Son Jong-nam
Encyclopedia
Son Jong-nam was a North Korean defector
and Christian missionary, who died in a Pyongyang
prison after being arrested in 2006.
, North Hamgyong. From 1973 to 1983, he served in the Korean People's Army
as part of the presidential security service, rising to the rank of master sergeant; following his discharge, he began working at performing arts centre run by the military. Around 1992, he had one daughter. In 1997, his wife, pregnant with their second child, was arrested for allegedly insulting Kim Jong-il
's mismanagement of the economy
and blaming him for the North Korean famine
. She was beaten while in custody, suffering a miscarriage
as a result. That same year, Son's brother Son Jong-hun (손정훈) was charged with the illegal export of strategic items, and fled to China
; he maintains that the charges were false.
, Yanbian Korean Autonomous Region in northeast China
's Jilin
province. A South Korean missionary, who lived in the region on the pretext of involvement in the lumber
business, sheltered them for some time after their arrival. However, Son's wife died of leukaemia
seven months later. Son, distraught, began to grow closer to the missionary, leading to his eventual conversion to Christianity
; he then aided the missionaries in converting other North Korea defectors in China. He was arrested by Chinese police and deported back to North Korea in January 2001, where his brother says he suffered electrical shocks and beatings with clubs, causing a limp in his leg and the loss of 32 kilograms (70.5 lb) of body weight. After his release in 2004, he snuck back in to China to see his daughter.
people in his home country. However, in January 2006, police found the bibles at his home in Hoeryong
and arrested him again. According to his brother, the charges were illegal border crossing, meeting with enemies of the state, and disseminating anti-state literature. Son was imprisoned in the basement of the State Security Department in Pyongyang
.
In April, his brother submitted a petition to South Korea's National Human Rights Commission
(NHRC) to halt his public execution, and held a press conference criticising the NHRC for their inaction on issues of human rights in North Korea
. However, NHRC officials stated that the petition was without effect because North Korea was not subject to their intervention. Christian Solidarity Worldwide
also planned a protest in front of the North Korean embassy in London around the same time as Son's brother submitted his petition. In July, Son's brother went on to meet with the United States Department of State
officials and members of Congress to discuss his brother's case, including senator Sam Brownback
, Jim Inhofe
of the Senate Committee on Armed Services
, and Richard Lugar of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
. Todd Nettleton of American Christian organisation Voice of the Martyrs
also attempted to organise people in the United States and South Korea to bring international pressure to bear on the North Korean government over the issue of Son's imprisonment.
Son's brother believes that the international pressure led North Korean authorities to cancel his public execution, only to switch to torturing him to death as a less public method of killing him. According to a November 2009 statement from a fellow State Security Department prison inmate, Son died there in December 2008.
North Korean defectors
A number of individuals have defected from North Korea. Since the division of Korea after World War II and the end of the Korean War , many people have defected from North Korea, mainly for political, ideological, religious and economic reasons...
and Christian missionary, who died in a Pyongyang
Pyongyang
Pyongyang is the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea, and the largest city in the country. Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River and, according to preliminary results from the 2008 population census, has a population of 3,255,388. The city was...
prison after being arrested in 2006.
Early life
Son was born in ChongjinChongjin
Ch'ŏngjin is the capital of North Korea's North Hamgyŏng Province and the country's third largest city. From 1960 to 1967 and again from 1977 to 1985, Ch'ŏngjin was administered separately from North Hamgyŏng as a Directly Governed City...
, North Hamgyong. From 1973 to 1983, he served in the Korean People's Army
Korean People's Army
The Korean People's Army , also known as the Inmin Gun, are the military forces of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Kim Jong-il is the Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army and Chairman of the National Defence Commission...
as part of the presidential security service, rising to the rank of master sergeant; following his discharge, he began working at performing arts centre run by the military. Around 1992, he had one daughter. In 1997, his wife, pregnant with their second child, was arrested for allegedly insulting Kim Jong-il
Kim Jong-il
Kim Jong-il, also written as Kim Jong Il, birth name Yuri Irsenovich Kim born 16 February 1941 or 16 February 1942 , is the Supreme Leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea...
's mismanagement of the economy
Economy of North Korea
The economy of North Korea is an industrialized and centrally planned economy.North Korea's economy remains one of the world's last centrally planned systems. The role of market allocation is sharply limited – mainly in the rural sector where some peasants sell produce from small private plots....
and blaming him for the North Korean famine
North Korean famine
'The North Korean famine was a famine in North Korea which began in the early 1990s...
. She was beaten while in custody, suffering a miscarriage
Miscarriage
Miscarriage or spontaneous abortion is the spontaneous end of a pregnancy at a stage where the embryo or fetus is incapable of surviving independently, generally defined in humans at prior to 20 weeks of gestation...
as a result. That same year, Son's brother Son Jong-hun (손정훈) was charged with the illegal export of strategic items, and fled to China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
; he maintains that the charges were false.
Defection
In January 1998, Son took his wife and daughter and fled North Korea, joining his brother in YanjiYanji
Yanji , also known as Yeon'gil from its Korean name , is the seat of the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, eastern Jilin province, Northeast China. Its population is approximately 400,000 of which a large section is ethnic Korean...
