ref><ref name=":6">"National reunification prizes awarded to unconverted long-term prisoners", [[Korean Central News Agency]], 2000-09-04. [https://web.archive.org/web/20191124030603/http://www.kcna.co.jp/item/2000/200009/news09/04.htm Archived] 2019-11-19.</ref> The term commonly refers to people who were mostly arrested from the 1950s to 1980s and imprisoned and tortured for decades and who refused to sign a "conversion" statement renouncing communist or [[Left–right political spectrum\|left-wing]] ideology, which had been a condition for their release.<ref>Amnesty International, [https://www.refworld.org/reference/annualreport/amnesty/1999/en/24250 Amnesty International Report 1999 - Korea, -, 1 January 1999]. [https://web.archive.org/web/20240311065515/https://www.refworld.org/reference/annualreport/amnesty/1999/en/24250 Archived] 2024-03-11.</ref> In the 1990s, some of the prisoners began being released. Some chose to remain in south Korea while others sought to be repatriated to DPRK.<ref name=":0">Kim Dong-won. ''Repatriation'' (2003). Documentary. URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xu2mEvU29Q</ref>		'''Unconverted long-term prisoners''' (Korean: 비전향 장기수 or 미전향 장기수) is a term which refers to [[Political prisoner\|political prisoners]] imprisoned in [[Republic of Korea\|south Korea]], generally on charges of "anti-state" activities or views in support of [[communism]] or [[Democratic People's Republic of Korea\|DPRK]].<ref name=":1">[https://www.amnesty.org/es/documents/asa25/033/1993/en/ “South Korea: Unfair Trial and Torture: Long-Term Political Prisoners.”] [[Amnesty International]], September 30, 1993.</ref><ref name=":6">"National reunification prizes awarded to unconverted long-term prisoners", [[Korean Central News Agency]], 2000-09-04. [https://web.archive.org/web/20191124030603/http://www.kcna.co.jp/item/2000/200009/news09/04.htm Archived] 2019-11-19.</ref> The term commonly refers to people who were mostly arrested from the 1950s to 1980s and imprisoned and tortured for decades and who refused to sign a "conversion" statement renouncing communist or [[Left–right political spectrum\|left-wing]] ideology, which had been a condition for their release.<ref>Amnesty International, [https://www.refworld.org/reference/annualreport/amnesty/1999/en/24250 Amnesty International Report 1999 - Korea, -, 1 January 1999]. [https://web.archive.org/web/20240311065515/https://www.refworld.org/reference/annualreport/amnesty/1999/en/24250 Archived] 2024-03-11.</ref> In the 1990s, some of the prisoners began being released. Some chose to remain in south Korea while others sought to be repatriated to DPRK, with some successfully being repatriated to DPRK and others remaining in south Korea against their will.<ref name=":0">Kim Dong-won. ''Repatriation'' (2003). Documentary. URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xu2mEvU29Q</ref>

	== Imprisonment and torture ==		== Imprisonment and torture ==

Verda.Majo: /* Media */ added link to library work

2026-04-10T06:38:02Z

Media: added link to library work

← Older revision		Revision as of 06:38, 10 April 2026
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	== Media ==		== Media ==
	Former prisoner Ri In Mo, who was repatriated to DPRK in 1993, wrote a memoir titled ''My Life and Faith'' (Korean title: 신념과 나의 한생) in which he recounted his life story. The book includes his youth during the anti-Japanese national liberation struggle as well as his 34 years of imprisonment in south Korea.<ref name=":13" />		Former prisoner Ri In Mo, who was repatriated to DPRK in 1993, wrote a memoir titled ''[[Library:My Life and Faith\|My Life and Faith]]'' (Korean title: 신념과 나의 한생) in which he recounted his life story. The book includes his youth during the anti-Japanese national liberation struggle as well as his 34 years of imprisonment in south Korea.<ref name=":13" />

	A documentary about the unconverted long-term prisoners called ''Repatriation'' (Korean title: 송환) was released in 2003 by south Korean director Kim Dong Won. After several of the unconverted long-term prisoners had moved to his neighborhood after their release, the director developed a close relationship with them and began a film project that "spanned 12 years and 800 hours of videotaping".<ref>[https://asiasociety.org/kim-dong-wons-film-north-korean-prisoners-held-south-korea “Kim Dong Won’s Film on North Korean Prisoners Held in South Korea.”] Asia Society. [https://web.archive.org/web/20220725151533/https://asiasociety.org/kim-dong-wons-film-north-korean-prisoners-held-south-korea Archived] 2022-07-25.</ref> Another film by the same director, titled ''The 2nd Repatriation'' (Korean title: 2차 송환),<ref>[https://indieground.kr/indie/movieLibraryView.do?seq=4374&type=D "2차 송환."] 독립영화 라이브러리, Indieground. [https://web.archive.org/web/20240321041311/https://indieground.kr/indie/movieLibraryView.do?seq=4374&type=D Archived] 2023-03-021.</ref> was released in 2022 and follows the lives of the former prisoners, such as Kim Young-sik, who remained in south Korea but who have been urging for a second repatriation.<ref>[https://eng.jeonjufest.kr/db/movieView.asp?idx=4781&sEP_NUM=23 "The 2nd Repatriation."]전주국제영화제. The 23rd JEONJU International Film Festival. [https://web.archive.org/web/20220924153321/https://eng.jeonjufest.kr/db/movieView.asp?idx=4781&sEP_NUM=23 Archived] 2022-09-24.</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nq-z7JGcWUQ "【第十三屆台灣國際紀錄片影展】當代風景｜第二次遣返 The 2nd Repatriation."] YouTube.</ref>		A documentary about the unconverted long-term prisoners called ''Repatriation'' (Korean title: 송환) was released in 2003 by south Korean director Kim Dong Won. After several of the unconverted long-term prisoners had moved to his neighborhood after their release, the director developed a close relationship with them and began a film project that "spanned 12 years and 800 hours of videotaping".<ref>[https://asiasociety.org/kim-dong-wons-film-north-korean-prisoners-held-south-korea “Kim Dong Won’s Film on North Korean Prisoners Held in South Korea.”] Asia Society. [https://web.archive.org/web/20220725151533/https://asiasociety.org/kim-dong-wons-film-north-korean-prisoners-held-south-korea Archived] 2022-07-25.</ref> Another film by the same director, titled ''The 2nd Repatriation'' (Korean title: 2차 송환),<ref>[https://indieground.kr/indie/movieLibraryView.do?seq=4374&type=D "2차 송환."] 독립영화 라이브러리, Indieground. [https://web.archive.org/web/20240321041311/https://indieground.kr/indie/movieLibraryView.do?seq=4374&type=D Archived] 2023-03-021.</ref> was released in 2022 and follows the lives of the former prisoners, such as Kim Young-sik, who remained in south Korea but who have been urging for a second repatriation.<ref>[https://eng.jeonjufest.kr/db/movieView.asp?idx=4781&sEP_NUM=23 "The 2nd Repatriation."]전주국제영화제. The 23rd JEONJU International Film Festival. [https://web.archive.org/web/20220924153321/https://eng.jeonjufest.kr/db/movieView.asp?idx=4781&sEP_NUM=23 Archived] 2022-09-24.</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nq-z7JGcWUQ "【第十三屆台灣國際紀錄片影展】當代風景｜第二次遣返 The 2nd Repatriation."] YouTube.</ref>

