Above photo: Activists outside the South Korean Embassy in Washington, DC calling for Kim Hye-Young’s release.
Seoul, South Korea – As we have written before, the South Korean government of Park Geun-Hye, the daughter of the former military dictator Park Chung-Hee, is using the National Security Law to arrest and jail peaceful activists.
One young activist in particular needs our help. Her name is Kim Hye-Young and she was arrested in the summer of 2015 during a sit-in at a peaceful protest. She has thyroid cancer and a panic disorder and she has been in jail ever since. She was sentenced to two years in prison. She must be released because not only is this an outrageous sentence for her political expression, but the conditions in jail are harming her health.
Kim Young-Hye went on hunger strike shortly after her formal sentencing on May 26, 2016. Her health is deteriorating further.
We urge you to take a minute to contact the ambassador of South Korea and call for her release. When you sign the petition, it sends an email to him. Please share it too.
Ever since the division of Corea (the original spelling) and the Korean War, which has not technically ended, the United States has dominated the political system and military of South Korea. Please take action to support activists who are fighting to end the Korean War and replace the current dictatorship with a democratic government.
Sign the petition here:
Here is an open letter from Kim Hye-Young’s husband who is currently in the United States:
If the prisoner of conscience and cancer patient Kim Hye-young is released, I’ll return to my country in 48 hours.
She needs regular and stable treatment because she got total thyroidectomy two times in 2006. Now she suffers from panic disorder, aftereffect of the killing investigation of the security police, her fasting with taking the Fifth to resist against them during 10 days, and imprisonment in Seoul detention center.
According to a doctor’s note by outpatient psychiatric doctor, she got anticipatory anxiety for panic attack and physical symptoms of chronic anxiety as panic disorder(cardiopalmus, palpitation, esquinancea, dizziness, numbness of acra). Eventually she got claustrophobia to avoid these symptoms. The outpatient psychiatric doctor found it difficult to continue Kim Hye-young’s imprisonment now.
Amnesty International are on Urgent Action urging the authorities to release Kim Hye-young and to immediately allow Kim Hye-young access to adequate care and treatment outside the detention facility. They already sent their message to the Prime Minister and the Justice Minister.
On May 26 2016, the court also sentenced two years’ actual imprisonment like the first trial with dismissal of appeal and suspended three-year disqualification from the court of apeal. Today is even the 20th day that Kim Hye-young, the political prisoner of conscience, has been fasting to protest against anti-human right judge by Park Geun-hye government.
8 members including Lee Sang-hun who is the Co-Representative of CAIRD in 4 detention centers located in Seoul·Seongdong·Suwon·Daejeon and other Co-Representative named Yang Go-eun in Gwanghwamun square have been fasting for 8 days urging authorities to release Kim Hye-young.
5,200 signatures on online portal site Daum’s debate section Agora, 156,300 people on Facebook, 4,800 people on Twitter and lots of domestic netizens, peace·democratic organizations in the U.S., members of the Senate and the House of Representatives in France, French media named L’Humanité and so on are urging Park Geun-hye government to release Kim Hye-young now.
Kim Hye-young is in a critical condition meeting her 20th day of fasting, and now even she can hardly drink water.
This situation needs special measures.
Therefore I, the Co-Representative and Chief Executive Director of CAIRD, say clearly as follows to Park Geun-hye government and public authorities including National Police Agency in Seoul.
If the prisoner of conscience Kim Hye-young is released, I’ll return to my country in 48 hours.
So release now the prisoner of conscience Kim Hye-young who is in a critical condition with suffering from cancer, getting panic disorder and 20 days of fasting.
Everyday from June 15 to August 15 which is the valid period of this suggestion, I will hold peaceful protests for immediate release of the prisoner of conscience and cancer patient Kim Hye-young and for peace and reunification of Corea in front of the Brandenburg Gate symbolic place of the reunification of Germany.