Brussels: The son of a South Korean Christian missionary, who has been detained in North Korea for a decade, has appealed for international support. During meetings with key human rights figures in Europe, the South Korean unification ministry reported on Friday, Choi Jin-young called for assistance in addressing issues involving detainees.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Choi Jin-young, the son of missionary Choi Chun-gil, embarked on a diplomatic tour through Brussels, Geneva, and Berlin as he prepared for the upcoming fourth Universal Periodic Review set for November 7. This review aims to address human rights conditions in North Korea. Choi Chun-gil has been detained since 2014 on allegations of espionage for South Korea, alongside two other missionaries, Kim Jung-wook and Kim Kook-kie, who were detained in 2013 and 2014, respectively.

In Brussels, Choi met with Olof Skoog, the European Union’s special representative for human rights, seeking help in delivering letters from the families of the three de
tainees and confirming their wellbeing. The unification ministry noted that Skoog committed to making every effort to address the situation, emphasizing the need for ongoing efforts to highlight North Korean human rights issues and hold the regime accountable.

On the same day, Choi also met with Willy Fautre, the executive director of Human Rights Without Frontiers International. Fautre assured his support in raising global awareness about the detainees’ conditions and the hardships faced by their families.

While attending the International Dialogue on North Korean Human Rights in Geneva from Tuesday to Wednesday, Choi also engaged with senior officials from the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights and the U.N.’s Working Groups on Arbitrary Detention and Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, seeking international backing on the matter.

Following the affirmation of joint efforts to resolve issues concerning detainees, abductees, and prisoners of war in North Korea during a summit of South
Korean, American, and Japanese leaders in August 2023, the unification ministry has established a ministerial task force and intensified efforts. The ministry reiterated its commitment to resolving these issues in collaboration with the international community, marking the 10th anniversary of the detention of the two South Korean missionaries.