PuzzledFox99 at 18:14, 28 November 2025

2025-11-28T18:14:01Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:14, 28 November 2025
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	[[File:Unconverted long-term prisoners in south Korea.jpg\|thumb\|A demonstration calling for a second repatriation of unconverted long-term prisoners in south Korea. The sign reads "Call for repatriation of non-converted long-term prisoners" ("비전향장기수 송환 촉구").<ref>장동욱 (Jang Dong-wook). [http://www.saramilbo.com/5940 “비전향장기수 2차 송환 촉구.”] ("Call for second repatriation of non-converted long-term prisoners.") 사람일보. (Saram Ilbo.) 2006-09-02. [https://web.archive.org/web/20240311145007/http://www.saramilbo.com/5940 Archived] 2024-03-11.</ref>]]		[[File:Unconverted long-term prisoners in south Korea.jpg\|thumb\|A demonstration calling for a second repatriation of unconverted long-term prisoners in south Korea. The sign reads "Call for repatriation of non-converted long-term prisoners" ("비전향장기수 송환 촉구").<ref>장동욱 (Jang Dong-wook). [http://www.saramilbo.com/5940 “비전향장기수 2차 송환 촉구.”] ("Call for second repatriation of non-converted long-term prisoners.") 사람일보. (Saram Ilbo.) 2006-09-02. [https://web.archive.org/web/20240311145007/http://www.saramilbo.com/5940 Archived] 2024-03-11.</ref>]]
	'''Unconverted long-term prisoners''' is a term which refers to [[Political prisoner\|political prisoners]] imprisoned in [[Republic of Korea\|south Korea]], generally on charges of "anti-state" activities or views in support of [[communism]] or [[Democratic People's Republic of Korea\|DPRK]].<ref name=":1">[https://www.amnesty.org/es/documents/asa25/033/1993/en/ “South Korea: Unfair Trial and Torture: Long-Term Political Prisoners.”] [[Amnesty International]], September 30, 1993.</ref><ref name=":6">"National reunification prizes awarded to unconverted long-term prisoners", [[Korean Central News Agency]], 2000-09-04. [https://web.archive.org/web/20191124030603/http://www.kcna.co.jp/item/2000/200009/news09/04.htm Archived] 2019-11-19.</ref> The term commonly refers to people who were mostly arrested from the 1950s to 1980s and imprisoned and tortured for decades and who refused to sign a "conversion" statement renouncing communist or [[Left–right political spectrum\|left-wing]] ideology, which had been a condition for their release.<ref>Amnesty International, [https://www.refworld.org/reference/annualreport/amnesty/1999/en/24250 Amnesty International Report 1999 - Korea, -, 1 January 1999]. [https://web.archive.org/web/20240311065515/https://www.refworld.org/reference/annualreport/amnesty/1999/en/24250 Archived] 2024-03-11.</ref> In the 1990s, some of the prisoners began being released. Some chose to remain in south Korea while others sought to be repatriated to DPRK.<ref name=":0">Kim Dong-won. ''Repatriation'' (2003). Documentary. URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xu2mEvU29Q</ref>		'''Unconverted long-term prisoners''' (Korean: 비전향 장기수 or 미전향 장기수) is a term which refers to [[Political prisoner\|political prisoners]] imprisoned in [[Republic of Korea\|south Korea]], generally on charges of "anti-state" activities or views in support of [[communism]] or [[Democratic People's Republic of Korea\|DPRK]].<ref name=":1">[https://www.amnesty.org/es/documents/asa25/033/1993/en/ “South Korea: Unfair Trial and Torture: Long-Term Political Prisoners.”] [[Amnesty International]], September 30, 1993.</ref><ref name=":6">"National reunification prizes awarded to unconverted long-term prisoners", [[Korean Central News Agency]], 2000-09-04. [https://web.archive.org/web/20191124030603/http://www.kcna.co.jp/item/2000/200009/news09/04.htm Archived] 2019-11-19.</ref> The term commonly refers to people who were mostly arrested from the 1950s to 1980s and imprisoned and tortured for decades and who refused to sign a "conversion" statement renouncing communist or [[Left–right political spectrum\|left-wing]] ideology, which had been a condition for their release.<ref>Amnesty International, [https://www.refworld.org/reference/annualreport/amnesty/1999/en/24250 Amnesty International Report 1999 - Korea, -, 1 January 1999]. [https://web.archive.org/web/20240311065515/https://www.refworld.org/reference/annualreport/amnesty/1999/en/24250 Archived] 2024-03-11.</ref> In the 1990s, some of the prisoners began being released. Some chose to remain in south Korea while others sought to be repatriated to DPRK.<ref name=":0">Kim Dong-won. ''Repatriation'' (2003). Documentary. URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xu2mEvU29Q</ref>

	== Imprisonment and torture ==		== Imprisonment and torture ==

Verda.Majo: typo correction

2025-11-27T09:11:12Z

typo correction

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:11, 27 November 2025
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	Of the former prisoners who sought repatriation to DPRK, some were eventually able to be repatriated, notably 63 of them in the year 2000.<ref name=":7" /> However, others remained in the south, being denied their requests for repatriation.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":4" /> The 63 individuals who were repatriated in September of 2000 were celebrated in [[Pyongyang]] and awarded [[National Reunification Prize\|National Reunification Prizes]].<ref name=":6" /> At the time, the prisoners ranged in age from 66 to 90 years old.<ref name=":10">[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/907307.stm "Korean communists go home."] BBC News, 2 September, 2000. [https://web.archive.org/web/20240311153647/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/907307.stm Archived] 2024-03-11.</ref>		Of the former prisoners who sought repatriation to DPRK, some were eventually able to be repatriated, notably 63 of them in the year 2000.<ref name=":7" /> However, others remained in the south, being denied their requests for repatriation.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":4" /> The 63 individuals who were repatriated in September of 2000 were celebrated in [[Pyongyang]] and awarded [[National Reunification Prize\|National Reunification Prizes]].<ref name=":6" /> At the time, the prisoners ranged in age from 66 to 90 years old.<ref name=":10">[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/907307.stm "Korean communists go home."] BBC News, 2 September, 2000. [https://web.archive.org/web/20240311153647/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/907307.stm Archived] 2024-03-11.</ref>

	A Liberation School interview with a former prisoner, Ahn Hak-sop, reveals that many who participated in the repatriation in the year 2000 and many of those who remained in south Korea made their decisions based on their impression at the time that there was going to be more freedom of movement between ROK and DPRK thereafter. Ahn, who chose to remain in the south when the 2000 repatriation happened, said one of his reasons was that he "thought it was a temporary situation." ~~Anh~~ also notes regarding two prisoners released alongside him who were repatriated, that "[T]hose comrades went to the North because they thought that shortly there would be free movement between the two states. They went to the North to study and thought they would come back later." Regarding his own intention to stay in the south temporarily, ~~Anh~~ elaborated: "[T]here were young [[Progressivism\|progressive]] people here in the South, and they asked me to stay. [...] We have to keep struggling here for the withdrawal of US army, the peace treaty, and peaceful reunification. I decided to stay here to fight for these goals. In 1952, I came here to liberate the southern half of the peninsula, and I need to stay here and continue that struggle."<ref name=":5">Liberation School (Jul 27, 2022). [https://www.liberationschool.org/interview-with-ahn-hak-sop/ "Still fighting for Korea’s liberation: An interview with Ahn Hak-sop"] ''Liberation School''. [https://web.archive.org/web/2/https://www.liberationschool.org/interview-with-ahn-hak-sop/ Archived] from the original.</ref>		A Liberation School interview with a former prisoner, Ahn Hak-sop, reveals that many who participated in the repatriation in the year 2000 and many of those who remained in south Korea made their decisions based on their impression at the time that there was going to be more freedom of movement between ROK and DPRK thereafter. Ahn, who chose to remain in the south when the 2000 repatriation happened, said one of his reasons was that he "thought it was a temporary situation." Ahn also notes regarding two prisoners released alongside him who were repatriated, that "[T]hose comrades went to the North because they thought that shortly there would be free movement between the two states. They went to the North to study and thought they would come back later." Regarding his own intention to stay in the south temporarily, Ahn elaborated: "[T]here were young [[Progressivism\|progressive]] people here in the South, and they asked me to stay. [...] We have to keep struggling here for the withdrawal of US army, the peace treaty, and peaceful reunification. I decided to stay here to fight for these goals. In 1952, I came here to liberate the southern half of the peninsula, and I need to stay here and continue that struggle."<ref name=":5">Liberation School (Jul 27, 2022). [https://www.liberationschool.org/interview-with-ahn-hak-sop/ "Still fighting for Korea’s liberation: An interview with Ahn Hak-sop"] ''Liberation School''. [https://web.archive.org/web/2/https://www.liberationschool.org/interview-with-ahn-hak-sop/ Archived] from the original.</ref>

