The Korea Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society will hold its second semi-monthly Lecture-Meeting of April this Monday the 23rd (note that it’s not Tuesday as usual!), at 7:30 pm, in the 2nd-floor Resident’s Lounge of the Somerset Palace Residence (downtown, near Anguk Station, west of Exit #6; north of Jogye-sa Temple). All in English, open to the public (small donation requested from non-members), as always; more info: 763-9483 and www.raskb.com (includes location-map and a description of the talk).
This one should be exciting and controversial: well-known critic-of-Pyongyang-regime human-rights activist (and physician) Dr. Norbert Vollertsen will speak on “Human Rights and North Korean Refugees”. He will include his most recent experiences dealing with North Korean refugees in SE Asia and elsewhere. We recommend that you try to come early as we anticipate Dr. Vollertsen will once again draw a large audience, and the room is likely to be packed…
For the past six years, Dr. Vollertsen has been working full-time to improve North Korean human rights and assist North Korean refugees. This evening he will present a concise yet comprehensive update on the current status of North Korean refugees in South Korea, China and SE Asia, and the DPRK’s overall human-rights situation including some historical background on why so many North Koreans flee their country, and give an account of their trials and tribulations in seeking safe refuge in other countries. He traveled throughout North Korea more than any other Westerner until he was declared persona non grata by the DPRK after his public statements and his sharing of his findings with foreign journalists.
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Norbert Vollertsen is a sensationalist. I am fully aware that his descriptions of the North do not exaggerate the dire state of affairs. Nevertheless, in March of 2001 this man never thought of the danger he was putting his fellow tourists and the JSA security guards in when he made a dash to cross the MDL in the JSA at Panmunjom in order to “draw attention” to the plight of North Koreans. That carelessness is reprehensible and is indicative of someone who is not in complete control of his faculties. Whatever his self-appointed mission is, he will not let the safety of those around him affect his thought process. He is dangerous and needs to have his pulpit taken away from him. The crisis in North Korea is better aided both those who show a consistent appreciation for others’ safety and a measure of self control in speaking out. Lest anyone think his actions at the JSA did not pose a significant threat to those around him just ask the family of ROK soldier Chang, Myung Ki who was killed when Russian diplomat Vasily Matauzik and his wife dashed from the North into the South on a tour in 1984 causing a fire fight to erupt as North Korean guards crossed the line trying to retrieve the Matauziks. Vollertsen is dangerous.
Will this lecture be one of those that is video taped and placed on the internet?
I really, really hope so…
On Volertsen,
I’ve read the charge of sensationalism pointing to some level of mental instability before and related to events like in 2001, but, 2001 was 5 to 6 years ago and one incident. 1984 was also very different from 2004 or 2001. So, I’d have to put MrChips well-intentioned comment into a “wait and see” question box in my mind.
Back when, I think it was, Volerstsen and some supporters tried to fly radios over the DMZ and was stopped by the Korean police, again, I think that was the event, I listen to the pro and con arguments about him here at Marmot’s and decided to keep my eye out for more before I came to even a weak decision about what I thought, but so much time has passed since then, and in this 2001 incident MrChips mentions (which I would have complained about too), I would not say Vollerstsen is showing much mental instability….
What was the final verdict on that strange stuff last fall with Dr. V being beaten up and run over in Seoul? Is he for real? http://www.rjkoehler.com/2006/.....ollertson/
In an insane world a sane man must appear insane.
I thought he had become or was becoming persona non grata in the ROK as well—wasn’t there something last year in which he claimed the government wouldn’t renew his visa?
I had thought so too, but apparantly he’s back. Perhaps someone with some high-level influence favors what he does….?
> usinkorea
> Will this lecture be one of those that is
> video taped and placed on the internet?
> I really, really hope so…
If Dr. Vollertsen permits it, then it shall be, same as with our other speakers.
Hi,
Does anyone know where I can find the recordings of the other lectures online? I am a member of RASKB, but don’t see a link on the website. I’m hoping to get to this one in person, but there have been several I’ve missed, unfortunately.
Dr. Vollertsen is a crusader not a sensationalist, and his cause is just.
At a party I hosted several years ago, Dr. Vollertsen was there and he was very normal and affable.
Should be a good night out!
> Cat Does anyone know where I can find
> the recordings of the other lectures online?
http://www.korea.com hosts these for us. Just click on the RAS VOD icon on the upper-right side of that opening page…
Great! Thanks.
Cat, also, if I remember correctly, when you are on the page viewing the latest, look over to the lefthand side for the VOD something-something link that will have a number of (7) with it, meaning there are 7 or whatever # videos currently up.
I went there a month ago or so and it will a little tricky finding the ealier videos and the links were dead, so I emailed them about it, and I think that got the links back up correctly…
I have just finished editing a book for the Sejong Institute called “Human Righs in North Korea,” with chapters by people like David Hawk, Peter Beck, Hazel Smith and S Korean experts.