, Yanbian Korean Autonomous Region in northeast China
Northeast China
Northeast China, historically known in English as Manchuria, is a geographical region of China, consisting of the three provinces of Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang. The region is sometimes called the Three Northeast Provinces...
's Jilin
Jilin
Jilin , is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the northeastern part of the country. Jilin borders North Korea and Russia to the east, Heilongjiang to the north, Liaoning to the south, and Inner Mongolia to the west...
province. A South Korean missionary, who lived in the region on the pretext of involvement in the lumber
Lumber
Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....
business, sheltered them for some time after their arrival. However, Son's wife died of leukaemia
Leukemia
Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
seven months later. Son, distraught, began to grow closer to the missionary, leading to his eventual conversion to Christianity
Conversion to Christianity
Conversion to Christianity is the religious conversion of a previously non-Christian person to some form of Christianity. It has been called the foundational experience of Christian life...
; he then aided the missionaries in converting other North Korea defectors in China. He was arrested by Chinese police and deported back to North Korea in January 2001, where his brother says he suffered electrical shocks and beatings with clubs, causing a limp in his leg and the loss of 32 kilograms (70.5 lb) of body weight. After his release in 2004, he snuck back in to China to see his daughter.
Final return to North Korea
Son did not remain in China for long; he soon returned to North Korea with bibles and cassette tapes in an effort to proselytiseProselytism
Proselytizing is the act of attempting to convert people to another opinion and, particularly, another religion. The word proselytize is derived ultimately from the Greek language prefix προσ- and the verb ἔρχομαι in the form of προσήλυτος...
people in his home country. However, in January 2006, police found the bibles at his home in Hoeryong
Hoeryong
Hoeryŏng is a city in North Hamgyŏng Province, North Korea. It is opposite Jilin Province, China, with the Tumen River in between. Sanhe , in Longjing prefecture, is the closest Chinese town across the river. Hoeryŏng is said to be the birthplace of Kim Il Sung's first wife and Kim Jong Il's...
and arrested him again. According to his brother, the charges were illegal border crossing, meeting with enemies of the state, and disseminating anti-state literature. Son was imprisoned in the basement of the State Security Department in Pyongyang
Pyongyang
Pyongyang is the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea, and the largest city in the country. Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River and, according to preliminary results from the 2008 population census, has a population of 3,255,388. The city was...
.
In April, his brother submitted a petition to South Korea's National Human Rights Commission
National Human Rights Commission of Korea
The National Human Rights Commission of the Republic of Korea was established on November 25, 2001 under the National Human Rights Commission Act. Fulfilling an election pledge of then-President and 2000 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Kim Dae-Jung, the Commission was launched as an independent...
(NHRC) to halt his public execution, and held a press conference criticising the NHRC for their inaction on issues of human rights in North Korea
Human rights in North Korea
The human rights record of North Korea is extremely hard to fully assess due to the secretive and closed nature of the country. The North Korean government makes it very difficult for foreigners to enter the country and strictly monitors their activities when they do...
. However, NHRC officials stated that the petition was without effect because North Korea was not subject to their intervention. Christian Solidarity Worldwide
Christian Solidarity Worldwide
Christian Solidarity Worldwide is a human rights organisation which specialises in religious freedom, works on behalf of those persecuted for their Christian beliefs and promotes religious liberty for all. Its current president is Jonathan Aitken, having taken over from Baroness Cox in 2006...
also planned a protest in front of the North Korean embassy in London around the same time as Son's brother submitted his petition. In July, Son's brother went on to meet with the United States Department of State
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
officials and members of Congress to discuss his brother's case, including senator Sam Brownback
Sam Brownback
Samuel Dale "Sam" Brownback is the 46th and current Governor of Kansas. A member of the Republican Party, he served as a U.S. Senator from Kansas from 1996 to 2011, and as a U.S. Representative for Kansas's 2nd congressional district from 1995 to 1996...
, Jim Inhofe
Jim Inhofe
James Mountain "Jim" Inhofe is the senior Senator from Oklahoma and a member of the Republican Party. First elected to the Senate in 1994, he is the ranking member of the United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and was its chairman from 2003 to 2007. Inhofe served eight...
of the Senate Committee on Armed Services
United States Senate Committee on Armed Services
The Committee on Armed Services is a committee of the United States Senate empowered with legislative oversight of the nation's military, including the Department of Defense, military research and development, nuclear energy , benefits for members of the military, the Selective Service System and...
, and Richard Lugar of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
The United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations is a standing committee of the United States Senate. It is charged with leading foreign-policy legislation and debate in the Senate. The Foreign Relations Committee is generally responsible for overseeing and funding foreign aid programs as...
. Todd Nettleton of American Christian organisation Voice of the Martyrs
Voice of the Martyrs
The Voice of the Martyrs is the name of several related Christian organizations founded through the influence of Pastor Richard Wurmbrand in such countries as Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States. These VOM missions aim to raise awareness about the many thousands of Christians...
also attempted to organise people in the United States and South Korea to bring international pressure to bear on the North Korean government over the issue of Son's imprisonment.
Son's brother believes that the international pressure led North Korean authorities to cancel his public execution, only to switch to torturing him to death as a less public method of killing him. According to a November 2009 statement from a fellow State Security Department prison inmate, Son died there in December 2008.