	Those who oppose or criticize the repatriation of these former prisoners generally do so on grounds of demanding that DPRK repatriate people to the south as well.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":10" />		Those who oppose or criticize the repatriation of these former prisoners generally do so on grounds of demanding that DPRK repatriate people to the south as well.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":10" />
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	The unconverted long-term prisoners who were released have faced various difficulties while living in south Korea, ranging from ongoing health issues from their imprisonment, to not being given social security numbers, living in poverty, and being subjected to state surveillance. In some cases, their families have also suffered persecution during and after their relative's imprisonment.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":7" /><ref name=":9" />		The unconverted long-term prisoners who were released have faced various difficulties while living in south Korea, ranging from ongoing health issues from their imprisonment, to not being given social security numbers, living in poverty, and being subjected to state surveillance. In some cases, their families have also suffered persecution during and after their relative's imprisonment.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":7" /><ref name=":9" />

	Giving examples of the forms of persecution and surveillance he faced, former prisoner ~~Anh~~ Hak-sop explained, "[T]here are security police who follow me. Whenever there is a problem with the North and South, they raid my house and stand guard outside my property. One time at a demonstration, [[Conservatism\|conservative]] forces attacked me. The police did nothing to protect me. Every week or every other week, the police come to my house and ask about my activities, who has visited my house, and so on. Once every other month I need to report to them about what I did, who I met, and who visited me. Every two years I need to go to court."<ref name=":5" />		Giving examples of the forms of persecution and surveillance he faced, former prisoner Ahn Hak-sop explained, "[T]here are security police who follow me. Whenever there is a problem with the North and South, they raid my house and stand guard outside my property. One time at a demonstration, [[Conservatism\|conservative]] forces attacked me. The police did nothing to protect me. Every week or every other week, the police come to my house and ask about my activities, who has visited my house, and so on. Once every other month I need to report to them about what I did, who I met, and who visited me. Every two years I need to go to court."<ref name=":5" />

	[[Kang Yong-ju]], a citizen activist who had been involved in the 1980 [[May 18 uprising\|Gwangju Uprising]] as a student, is an unconverted long-term prisoner who was arrested in 1985, on charges of connection to a "spy ring" which have been regarded as unfounded<ref>[https://www.refworld.org/reference/countryrep/amnesty/1998/en/93950 "Long-Term Prisoners Still Held under the National Security Law."] Amnesty International. May 1, 1998. [https://web.archive.org/web/20240316184146/https://www.refworld.org/reference/countryrep/amnesty/1998/en/93950 Archived] 2023-03-16.</ref> and alleged to have been fabricated by the [[Chun Doo-hwan]] regime.<ref name=":11">Bak Gwang-yeon. [https://english.khan.co.kr/khan_art_view.html?artid=201802222015297&code=710100 "Kang Yong-ju, Free from the Shackles of 'Security Surveillance'."] [[The Kyunghyang Shinmun]], 2018-02-22. [https://web.archive.org/web/20240316182453/https://english.khan.co.kr/khan_art_view.html?artid=201802222015297&code=710100 Archived] 2024-03-16.</ref> He refused to sign a statement renouncing his views, and was thus imprisoned by the south Korean regime for 14 years, being released in 1999.<ref>Kim Min-kyung. [https://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/824966.html “Prosecutors Request Prison Time for Unconverted Political Prisoner.”] Hankyoreh, 2017-12-25. [https://web.archive.org/web/20240316183657/https://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/824966.html Archived] 2024-03-16.</ref> In the years following his release, Kang was subjected to the Security Surveillance Act until a court decision in 2018 finally prohibited the extension of further surveillance on Kang.<ref name=":11" />		[[Kang Yong-ju]], a citizen activist who had been involved in the 1980 [[May 18 uprising\|Gwangju Uprising]] as a student, is an unconverted long-term prisoner who was arrested in 1985, on charges of connection to a "spy ring" which have been regarded as unfounded<ref>[https://www.refworld.org/reference/countryrep/amnesty/1998/en/93950 "Long-Term Prisoners Still Held under the National Security Law."] Amnesty International. May 1, 1998. [https://web.archive.org/web/20240316184146/https://www.refworld.org/reference/countryrep/amnesty/1998/en/93950 Archived] 2023-03-16.</ref> and alleged to have been fabricated by the [[Chun Doo-hwan]] regime.<ref name=":11">Bak Gwang-yeon. [https://english.khan.co.kr/khan_art_view.html?artid=201802222015297&code=710100 "Kang Yong-ju, Free from the Shackles of 'Security Surveillance'."] [[The Kyunghyang Shinmun]], 2018-02-22. [https://web.archive.org/web/20240316182453/https://english.khan.co.kr/khan_art_view.html?artid=201802222015297&code=710100 Archived] 2024-03-16.</ref> He refused to sign a statement renouncing his views, and was thus imprisoned by the south Korean regime for 14 years, being released in 1999.<ref>Kim Min-kyung. [https://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/824966.html “Prosecutors Request Prison Time for Unconverted Political Prisoner.”] Hankyoreh, 2017-12-25. [https://web.archive.org/web/20240316183657/https://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/824966.html Archived] 2024-03-16.</ref> In the years following his release, Kang was subjected to the Security Surveillance Act until a court decision in 2018 finally prohibited the extension of further surveillance on Kang.<ref name=":11" />

General-KJ at 19:17, 22 November 2024

2024-11-22T19:17:35Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:17, 22 November 2024
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	== References ==		== References ==
	<references />		<references />
			[[Category:Democratic People's Republic of Korea]]

Verda.Majo: /* "Conversion" statements */ typo correction

2024-03-21T18:12:29Z

"Conversion" statements: typo correction

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:12, 21 March 2024
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	Among those who did sign the "conversion" statement as a condition of release, there are accounts such as that of [[Park Hee-sung]], who said that his so-called "conversion" was the result of physical torture, and that he meant none of it,<ref name=":4" /> or the case of [[Kim Young-sik]], who commented on his own experience with torture in the 2003 documentary [[Repatriation (film)\|''Repatriation'']], "torturing you and forcing you to renounce your belief, can you really call that conversion?"<ref name=":0" /> Kim Young-sik was also quoted in a 2018 article saying of this forced conversion via torture, "I'm still very angry [...] How could they torture me to force me to give up an ideology that I believe is correct?"<ref name=":7">Kim, Hyung-jin. [https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/southern-exposure-the-north-koreans-longing-to-be-sent-home-20180523-p4zh0h.html “Southern Exposure: The North Koreans Longing to Be Sent Home.”] The Sydney Morning Herald. May 24, 2018. [https://web.archive.org/web/20240311103437/https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/southern-exposure-the-north-koreans-longing-to-be-sent-home-20180523-p4zh0h.html Archived] 2024-03-11. </ref>		Among those who did sign the "conversion" statement as a condition of release, there are accounts such as that of [[Park Hee-sung]], who said that his so-called "conversion" was the result of physical torture, and that he meant none of it,<ref name=":4" /> or the case of [[Kim Young-sik]], who commented on his own experience with torture in the 2003 documentary [[Repatriation (film)\|''Repatriation'']], "torturing you and forcing you to renounce your belief, can you really call that conversion?"<ref name=":0" /> Kim Young-sik was also quoted in a 2018 article saying of this forced conversion via torture, "I'm still very angry [...] How could they torture me to force me to give up an ideology that I believe is correct?"<ref name=":7">Kim, Hyung-jin. [https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/southern-exposure-the-north-koreans-longing-to-be-sent-home-20180523-p4zh0h.html “Southern Exposure: The North Koreans Longing to Be Sent Home.”] The Sydney Morning Herald. May 24, 2018. [https://web.archive.org/web/20240311103437/https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/southern-exposure-the-north-koreans-longing-to-be-sent-home-20180523-p4zh0h.html Archived] 2024-03-11. </ref>

