Category: Robert Park

Despite my rather complex views of Mr. Park, one can say that keeping these issues in the public eye means something good coming of his ill-advised actions.  At least now, people should disregard that televised “confession” of his.  Speaking of North Korea and hostage negotiations, don’t miss Claudia Rosett’s revelations about what the North Koreans really think of Jimmy Carter. Oh, and a Japanese newspaper is reporting that the North Koreans have arrested two Japanese on drug charges. Seriously.  What...

If Robert Park’s “interview” with the North Koreans was coerced, why has he now missed so many opportunities to repudiate it?

There’s no word on who he/she is. There’s no word on why he/she crossed. A South Korean activist who has been the source of most information about the missionary said Thursday that he has no knowledge of the second American detainee. Jo Sung-rae of the Seoul-based group Pax Koreana said he and fellow activists sent about 150,000 leaflets by balloon across the border into North Korea on Wednesday as part of efforts to let North Koreans know about Park. Jo...

Our worst fears for Robert Park and his mission are being realized: Sources say Robert Park, an ethnic Korean, told them he is an American citizen and came to call for human rights improvements and to urge leader Kim Jong-il “to repent.” In response, the guards beat him to within an inch of his life. Even remaining silent while another person denounces the leader or the system is a punishable offence in North Korea, so the guards were unlikely to...

If you want to keep up with Park’s situation, this website is aggregating news links about him. He’s been in North Korea for almost a month now, and I’m that sure for him, it already feels like much longer than that. Hat tip and thanks to a reader.

The North’s official Korean Central News Agency said in a brief dispatch Tuesday that the American was detained and under investigation after illegally entering through the North Korea-China border last Thursday. [AP] I suppose this comes as no surprise. The North Koreans don’t identify Robert Park by name, but I think we can assume it’s him. You don’t have to agree with Park’s methods to pity him now. There are two theories here: one, that North Korea will want to...