Opposition Legislator Responds to Shenyang-Gate with Refugee-Protection Bill

SEOUL, Jan. 21 (Yonhap) — South Korea’s main opposition party plans to introduce a law revision aimed at helping North Koreans and South Korean abductees fleeing the communist country, a senior party official said Sunday.

Rep. Hwang Woo-yea, secretary-general of the Grand National Party (GNP), said the bill will help prevent the forced repatriation of defectors from North Korea and expedite Seoul’s diplomatic efforts to bring them to South Korea.

“The National Assembly passed a similar GNP-initiated bill in 2004 but after too much amendment. This is why the latest unfortunate event happened.” …  [link]

Under Hwang’s bill,  South Korean diplomatic facilities must investigate a refugee’s status starting immediately when he or she  claims asylum.  As things stand now, the consulate has the option of dinking around for a few weeks until  the  ChiComs can hunt down the refugees, jab wires through their noses, and leash them back to the gulag.   Of course, I should point out that similar legislation hasn’t exactly had the desired effect on U.S. consular facilities, since  our own State Department apparently does not believe that  the law  applies to it.   If this law passes, the South Korean government will also try not to obey it. 

I should also mention Hwang Woo-Yea, and the place he’s earned for himself in Korean history.   Hwang  started something called the International Parliamentarians’ Coalition for North Korean Refugees and Human Rights several  years ago, which has members in South Korea, the United States, Japan, and Mongolia, among other places  (Yonhap says China, which has to be a misprint, and I believe the Coalition has also expanded to Europe).  He is truly South Korea’s ambassador on this issue,  doing the work that the ROK Foreign Ministry won’t.  I also have a special regard for Hwang because he’s a fellow former Judge Advocate.

Let’s hope that with Uri dying of shame, and with the GNP probing for election-year weakness, this bill will pass, and the Korean government will abide by it.