	Former prisoner [[~~Anh~~ Hak-sop]] recounted similar methods of pressure to try to get him to renounce his beliefs, including bribery and torture, in an interview with [[Liberation School]]: "First they tried to make theoretical arguments against the DPRK. But they couldn’t defend their beliefs to me. After that, they tried to bribe me with property. After that, there was torture."<ref name=":5" />		Former prisoner [[Ahn Hak-sop]] recounted similar methods of pressure to try to get him to renounce his beliefs, including bribery and torture, in an interview with [[Liberation School]]: "First they tried to make theoretical arguments against the DPRK. But they couldn’t defend their beliefs to me. After that, they tried to bribe me with property. After that, there was torture."<ref name=":5" />

	=== Torture ===		=== Torture ===

Verda.Majo: correction of image caption (removed the word "2nd" as the sign doesn't actually say "2nd", though its mentioned in the sourced article)

2024-03-21T17:15:55Z

correction of image caption (removed the word "2nd" as the sign doesn't actually say "2nd", though its mentioned in the sourced article)

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:15, 21 March 2024
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	[[File:Unconverted long-term prisoners in south Korea.jpg\|thumb\|A demonstration calling for a second repatriation of unconverted long-term prisoners in south Korea. The sign reads "Call for ~~second~~ repatriation of non-converted long-term prisoners" ("비전향장기수 2차 송환 촉구").<ref>장동욱 (Jang Dong-wook). [http://www.saramilbo.com/5940 “비전향장기수 2차 송환 촉구.”] ("Call for second repatriation of non-converted long-term prisoners.") 사람일보. (Saram Ilbo.) 2006-09-02. [https://web.archive.org/web/20240311145007/http://www.saramilbo.com/5940 Archived] 2024-03-11.</ref>]]		[[File:Unconverted long-term prisoners in south Korea.jpg\|thumb\|A demonstration calling for a second repatriation of unconverted long-term prisoners in south Korea. The sign reads "Call for repatriation of non-converted long-term prisoners" ("비전향장기수 송환 촉구").<ref>장동욱 (Jang Dong-wook). [http://www.saramilbo.com/5940 “비전향장기수 2차 송환 촉구.”] ("Call for second repatriation of non-converted long-term prisoners.") 사람일보. (Saram Ilbo.) 2006-09-02. [https://web.archive.org/web/20240311145007/http://www.saramilbo.com/5940 Archived] 2024-03-11.</ref>]]
	'''Unconverted long-term prisoners''' is a term which refers to [[Political prisoner\|political prisoners]] imprisoned in [[Republic of Korea\|south Korea]], generally on charges of "anti-state" activities or views in support of [[communism]] or [[Democratic People's Republic of Korea\|DPRK]].<ref name=":1">[https://www.amnesty.org/es/documents/asa25/033/1993/en/ “South Korea: Unfair Trial and Torture: Long-Term Political Prisoners.”] [[Amnesty International]], September 30, 1993.</ref><ref name=":6">"National reunification prizes awarded to unconverted long-term prisoners", [[Korean Central News Agency]], 2000-09-04. [https://web.archive.org/web/20191124030603/http://www.kcna.co.jp/item/2000/200009/news09/04.htm Archived] 2019-11-19.</ref> The term commonly refers to people who were mostly arrested from the 1950s to 1980s and imprisoned and tortured for decades and who refused to sign a "conversion" statement renouncing communist or [[Left–right political spectrum\|left-wing]] ideology, which had been a condition for their release.<ref>Amnesty International, [https://www.refworld.org/reference/annualreport/amnesty/1999/en/24250 Amnesty International Report 1999 - Korea, -, 1 January 1999]. [https://web.archive.org/web/20240311065515/https://www.refworld.org/reference/annualreport/amnesty/1999/en/24250 Archived] 2024-03-11.</ref> In the 1990s, some of the prisoners began being released. Some chose to remain in south Korea while others sought to be repatriated to DPRK.<ref name=":0">Kim Dong-won. ''Repatriation'' (2003). Documentary. URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xu2mEvU29Q</ref>		'''Unconverted long-term prisoners''' is a term which refers to [[Political prisoner\|political prisoners]] imprisoned in [[Republic of Korea\|south Korea]], generally on charges of "anti-state" activities or views in support of [[communism]] or [[Democratic People's Republic of Korea\|DPRK]].<ref name=":1">[https://www.amnesty.org/es/documents/asa25/033/1993/en/ “South Korea: Unfair Trial and Torture: Long-Term Political Prisoners.”] [[Amnesty International]], September 30, 1993.</ref><ref name=":6">"National reunification prizes awarded to unconverted long-term prisoners", [[Korean Central News Agency]], 2000-09-04. [https://web.archive.org/web/20191124030603/http://www.kcna.co.jp/item/2000/200009/news09/04.htm Archived] 2019-11-19.</ref> The term commonly refers to people who were mostly arrested from the 1950s to 1980s and imprisoned and tortured for decades and who refused to sign a "conversion" statement renouncing communist or [[Left–right political spectrum\|left-wing]] ideology, which had been a condition for their release.<ref>Amnesty International, [https://www.refworld.org/reference/annualreport/amnesty/1999/en/24250 Amnesty International Report 1999 - Korea, -, 1 January 1999]. [https://web.archive.org/web/20240311065515/https://www.refworld.org/reference/annualreport/amnesty/1999/en/24250 Archived] 2024-03-11.</ref> In the 1990s, some of the prisoners began being released. Some chose to remain in south Korea while others sought to be repatriated to DPRK.<ref name=":0">Kim Dong-won. ''Repatriation'' (2003). Documentary. URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xu2mEvU29Q</ref>

Verda.Majo: Added information from the memoir of Ri In Mo, added a "Media" section

2024-03-21T05:11:10Z

Added information from the memoir of Ri In Mo, added a "Media" section

← Older revision		Revision as of 05:11, 21 March 2024
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	Among those who did sign the "conversion" statement as a condition of release, there are accounts such as that of [[Park Hee-sung]], who said that his so-called "conversion" was the result of physical torture, and that he meant none of it,<ref name=":4" /> or the case of [[Kim Young-sik]], who commented on his own experience with torture in the 2003 documentary [[Repatriation (film)\|''Repatriation'']], "torturing you and forcing you to renounce your belief, can you really call that conversion?"<ref name=":0" /> Kim Young-sik was also quoted in a 2018 article saying of this forced conversion via torture, "I'm still very angry [...] How could they torture me to force me to give up an ideology that I believe is correct?"<ref name=":7">Kim, Hyung-jin. [https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/southern-exposure-the-north-koreans-longing-to-be-sent-home-20180523-p4zh0h.html “Southern Exposure: The North Koreans Longing to Be Sent Home.”] The Sydney Morning Herald. May 24, 2018. [https://web.archive.org/web/20240311103437/https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/southern-exposure-the-north-koreans-longing-to-be-sent-home-20180523-p4zh0h.html Archived] 2024-03-11. </ref>		Among those who did sign the "conversion" statement as a condition of release, there are accounts such as that of [[Park Hee-sung]], who said that his so-called "conversion" was the result of physical torture, and that he meant none of it,<ref name=":4" /> or the case of [[Kim Young-sik]], who commented on his own experience with torture in the 2003 documentary [[Repatriation (film)\|''Repatriation'']], "torturing you and forcing you to renounce your belief, can you really call that conversion?"<ref name=":0" /> Kim Young-sik was also quoted in a 2018 article saying of this forced conversion via torture, "I'm still very angry [...] How could they torture me to force me to give up an ideology that I believe is correct?"<ref name=":7">Kim, Hyung-jin. [https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/southern-exposure-the-north-koreans-longing-to-be-sent-home-20180523-p4zh0h.html “Southern Exposure: The North Koreans Longing to Be Sent Home.”] The Sydney Morning Herald. May 24, 2018. [https://web.archive.org/web/20240311103437/https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/southern-exposure-the-north-koreans-longing-to-be-sent-home-20180523-p4zh0h.html Archived] 2024-03-11. </ref>

