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Korean Church Coalition to Hold Nationwide Prayer Vigil Tomorrow; News media embargo the T-word

Laura Ling and Euna Lee are having their sham trial as we speak, so if you believe that prayer helps, this would be the time to pray for them:

korean-church-coalition-press-release-for-june-5-2009-event.pdf

I’m one who tends to think that tracking down and freezing all of their bank accounts would help much more, and Executive Order 13,224 would be a way to do that that doesn’t mix this case up with other sanctions under contemplation for nuke and missile tests. The Administration is right to keep those things separate. That’s why it’s starting to piss me off how hard some reporters are straining not to call North Korea’s use of Ms. Ling and Ms. Lee’s captivity by :

Analysts warned that North Korea could use the trial of the Americans to improve its hand in the weeks before Mr. Obama and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak hold a White House summit on June 16.

“Having two journalists detained in the North leaves the U.S. very little maneuvering room since Washington now has to take the women’s safety into account,” said Yoon Deok-min, a professor at South Korea’s state-run Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security. [AP, Jean H. Lee]

It hardly matters anymore where these women were caught at this point. They’re obviously no legitimate threat to anyone, and they’re just as obviously being held as hostages, away from their families, to try to shield Kim Jong Il from sanctions. That is terrorism, and it should be addressed as such.

Update: I can’t make the pdf download work, so the text is below the fold. Sorry. And in fact, I note now that this vigil announcement makes no reference to Ms. Ling and Ms. Lee, though their situation is no doubt a matter of great concern to the KCC.

Contact: All Press and other Inquiries Esther Lee Press Secretary P.800.222-7082

skim@kccnk.org

KOREAN CHURCH COALITION for North Korea Freedom: Peter I. Sohn, President for the Korean Church Coalition for North Korea Freedom, announced that on June 5, 2009, KCC will hold an International North Korea Prayer Vigil; “Time has come to be more diligent in speaking out on behalf of the voiceless brothers and sisters living in North Korea, China, and elsewhere who have no voice of their own.

KCC was formed in 2004 as a non-partisan and non-profit religious organization and now composed of almost 3000 Korean American Pastors located throughout the Unites States and Canada. Our mission is to bring an end to the sufferings endured by our brothers and sisters in North Korea, as well as China and other parts of the world, through non-violent means.

This June 5th event will be attended by KCC pastors from every major city and state throughout the United States, and is expected to be attended by 2500 participants. “For years, KCC conveyed our view to our lawmakers in Washington:

ï‚· North Korea is a Dictatorship that is that is unlike any other nation or government.
ï‚· Kim Jong Il will never voluntarily give up its nuclear arsenal.
ï‚· Delisting North Korea from State Sponsors of Terrorism list will be/was a great mistake.
ï‚· Military Action is not an option and must be avoided.
ï‚· Human Rights must play an important role in any talks with Pyongyang.
ï‚· China must play a key role in pressuring Pyongyang to return to the six party talks, and in the six party talks.

Current events in North Korea should attest to the fact that our current policy towards North Korea have catastrophically failed, and we are now facing the worst crisis in that region in recent history. America’s policy towards North Korea must be reevaluated, and significant policy changes must be immediately employed. (Sam Kim, Executive Director and Washington Correspondent, KCC). ” On Friday, June 5, 2009, Please join and pray with us: At Bethel Korean Church 18700 Harvard Ave. Irvine Ca. 92620 “The Crossing” with be shown at 4:30 p.m. (At Vision Chapel) The main “Prayer Vigil” will commence at 6:30 p.m. (At 2500 seat new main sanctuary)

KOREAN CHURCH COALITION for NORTH KOREA FREEDOM LETMYPEOPLEGO2008.COM and KCCNK.ORG skim@kccnk.org

3 Responses

  1. Encouraging to see that there are more details re: North Koreans from clandestine reporting from North Korea -in the NBC interview with Matt Lauer, one could not miss the recent footage of young North Korean women, working with their backs bent over on the riverbank, with guns pointed at them – anyone who watches this from the other side of the Tumen river for more than a period of time would have the uncontrollable urge to help/rescue them – I think it is more plausible that Ling and Lee succumbed to that urge – even more reason to take swift action, military or otherwise, to (finally) bring an end to that regime.

  3. The KCC Wailing Prayer Vigil Program blossomed forth in our Bethel Korean Church’s new sanctuary June 5th from 6:30 – 9:30 PM. “Crossing” was shown at an adjacent facility the two hours before. We had many speakers of a variety of backgrounds depicting facets of human existence in northern Korea, from the testimony of hanbok-clad defector Shim Mi-sook to the sermon of Rev. Song Ki-sung of Chung Dong First Methodist Church. Troupes and choirs sang their hearts out, with their renditions of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” most stirring.