February 3, 2020

President Donald J. Trump

The United States of America

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW

Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President,

We are Korean civic groups working for defending freedom, democracy, market economy, strong national security, and ROK–U.S. alliance at the forefront of the Korean conservative movement.

It is a great privilege to write to you to bring to your attention the grave concerns over the fate of two North Korean fishermen unlawfully repatriated by the South Korean government in November 2019. The Moon Jae-in administration expelled them to North Korea in secret despite their intention to defect to the South, describing them as vicious criminals committing murder of 16 fellow crew members on a squid boat.  

Unlike the announcement of the Moon Jae-in administration, however, Korean local newspaper Chosunilbo and Liberty Korea Post reported in December, citing North Korean human intelligence from two different sources, that the two fishermen were not murderers but brokers to help people defect on a wooden boat. Also, they have not been executed yet, but investigated in the North Korean state security department.

If this is the case, it is urgent for the international community to get involved in efforts to save the two young North Koreans by putting pressure on the North Korean regime. Unfortunately, the Moon Jae-in administration has shown no interest in the North Korean human rights issues whatsoever, but only kept focusing on improving relations with North Korea contrary to public opinion, which led to this tragic repatriation of the two fishermen completely ignoring their human rights.

South Korea has welcomed all defectors from North Korea regardless of backgrounds to date until the Moon Jae-in administration coordinated the forcible repatriation of the two fishermen to the North. Under the South Korean Constitution, all North Koreans qualify as South Korean citizens, so the North Korean fishermen defecting to South Korea should have been investigated to receive trial under the South Korean legal system. 

In fact, their repatriation means almost death under the brutal North Korean dictatorship. The repatriation took place without due process and in violation of domestic and international laws and treaties related to human rights. 

Mr. President, please have mercy on the two young fishermen and help find out the facts and truth about their story through an investigation. We request your strong leadership to stop inhuman acts both in the communist North Korea and in the pro-communist South Korean Moon Jae-in administration. Please exert influence over North Korea not to carry out execution of the two young men, and warn the Moon Jae-in administration against the violation of human rights.

For all potential defectors, including the two defectors seeking freedom but only suffering tormentuous rejection, not to lose hope, please help convey a clear and decisive message from the free world that justice prevails over tyranny. 

For your information, attached is a summary of accusation against the South Korean government agencies involved in the repatriation. Your humanitarian support for the North Korean defectors will be greatly appreciated. 

Sincerely,

Korean Conservative Civic Groups: 

 (Address:  3F Jongno B/D, 42 Insadong 5-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea)

- National Federation of Liberal Democracy  (freedomkorea.net +82-2-733-5678)

- Freedom Union  (freedomunion.kr +82-2-733-5678)

- Freedom College Foundation  (fcf.kr  +82-2-737-0717)

- National Assembly Observers  (blog.naver.com/1tree4you +82-10-9089-4013)