	Former prisoner [[Anh Hak-sop]] recounted similar methods of pressure to renounce his beliefs, including bribery and torture, in an interview with [[Liberation School]]: "First they tried to make theoretical arguments against the DPRK. But they couldn’t defend their beliefs to me. After that, they tried to bribe me with property. After that, there was torture."<ref name=":5" />		Former prisoner [[Anh Hak-sop]] recounted similar methods of pressure to try to get him to renounce his beliefs, including bribery and torture, in an interview with [[Liberation School]]: "First they tried to make theoretical arguments against the DPRK. But they couldn’t defend their beliefs to me. After that, they tried to bribe me with property. After that, there was torture."<ref name=":5" />

	=== Torture ===		=== Torture ===
	The methods of torture recounted by various victims include waterboarding,<ref name=":7" /> being forced to eat off the floor with hands cuffed behind their backs,<ref name=":7" /> being spun while hanging from the ceiling,<ref name=":7" /> beatings,<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":9">Kristof, Nicholas D. [https://www.nytimes.com/1995/08/20/world/free-in-seoul-after-44-years-and-still-defiant.html?pagewanted=all "Free in Seoul after 44 Years, and Still Defiant."] [[The New York Times]]. Aug. 20, 1995. [https://web.archive.org/web/20240311152015/https://www.nytimes.com/1995/08/20/world/free-in-seoul-after-44-years-and-still-defiant.html?pagewanted=all Archived] 2024-03-11.</ref> prolonged solitary confinement,<ref name=":2" /> water being thrown in the room in winter,<ref name=":5" /> clothing and bedding being taken away,<ref name=":5" /> starvation,<ref name=":9" /> prisoners being "expected to wash themselves with their own urine",<ref name=":9" /> and denial of medical and dental care.<ref name=":1" /> The 1993 Amnesty International document noted that the long-term prisoners were often kept in poor conditions and that some were suffering ill health due to their long term imprisonment and a reported lack of adequate medical care. The document also mentions that those who refused to sign the conversion statement generally suffered even worse treatment than the other prisoners.<ref name=":1" /> An article from 1999 by the BBC states that "Life inside was almost entirely spent in dark and cold cells and medical attention was scarce. Torture sometimes took the form of being locked up with a particularly sadistic prisoner."<ref name=":2" />		The methods of torture recounted by various victims include waterboarding,<ref name=":7" /> being forced to eat off the floor with hands cuffed behind their backs,<ref name=":7" /> being spun while hanging from the ceiling,<ref name=":7" /> beatings,<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":9">Kristof, Nicholas D. [https://www.nytimes.com/1995/08/20/world/free-in-seoul-after-44-years-and-still-defiant.html?pagewanted=all "Free in Seoul after 44 Years, and Still Defiant."] [[The New York Times]]. Aug. 20, 1995. [https://web.archive.org/web/20240311152015/https://www.nytimes.com/1995/08/20/world/free-in-seoul-after-44-years-and-still-defiant.html?pagewanted=all Archived] 2024-03-11.</ref> prolonged solitary confinement,<ref name=":2" /> water being thrown in the room in winter,<ref name=":5" /> being doused with cold water in winter while being beaten,<ref name=":13">Ri In Mo. [https://archive.org/details/my-life-and-faith-eng/page/n2/mode/1up "My Life and Faith."] Foreign Languages Publishing House, Pyongyang, Korea. 1997.</ref> convicts being beaten until unable to walk properly and then "made to crawl back to their prison cells, beaten with clubs and kicked on the way",<ref name=":13" /> being force-fed salt water through a hose forced into their throat,<ref name=":13" /> clothing and bedding being taken away,<ref name=":5" /> starvation,<ref name=":9" /> prisoners being "expected to wash themselves with their own urine",<ref name=":9" /> confiscation of medications (resulting in death in some cases),<ref name=":13" /> and denial of medical and dental care.<ref name=":1" /> The 1993 Amnesty International document noted that the long-term prisoners were often kept in poor conditions and that some were suffering ill health due to their long term imprisonment and a reported lack of adequate medical care. The document also mentions that those who refused to sign the conversion statement generally suffered even worse treatment than the other prisoners.<ref name=":1" /> An article from 1999 by the BBC states that "Life inside was almost entirely spent in dark and cold cells and medical attention was scarce. Torture sometimes took the form of being locked up with a particularly sadistic prisoner."<ref name=":2" />

			In the memoirs of former prisoner [[Ri In Mo]], the author writes that some prisoners committed suicide. He writes about a prisoner whose medications were confiscated, being told that he would get his medications back if he converted. The prisoner went on multiple hunger strikes, then hanged himself with a torn strip of blanket, having said he would rather kill himself than die of disease.<ref name=":13" />

	According to a 1995 [[Prison Legal News]] article, unconverted prisoner [[Kim Sun Myung]], who had been in captivity for over 43 years, had been beaten, starved, threatened with execution, watched his fellow prisoners die, was kept in solitary confinement for decades, and was denied medical care by prison doctors as he went blind from cataracts. Commenting with regard to the torture upon his release, Kim said: "They say that when you hammer steel, it only gets harder. Well, when you hit people, you just turn them into enemies, and they become stronger."<ref name=":8" />		According to a 1995 [[Prison Legal News]] article, unconverted prisoner [[Kim Sun Myung]], who had been in captivity for over 43 years, had been beaten, starved, threatened with execution, watched his fellow prisoners die, was kept in solitary confinement for decades, and was denied medical care by prison doctors as he went blind from cataracts. Commenting with regard to the torture upon his release, Kim said: "They say that when you hammer steel, it only gets harder. Well, when you hit people, you just turn them into enemies, and they become stronger."<ref name=":8" />
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	A column in Hankyoreh describes the surveillance program which Kang had been subjected to in the following manner:<blockquote>Being subject to security surveillance means that you must report your every move, every three months. If you move to a new house, you have to report that, and if the police suddenly call you in the middle of the night, you have to pick up the phone. If you want to travel, you have to provide advance notice of the destination and length of your trip and your travel companions. The police can ban you not only from meeting or contacting other people but also from attending public gatherings and demonstrations. Not only your family and relatives but even your [[landlord]], coworkers, church parishioners and apartment security staff can be asked to provide information about you or may be subject to surveillance themselves. Even though you have already finished your prison sentence, your life as a convict continues for the rest of your life.<ref name=":12">Lee Myung-soo. [https://www.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/792186.html <nowiki>“[Column] Kang Yong-Ju Must Not Be Treated like a Convict for the Rest of His Life.”</nowiki>] Hankyoreh, 2017-04-25. [https://web.archive.org/web/20240316183604/https://www.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/792186.html Archived] 2024-03-16.</ref></blockquote>The column also notes that security surveillance must be renewed every two years, but if the Justice Minister believes that there is a risk of recidivism, "the state can continue to monitor an individual’s private life until the day they die."<ref name=":12" />		A column in Hankyoreh describes the surveillance program which Kang had been subjected to in the following manner:<blockquote>Being subject to security surveillance means that you must report your every move, every three months. If you move to a new house, you have to report that, and if the police suddenly call you in the middle of the night, you have to pick up the phone. If you want to travel, you have to provide advance notice of the destination and length of your trip and your travel companions. The police can ban you not only from meeting or contacting other people but also from attending public gatherings and demonstrations. Not only your family and relatives but even your [[landlord]], coworkers, church parishioners and apartment security staff can be asked to provide information about you or may be subject to surveillance themselves. Even though you have already finished your prison sentence, your life as a convict continues for the rest of your life.<ref name=":12">Lee Myung-soo. [https://www.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/792186.html <nowiki>“[Column] Kang Yong-Ju Must Not Be Treated like a Convict for the Rest of His Life.”</nowiki>] Hankyoreh, 2017-04-25. [https://web.archive.org/web/20240316183604/https://www.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/792186.html Archived] 2024-03-16.</ref></blockquote>The column also notes that security surveillance must be renewed every two years, but if the Justice Minister believes that there is a risk of recidivism, "the state can continue to monitor an individual’s private life until the day they die."<ref name=":12" />

