Norbert Vollertsen forwards a link to a blog called “Free Robert Park,” which makes the following claim:
Robert Park, as a result of suffering torture in the DPRK “North Korea” is currently being held against his will at Community hospital of Long Beach in California, United States.
He was drugged and taken by force into the mental hospital and has been classified Gravely Disabled, “unable to provide for your own food, clothing, and shelter. He has been there since Feb 27, 2010.
Read the rest here.
A previous February 26th entry claimed to be a message from Park himself and stated, “I have been tormented and I apologize for my insane behaviour lately.” It also referred to “temptations to kill myself.” If so, I’m glad Park is somewhere that can watch over him and stop him from doing that. No one wants the experience of Evan Hunziker to be repeated.
Assuming this is true — I can’t vouch for this blog, and the latest entry even says “reader beware” — the question that follows is whether Park’s experiences in North Korea drove him to his current condition or whether his condition drove him to cross into North Korea. I incline more toward the latter view, though I don’t doubt that Park’s experiences in North Korea exacerbated matters greatly.
Either way, this is not a reason to pour scorn on Park; it’s a reason to offer him compassion and prayers for his recovery. I don’t agree with what Park did, but I’ve never believed that Park was fully mentally responsible for his acts on Christmas Day, either. I hope he can survive this and recover. There is much good he can still do.
The envelope please.
Seems like I was right all along suggesting Mr. Park is and has been a deluded and vain individual. He may have had a big heart intentionwise, but it becomes very clear now, that he has never thought this through at all.
And to add insult to injury, he has now been forcibly taken to a MENTAL hospital, which confirms even more he is just another nutcase.
I wouldn’t be suprised if we’ll be hearing from him sometime in 2011 again. No, make that 2012.
He may be a nutcase, but he still could be a genuine “useful idiot” for awareness purposes. I doubt many in the free world will have a warmer opinion of the evil empire after hearing how it’s driven this man to the brink of suicide…
Park was supposed to hold a press conference in New York City on Friday, February 26th, but at the last minute cancelled for unknown reason(s). So the dates at least line up here. I forwarded this Long Beach blog item to Park family for authentication, but so far have not heard back.
Either way, this is not a reason to pour scorn on Park; it’s a reason to offer him compassion and prayers for his recovery.
Thank you for that Joshua.
I feel no scorn for him, and even called his actions a cry for help. Who I have scorn for is the people who egg on disturbed people such as Robert Park, encouraging them to put themselves in harm’s way.
Of course not.
You just post unsubstantiated speculations so that Ernst, Kushibo, et al can cash in with gratuitous judgments of the man.
KCJ wrote:
I’d say they were pretty substantiated speculations, KCJ.
And my gratuitous judgements of him were anything but. And just in case you’re not clear, the scorn I mentioned in the comment just before, is not directed at him at all.
And to my earlier questions that you still haven’t answered, I’d like to add a few more: Do you think Robert Park was suicidal and/or otherwise mentally unstable before he went to North Korea or after? If it was before, do you think his cohort was irresponsible in not stopping him from going to North Korea where he might easily fall to harm?
And this one is for everyone: Do you think it’s possible the North Koreans let him go somewhat early because they wanted to get rid of him before he did harm to himself while in their custody?
kushibo, interesting point. considering the newflash that this caused, i doubt NK would want to have to explain themselves if in fact he did kill himself or maim himself badly. explaining it away as mental illness seems a little bit of an expected tactic from them. i also dont buy that his treatment in NK caused him to become this way. anyone crazy enough to cross the border into a place like that proclaiming something religious, was in fact mad before the thought of doing that even entered his head.
Ben Wagner makes a lot of sense here.
Robert Park’s own parents, his closest associates, and Suzanne Scholte all have stated publicly that Robert Park was of sound mind and not in anyway mentally unstable. I really don’t care what the back benchers and also-rans are saying. The people with credibility and and proximity are all saying the same thing. Park was not crazy, and he was exposed to some kind of coerced mind bending while in custody.
I have provided ample evidence about the forced ‘apologies’ that foreigners make while in the DPRK’s custody.
The Norks let him go because they got their phony apology (per script) from him and they probably didn’t want to hazard any more balloon launches by Pax Koreana. The leaflets sent by Pax Koreana that explained the real reason for Park’s incursion present the gravest of threats to the cult of Juche. The phony apology will fool only the hopelessly gullible while the Pax Koreana leaflets will spread like wildfire among the neo-dissidents.
Some fairly compassionate associates of Park’s in Seoul have suggested to me that he was something of a strange character from the get-go, so I’d take a bit of salt with the thesis that he went across the Tumen just the same as you and me, and came out in need of protection from himself and others, but that is just speculation.
What I do know is that the most passionate people have some of the most prosaic email addresses, but the one there seems a bit much.
Reserving judgment.
The family has had the blog item claiming Robert Park is being held against his will in Long Beach mental hospital removed. Still, Joong Ang Daily deigns to cover story:
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2917458
Robert Park is so courageous.
And he did it for the Korean people.
He did it for the whole world.!!
Now these satan evils locked him up again, afraid his words of truth is out.
But I think its too late.