Round-table Talks Held with Teenagers Who Came Back to DPRK

Pyongyang, June 20 (KCNA) -- Teenagers who came back to the DPRK while being taken away to the south after being kidnapped by south Koreans had round-table talks at the Koryo Hall of Compatriots Thursday. They were Ro Jong Yong (14), Ryu Chol Ryong, Jang Kuk Hwa and Ri Kwang Hyok (15), Jong Kwang Yong (16), Pak Kwang Hyok (17), Ryu Kwang Hyok (18), Mun Chol and Paek Yong Won (19). They first talked about how they were being taken away to south Korea, after being taken in by the south Korean puppet group which hatched a sordid plot. Mun Chol said Pak Kwang Hyok lived in the house of a south Korean clergy named Jang Ha Jin in Dandong, China for three years, Ryu Chol Ryong, Ri Kwang Hyok and Jong Kwang Yong for almost two years and himself, Ryu Kwang Hyok, Jang Kuk Hwa and Ro Jong Yong for one year and six months and Paek Yong Won for five months. Mun Chol said that at the end of April, Jang Ha Jin, in the grip of uneasiness, told his wife, "I can not hold out in China any longer. Let's go to south Korea." At 11:00 a.m. a van arrived but the couple only let the youngsters take it. They had whole four-day travel being handed over from one man to another, Mun Chol said, adding: After getting off the van we crossed a high mountain on foot. Following a man who came to take us over, we dropped in at a small village to get only drinking water and we took another van. After traveling by van for about 20 to 30 minutes we came to a stop to be met by Jang Ha Jin and his wife. The last guide handed us over to Jang's couple who passed the guide a thick money envelope. It was only at that time that we realized we illegally crossed the border of China. There we spent one night and the next morning we went to a bus-stop to take bus. Mun Chol said he was so tired that he dozed off inside the bus, adding that when he was awakened from the sleep he found that the bus was held up, being intercepted at a checkpoint. Ri Kwang Hyok said he heard later that the government of that country proved those on board to be abductees to south Korea by flesh traffickers and rendered help so that they could be sent back to Pyongyang. The teenagers explained how they were made to live in Jang Ha Jin's house in Dandong, China. Paek Yong Won said that he was kidnapped by Jang Ha Jin when he was walking along the road in Changbai region of China one day in December last year. Pak Kwang Hyok, Mun Chol, Ryu Chol Ryong and other teenagers said that Jang and his wife shut them up in their house and inflicted heavy penalties on them for the mere reason that they did not memorize well the book of bible and hymn. They said that Jang and his wife beat them with baseball bat and umbrella, making them unable to walk or hear. Paek Yong Won expressed his indignation, saying that clergyman Jang urged him to pray for the construction of a church on Mansu Hill. Saying that he protested, Paek Yong Won continued that even though he left the homeland he could not forget the loving care shown by the great Generalissimos Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il who were always alive in their hearts. When he wrote letters reading "General Kim Jong Il Lives Forever!" and "Long Live the Workers' Party of Korea!" in his notebook, the clergyman and his wife took off their shoes and beat him in the face, calling him "red" and "communist spy". Mun Chol said that once he overheard clergyman Jang saying that he begged for charity from south Koreans after showing them photos of Paek Yong Won with his ears frozen and swollen to collect money. Jong Kwang Yong said that he once saw clergyman Jang being criticized by a man from south Korea called "ring grandfather" who scolded Jang for using up without result all the money allotted for the collection of more children. Jong Kwang Yong added that Jang humbly begged pardon with his face ablush, explaining that he could not move for a good while with his collar being seized by Chinese police. Pak Kwang Hyok disclosed that Jang used to have contact with old, dreadful-looking American lady who claimed to be the representative of the "Association for Freedom of North Korea", an organization in Washington, from whom he used to get separate fund. Pak added that through the American woman Jang took to south Korea in September 2011 other teenagers called Mun Il Phyong, Sim Su Man and Kim Yong Min who stayed there before him and took to the U.S. in August 2012 Hyon Chon Ryong, Ri Mun Chol, Kim Pong Chol and Han Chol Jun. Pak Kwang Hyok said that Jang tried to include him in the group of children who were taken to the U.S. in August 2012. Jang promised to send him to the U.S. later because he did not get an approval from the old lady. Those teenagers expressed their impressions of returning to the homeland, free from the plot of abduction by the puppet group of south Korea. Ri Kwang Hyok said that he saw a TV footage of the 7th Congress of the Korean Children's Union after return home. He added that he felt tears welling up when he saw the dear respected Marshal Kim Jong Un coming to the tribune of honor, letting children of his age be seated next to him, calling a student of Mangyongdae Revolutionary School close to him and talking to him, while fondling his cheek. Mun Chol said that Kim Jong Un is like the bright sun embracing all of them and opening up a bright future for them. The returnees sang song "Ardent Desire" feeling thankful for Kim Jong Un.