			== Media ==
			Former prisoner Ri In Mo, who was repatriated to DPRK in 1993, wrote a memoir titled ''My Life and Faith'' (Korean title: 신념과 나의 한생) in which he recounted his life story. The book includes his youth during the anti-Japanese national liberation struggle as well as his 34 years of imprisonment in south Korea.<ref name=":13" />

			A documentary about the unconverted long-term prisoners called ''Repatriation'' (Korean title: 송환) was released in 2003 by south Korean director Kim Dong Won. After several of the unconverted long-term prisoners had moved to his neighborhood after their release, the director developed a close relationship with them and began a film project that "spanned 12 years and 800 hours of videotaping".<ref>[https://asiasociety.org/kim-dong-wons-film-north-korean-prisoners-held-south-korea “Kim Dong Won’s Film on North Korean Prisoners Held in South Korea.”] Asia Society. [https://web.archive.org/web/20220725151533/https://asiasociety.org/kim-dong-wons-film-north-korean-prisoners-held-south-korea Archived] 2022-07-25.</ref> Another film by the same director, titled ''The 2nd Repatriation'' (Korean title: 2차 송환),<ref>[https://indieground.kr/indie/movieLibraryView.do?seq=4374&type=D "2차 송환."] 독립영화 라이브러리, Indieground. [https://web.archive.org/web/20240321041311/https://indieground.kr/indie/movieLibraryView.do?seq=4374&type=D Archived] 2023-03-021.</ref> was released in 2022 and follows the lives of the former prisoners, such as Kim Young-sik, who remained in south Korea but who have been urging for a second repatriation.<ref>[https://eng.jeonjufest.kr/db/movieView.asp?idx=4781&sEP_NUM=23 "The 2nd Repatriation."]전주국제영화제. The 23rd JEONJU International Film Festival. [https://web.archive.org/web/20220924153321/https://eng.jeonjufest.kr/db/movieView.asp?idx=4781&sEP_NUM=23 Archived] 2022-09-24.</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nq-z7JGcWUQ "【第十三屆台灣國際紀錄片影展】當代風景｜第二次遣返 The 2nd Repatriation."] YouTube.</ref>

	== See also ==		== See also ==

Verda.Majo: created page links for some of the prisoners' names to make the pages in the future

2024-03-16T19:28:18Z

created page links for some of the prisoners' names to make the pages in the future

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:28, 16 March 2024
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	Until 1998, the prisoners were pressured to sign statements of "conversion" renouncing communist ideology as a condition of being released. Many prisoners refused to sign, later becoming referred to as "unconverted" prisoners.<ref name=":0" /> The requirement to sign a conversion statement was substituted in 1998 with a "Pledge to Obey the Law" which was eventually discontinued in 2003.<ref name=":3" />		Until 1998, the prisoners were pressured to sign statements of "conversion" renouncing communist ideology as a condition of being released. Many prisoners refused to sign, later becoming referred to as "unconverted" prisoners.<ref name=":0" /> The requirement to sign a conversion statement was substituted in 1998 with a "Pledge to Obey the Law" which was eventually discontinued in 2003.<ref name=":3" />

	Among those who did sign the "conversion" statement as a condition of release, there are accounts such as that of Park Hee-sung, who said that his so-called "conversion" was the result of physical torture, and that he meant none of it,<ref name=":4" /> or the case of Kim Young-sik, who commented on his own experience with torture in the 2003 documentary [[Repatriation (film)\|''Repatriation'']], "torturing you and forcing you to renounce your belief, can you really call that conversion?"<ref name=":0" /> Kim Young-sik was also quoted in a 2018 article saying of this forced conversion via torture, "I'm still very angry [...] How could they torture me to force me to give up an ideology that I believe is correct?"<ref name=":7">Kim, Hyung-jin. [https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/southern-exposure-the-north-koreans-longing-to-be-sent-home-20180523-p4zh0h.html “Southern Exposure: The North Koreans Longing to Be Sent Home.”] The Sydney Morning Herald. May 24, 2018. [https://web.archive.org/web/20240311103437/https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/southern-exposure-the-north-koreans-longing-to-be-sent-home-20180523-p4zh0h.html Archived] 2024-03-11. </ref>		Among those who did sign the "conversion" statement as a condition of release, there are accounts such as that of [[Park Hee-sung]], who said that his so-called "conversion" was the result of physical torture, and that he meant none of it,<ref name=":4" /> or the case of [[Kim Young-sik]], who commented on his own experience with torture in the 2003 documentary [[Repatriation (film)\|''Repatriation'']], "torturing you and forcing you to renounce your belief, can you really call that conversion?"<ref name=":0" /> Kim Young-sik was also quoted in a 2018 article saying of this forced conversion via torture, "I'm still very angry [...] How could they torture me to force me to give up an ideology that I believe is correct?"<ref name=":7">Kim, Hyung-jin. [https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/southern-exposure-the-north-koreans-longing-to-be-sent-home-20180523-p4zh0h.html “Southern Exposure: The North Koreans Longing to Be Sent Home.”] The Sydney Morning Herald. May 24, 2018. [https://web.archive.org/web/20240311103437/https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/southern-exposure-the-north-koreans-longing-to-be-sent-home-20180523-p4zh0h.html Archived] 2024-03-11. </ref>

	Former prisoner Anh Hak-sop recounted similar methods of pressure to renounce his beliefs, including bribery and torture, in an interview with [[Liberation School]]: "First they tried to make theoretical arguments against the DPRK. But they couldn’t defend their beliefs to me. After that, they tried to bribe me with property. After that, there was torture."<ref name=":5" />		Former prisoner [[Anh Hak-sop]] recounted similar methods of pressure to renounce his beliefs, including bribery and torture, in an interview with [[Liberation School]]: "First they tried to make theoretical arguments against the DPRK. But they couldn’t defend their beliefs to me. After that, they tried to bribe me with property. After that, there was torture."<ref name=":5" />