After reading material as disturbing as this, I think the more that can be done to highlight the human rights situation in North Korea, the better. Full marks to Vollertsen for his courage in standing up against all the threats and intimidation he has received.
Dr. Vollersten is a voice for the North Korean people when their blood relatives in the south turn a blind eye. An anti-FTA march results in hundreds of thousands of people taking to the streets and one distressed taxi driver taking his life. Where is the passion for North Korea.
Your brothers, sisters, grandparents and cousins are barely able to eek out an existence and are forced to “participate” in mass celebrations for a meglomaniac while south of the border you enjoy the safety and security that has enabled an economic miracle to occur (10th or 11th largest economy and all the Chanel bags you want at Lotte).
There are impassioned people all around the world. Some do good, some are evil geniuses and some are discounted as crackpots. Let Dr. Vollersten’s recognized contributions to help a broken nation and now his outspoken criticism of that nation, the human rights abuses to its people, and pleas for international recognition and support be how he is judged.
Hundreds of thousands? The Hankyoreh is claiming only 2000 this past week, and other Seoul rallies have been in the single thousands:
http://english.hani.co.kr/arti.....03915.html
http://english.yonhapnews.co.k.....534E0.html
http://english.donga.com/srv/s.....7040952038
http://english.yonhapnews.co.k.....241E5.html
Since my father became terminally ill, I have had nothing but free time on my hands, and I have been working on some NK Human Rights stuff I’ve been wanting to do for over a year.
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=NorthKoreaHR
I hope those videos will encourage people who normally don’t read about such topics to dig for information and even more so donate some money to the NGOs I plug.
Working on this stuff for hours and hours recently has also made me ——— amazed that people like Dr. Vollertsen can do such work firsthand with the victims of the regime year-after-year.
This stuff is utterly depressing. I have great admiration for anyone who can keep their spirits up and keep pushing to make a difference. I would be overwhelmed in a matter of weeks…
I also want to put up a notice here that I am looking for:
at least 1 Korean (Asian) male and female to do read some short sentences to record them and email me the audio file.
usinkorea@hotmail.com
I want to add voiceovers to videos and image montages for You Tube.
Here is an example of the kind of short texts I have in mind:
usinkorea.org/blog1/2007/04/21/voiceover-example-help-needed/
I hope Marmot doesn’t mind my posting this here…
I wasn’t speaking of any single event, but of the collective demonstrations over the past year. Sure there are a number of “repeat participants”
Any way you slice it, the human rights abuses in nK are far outweighed by the public outcry for the FTA.
I couldn’t make this last night. Does anyone care to comment on how it went?
After hearing him speak in person he certainly comes across as a warm, quite humorous, rational and committed activist….certainly not “mad,” as depicted by some people in the media. After seeing the pictures of those suffering and dying children….especially the close up video shots of their pained and helpless expressions, one can better understand what drives him to try and draw international attention to this issue. From what he told the audience, he said that the publicity stunts were directed more at exploiting the media to focus attention on the issue than any form of uncontrolled rage. He contrasted those images with the lavish lifestyles of the Dear Leader and his cronies….as further motivation for his actions. Plus his memories of Germany’s holocaust, which he said were all too familiar to what he saw in NK.
His conclusion was somewhat pessimistic though….saying that the human rights issue was in the hands of the political powers involved in the 6-way talks, who all have their own agendas. He seemed to be frustrated that he and his supporters were running out of new ideas to keep the NK human rights issues in the global spotlight.
Pity the people operating the video equipment for him did not seem to know what the hell they were doing….and they did not even bother to organize a microphone for him, so people at the back couldn’t hear properly.
I’m in a student-teaching program to get certified here in the US. The woman who does my observations asked after the last one why I didn’t go for teaching History because I clearly like it so much and bring it into the literature classes.
How could I teach kids what we are supposed to teach these teens about the world —- when I know better…..?….
You Tube. Video. Video-on-demand.
If you search You Tube for North Korea, you’ll see this guy “songunblog” who puts up NK propaganda videos (as a lark) — in less than a year, those videos have gotten 30,000 to 70,000 viewers. Pirated clips from Inside North Korea have gotten 25,000 views is a little over a month.
I would bet money that if Vollertsen and others doing similar work were to put up simple videos — for example, a brief 2 to 3 minute interview with North Korean refugees living in South Korea (or refugees he deals with hiding in third nations) —- even if they silhouette the refugees face to hide identity —
it would reach tens of thousands of people in months and up to hundreds of thousands per year.
You don’t need professional film makers to cut documentaries. The stories told are compelling enough.
Voice Of People demonstrated long ago the value of short videos up on the net 24/7.
The video edits I’ve taken from them and re-mixed get 200-400 views a day on my site, and since I haven’t added anything there in about a year, those are likely unique, first-time viewers.
You can bypass the press. Sure, continuing to come up with ways to grab major, international press coverage is a very good idea.
But next to nothing is being done to take advantage of the resources broadban internet access and cheap storage space on the net offer.
(I’m grateful the RASKB has moved in that direction.)
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