	=== Torture ===		=== Torture ===
	The methods of torture recounted by various victims include waterboarding,<ref name=":7" /> being forced to eat off the floor with hands cuffed behind their backs,<ref name=":7" /> being spun while hanging from the ceiling,<ref name=":7" /> beatings,<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":9">Kristof, Nicholas D. [https://www.nytimes.com/1995/08/20/world/free-in-seoul-after-44-years-and-still-defiant.html?pagewanted=all "Free in Seoul after 44 Years, and Still Defiant."] [[The New York Times]]. Aug. 20, 1995. [https://web.archive.org/web/20240311152015/https://www.nytimes.com/1995/08/20/world/free-in-seoul-after-44-years-and-still-defiant.html?pagewanted=all Archived] 2024-03-11.</ref> prolonged solitary confinement,<ref name=":2" /> water being thrown in the room in winter,<ref name=":5" /> clothing and bedding being taken away,<ref name=":5" /> starvation,<ref name=":9" /> prisoners being "expected to wash themselves with their own urine",<ref name=":9" /> and denial of medical and dental care.<ref name=":1" /> The 1993 Amnesty International document noted that the long-term prisoners were often kept in poor conditions and that some were suffering ill health due to their long term imprisonment and a reported lack of adequate medical care. The document also mentions that those who refused to sign the conversion statement generally suffered even worse treatment than the other prisoners.<ref name=":1" /> An article from 1999 by the BBC states that "Life inside was almost entirely spent in dark and cold cells and medical attention was scarce. Torture sometimes took the form of being locked up with a particularly sadistic prisoner."<ref name=":2" />		The methods of torture recounted by various victims include waterboarding,<ref name=":7" /> being forced to eat off the floor with hands cuffed behind their backs,<ref name=":7" /> being spun while hanging from the ceiling,<ref name=":7" /> beatings,<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":9">Kristof, Nicholas D. [https://www.nytimes.com/1995/08/20/world/free-in-seoul-after-44-years-and-still-defiant.html?pagewanted=all "Free in Seoul after 44 Years, and Still Defiant."] [[The New York Times]]. Aug. 20, 1995. [https://web.archive.org/web/20240311152015/https://www.nytimes.com/1995/08/20/world/free-in-seoul-after-44-years-and-still-defiant.html?pagewanted=all Archived] 2024-03-11.</ref> prolonged solitary confinement,<ref name=":2" /> water being thrown in the room in winter,<ref name=":5" /> clothing and bedding being taken away,<ref name=":5" /> starvation,<ref name=":9" /> prisoners being "expected to wash themselves with their own urine",<ref name=":9" /> and denial of medical and dental care.<ref name=":1" /> The 1993 Amnesty International document noted that the long-term prisoners were often kept in poor conditions and that some were suffering ill health due to their long term imprisonment and a reported lack of adequate medical care. The document also mentions that those who refused to sign the conversion statement generally suffered even worse treatment than the other prisoners.<ref name=":1" /> An article from 1999 by the BBC states that "Life inside was almost entirely spent in dark and cold cells and medical attention was scarce. Torture sometimes took the form of being locked up with a particularly sadistic prisoner."<ref name=":2" />

	According to a 1995 [[Prison Legal News]] article, unconverted prisoner Kim Sun Myung, who had been in captivity for over 43 years, had been beaten, starved, threatened with execution, watched his fellow prisoners die, was kept in solitary confinement for decades, and was denied medical care by prison doctors as he went blind from cataracts. Commenting with regard to the torture upon his release, Kim said: "They say that when you hammer steel, it only gets harder. Well, when you hit people, you just turn them into enemies, and they become stronger."<ref name=":8" />		According to a 1995 [[Prison Legal News]] article, unconverted prisoner [[Kim Sun Myung]], who had been in captivity for over 43 years, had been beaten, starved, threatened with execution, watched his fellow prisoners die, was kept in solitary confinement for decades, and was denied medical care by prison doctors as he went blind from cataracts. Commenting with regard to the torture upon his release, Kim said: "They say that when you hammer steel, it only gets harder. Well, when you hit people, you just turn them into enemies, and they become stronger."<ref name=":8" />

	== Repatriation movement ==		== Repatriation movement ==
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	The unconverted long-term prisoners who were released have faced various difficulties while living in south Korea, ranging from ongoing health issues from their imprisonment, to not being given social security numbers, living in poverty, and being subjected to state surveillance. In some cases, their families have also suffered persecution during and after their relative's imprisonment.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":7" /><ref name=":9" />		The unconverted long-term prisoners who were released have faced various difficulties while living in south Korea, ranging from ongoing health issues from their imprisonment, to not being given social security numbers, living in poverty, and being subjected to state surveillance. In some cases, their families have also suffered persecution during and after their relative's imprisonment.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":7" /><ref name=":9" />

	Giving examples of the forms of persecution and surveillance he faced, former prisoner [[Anh Hak-sop]] explained, "[T]here are security police who follow me. Whenever there is a problem with the North and South, they raid my house and stand guard outside my property. One time at a demonstration, [[Conservatism\|conservative]] forces attacked me. The police did nothing to protect me. Every week or every other week, the police come to my house and ask about my activities, who has visited my house, and so on. Once every other month I need to report to them about what I did, who I met, and who visited me. Every two years I need to go to court."<ref name=":5" />		Giving examples of the forms of persecution and surveillance he faced, former prisoner Anh Hak-sop explained, "[T]here are security police who follow me. Whenever there is a problem with the North and South, they raid my house and stand guard outside my property. One time at a demonstration, [[Conservatism\|conservative]] forces attacked me. The police did nothing to protect me. Every week or every other week, the police come to my house and ask about my activities, who has visited my house, and so on. Once every other month I need to report to them about what I did, who I met, and who visited me. Every two years I need to go to court."<ref name=":5" />

	[[Kang Yong-ju]], a citizen activist who had been involved in the 1980 [[May 18 uprising\|Gwangju Uprising]] as a student, is an unconverted long-term prisoner who was arrested in 1985, on charges of connection to a "spy ring" which have been regarded as unfounded<ref>[https://www.refworld.org/reference/countryrep/amnesty/1998/en/93950 "Long-Term Prisoners Still Held under the National Security Law."] Amnesty International. May 1, 1998. [https://web.archive.org/web/20240316184146/https://www.refworld.org/reference/countryrep/amnesty/1998/en/93950 Archived] 2023-03-16.</ref> and alleged to have been fabricated by the [[Chun Doo-hwan]] regime.<ref name=":11">Bak Gwang-yeon. [https://english.khan.co.kr/khan_art_view.html?artid=201802222015297&code=710100 "Kang Yong-ju, Free from the Shackles of 'Security Surveillance'."] [[The Kyunghyang Shinmun]], 2018-02-22. [https://web.archive.org/web/20240316182453/https://english.khan.co.kr/khan_art_view.html?artid=201802222015297&code=710100 Archived] 2024-03-16.</ref> He refused to sign a statement renouncing his views, and was thus imprisoned by the south Korean regime for 14 years, being released in 1999.<ref>Kim Min-kyung. [https://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/824966.html “Prosecutors Request Prison Time for Unconverted Political Prisoner.”] Hankyoreh, 2017-12-25. [https://web.archive.org/web/20240316183657/https://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/824966.html Archived] 2024-03-16.</ref> In the years following his release, Kang was subjected to the Security Surveillance Act until a court decision in 2018 finally prohibited the extension of further surveillance on Kang.<ref name=":11" />		[[Kang Yong-ju]], a citizen activist who had been involved in the 1980 [[May 18 uprising\|Gwangju Uprising]] as a student, is an unconverted long-term prisoner who was arrested in 1985, on charges of connection to a "spy ring" which have been regarded as unfounded<ref>[https://www.refworld.org/reference/countryrep/amnesty/1998/en/93950 "Long-Term Prisoners Still Held under the National Security Law."] Amnesty International. May 1, 1998. [https://web.archive.org/web/20240316184146/https://www.refworld.org/reference/countryrep/amnesty/1998/en/93950 Archived] 2023-03-16.</ref> and alleged to have been fabricated by the [[Chun Doo-hwan]] regime.<ref name=":11">Bak Gwang-yeon. [https://english.khan.co.kr/khan_art_view.html?artid=201802222015297&code=710100 "Kang Yong-ju, Free from the Shackles of 'Security Surveillance'."] [[The Kyunghyang Shinmun]], 2018-02-22. [https://web.archive.org/web/20240316182453/https://english.khan.co.kr/khan_art_view.html?artid=201802222015297&code=710100 Archived] 2024-03-16.</ref> He refused to sign a statement renouncing his views, and was thus imprisoned by the south Korean regime for 14 years, being released in 1999.<ref>Kim Min-kyung. [https://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/824966.html “Prosecutors Request Prison Time for Unconverted Political Prisoner.”] Hankyoreh, 2017-12-25. [https://web.archive.org/web/20240316183657/https://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/824966.html Archived] 2024-03-16.</ref> In the years following his release, Kang was subjected to the Security Surveillance Act until a court decision in 2018 finally prohibited the extension of further surveillance on Kang.<ref name=":11" />

Verda.Majo: /* Persecution and surveillance */ changed wording slightly to be less specific about the exact amount of years, as the articles say 18 years but by 2018 it would have been 19 years. As I'm unsure when the exact end of the surveillance was, I took the specific figure out.

2024-03-16T19:15:53Z

Persecution and surveillance: changed wording slightly to be less specific about the exact amount of years, as the articles say 18 years but by 2018 it would have been 19 years. As I'm unsure when the exact end of the surveillance was, I took the specific figure out.

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:15, 16 March 2024
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	Giving examples of the forms of persecution and surveillance he faced, former prisoner [[Anh Hak-sop]] explained, "[T]here are security police who follow me. Whenever there is a problem with the North and South, they raid my house and stand guard outside my property. One time at a demonstration, [[Conservatism\|conservative]] forces attacked me. The police did nothing to protect me. Every week or every other week, the police come to my house and ask about my activities, who has visited my house, and so on. Once every other month I need to report to them about what I did, who I met, and who visited me. Every two years I need to go to court."<ref name=":5" />		Giving examples of the forms of persecution and surveillance he faced, former prisoner [[Anh Hak-sop]] explained, "[T]here are security police who follow me. Whenever there is a problem with the North and South, they raid my house and stand guard outside my property. One time at a demonstration, [[Conservatism\|conservative]] forces attacked me. The police did nothing to protect me. Every week or every other week, the police come to my house and ask about my activities, who has visited my house, and so on. Once every other month I need to report to them about what I did, who I met, and who visited me. Every two years I need to go to court."<ref name=":5" />

	[[Kang Yong-ju]], a citizen activist who had been involved in the 1980 [[May 18 uprising\|Gwangju Uprising]] as a student, is an unconverted long-term prisoner who was arrested in 1985, on charges of connection to a "spy ring" which have been regarded as unfounded<ref>[https://www.refworld.org/reference/countryrep/amnesty/1998/en/93950 "Long-Term Prisoners Still Held under the National Security Law."] Amnesty International. May 1, 1998. [https://web.archive.org/web/20240316184146/https://www.refworld.org/reference/countryrep/amnesty/1998/en/93950 Archived] 2023-03-16.</ref> and alleged to have been fabricated by the [[Chun Doo-hwan]] regime.<ref name=":11">Bak Gwang-yeon. [https://english.khan.co.kr/khan_art_view.html?artid=201802222015297&code=710100 "Kang Yong-ju, Free from the Shackles of 'Security Surveillance'."] [[The Kyunghyang Shinmun]], 2018-02-22. [https://web.archive.org/web/20240316182453/https://english.khan.co.kr/khan_art_view.html?artid=201802222015297&code=710100 Archived] 2024-03-16.</ref> He refused to sign a statement renouncing his views, and was thus imprisoned by the south Korean regime for 14 years, being released in 1999.<ref>Kim Min-kyung. [https://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/824966.html “Prosecutors Request Prison Time for Unconverted Political Prisoner.”] Hankyoreh, 2017-12-25. [https://web.archive.org/web/20240316183657/https://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/824966.html Archived] 2024-03-16.</ref> ~~For 18~~ years following his release, Kang was subjected to the Security Surveillance Act until a court decision in 2018 finally prohibited the extension of further surveillance on Kang.<ref name=":11" />		[[Kang Yong-ju]], a citizen activist who had been involved in the 1980 [[May 18 uprising\|Gwangju Uprising]] as a student, is an unconverted long-term prisoner who was arrested in 1985, on charges of connection to a "spy ring" which have been regarded as unfounded<ref>[https://www.refworld.org/reference/countryrep/amnesty/1998/en/93950 "Long-Term Prisoners Still Held under the National Security Law."] Amnesty International. May 1, 1998. [https://web.archive.org/web/20240316184146/https://www.refworld.org/reference/countryrep/amnesty/1998/en/93950 Archived] 2023-03-16.</ref> and alleged to have been fabricated by the [[Chun Doo-hwan]] regime.<ref name=":11">Bak Gwang-yeon. [https://english.khan.co.kr/khan_art_view.html?artid=201802222015297&code=710100 "Kang Yong-ju, Free from the Shackles of 'Security Surveillance'."] [[The Kyunghyang Shinmun]], 2018-02-22. [https://web.archive.org/web/20240316182453/https://english.khan.co.kr/khan_art_view.html?artid=201802222015297&code=710100 Archived] 2024-03-16.</ref> He refused to sign a statement renouncing his views, and was thus imprisoned by the south Korean regime for 14 years, being released in 1999.<ref>Kim Min-kyung. [https://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/824966.html “Prosecutors Request Prison Time for Unconverted Political Prisoner.”] Hankyoreh, 2017-12-25. [https://web.archive.org/web/20240316183657/https://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/824966.html Archived] 2024-03-16.</ref> In the years following his release, Kang was subjected to the Security Surveillance Act until a court decision in 2018 finally prohibited the extension of further surveillance on Kang.<ref name=":11" />

	A column in Hankyoreh describes the surveillance program which Kang had been subjected to in the following manner:<blockquote>Being subject to security surveillance means that you must report your every move, every three months. If you move to a new house, you have to report that, and if the police suddenly call you in the middle of the night, you have to pick up the phone. If you want to travel, you have to provide advance notice of the destination and length of your trip and your travel companions. The police can ban you not only from meeting or contacting other people but also from attending public gatherings and demonstrations. Not only your family and relatives but even your [[landlord]], coworkers, church parishioners and apartment security staff can be asked to provide information about you or may be subject to surveillance themselves. Even though you have already finished your prison sentence, your life as a convict continues for the rest of your life.<ref name=":12">Lee Myung-soo. [https://www.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/792186.html <nowiki>“[Column] Kang Yong-Ju Must Not Be Treated like a Convict for the Rest of His Life.”</nowiki>] Hankyoreh, 2017-04-25. [https://web.archive.org/web/20240316183604/https://www.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/792186.html Archived] 2024-03-16.</ref></blockquote>The column also notes that security surveillance must be renewed every two years, but if the Justice Minister believes that there is a risk of recidivism, "the state can continue to monitor an individual’s private life until the day they die."<ref name=":12" />		A column in Hankyoreh describes the surveillance program which Kang had been subjected to in the following manner:<blockquote>Being subject to security surveillance means that you must report your every move, every three months. If you move to a new house, you have to report that, and if the police suddenly call you in the middle of the night, you have to pick up the phone. If you want to travel, you have to provide advance notice of the destination and length of your trip and your travel companions. The police can ban you not only from meeting or contacting other people but also from attending public gatherings and demonstrations. Not only your family and relatives but even your [[landlord]], coworkers, church parishioners and apartment security staff can be asked to provide information about you or may be subject to surveillance themselves. Even though you have already finished your prison sentence, your life as a convict continues for the rest of your life.<ref name=":12">Lee Myung-soo. [https://www.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/792186.html <nowiki>“[Column] Kang Yong-Ju Must Not Be Treated like a Convict for the Rest of His Life.”</nowiki>] Hankyoreh, 2017-04-25. [https://web.archive.org/web/20240316183604/https://www.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/792186.html Archived] 2024-03-16.</ref></blockquote>The column also notes that security surveillance must be renewed every two years, but if the Justice Minister believes that there is a risk of recidivism, "the state can continue to monitor an individual’s private life until the day they die."<ref name=":12" />