Street demonstrations in Tokyo are part of activists' efforts to pressure a regional agreement to the unresolved North Korean refugee crisis.

Tim Peters, (2nd from left), with a group of activists, all of whom were formerly imprisoned in China.

Landmark decision hailed on N. Korean refugee resettlement
Helping Hands Korea, Seoul, South Korea

July 2004 was a landmark month for the rescue of North Korean refugees, with more than 450 refugees arriving in South Korea, the largest refugee resettlement from the North since the height of the Korean War in the early 1950's.

Human rights activists in South Korea hail the move as a breakthrough and significant departure from Seoul's usual low-key and incremental approach to refugee admissions. "A landmark decision, no question about it," said Tim Peters, the director of Helping Hands Korea, an FCF Project in Seoul involved with a refugee assistance program. "This is what we've been hoping for," adds Peters. "People with no light at the end of their tunnel have suddenly been given a new life."

Widespread famine in North Korea during the late 1990's claimed a conservative estimate of one million lives, and has left 85% of North Korean children malnourished. Activists estimate that there are nearly 300,000 North Korean refugees in neighboring countries. If they are caught in China, they are forcibly returned to North Korea where many are imprisoned and, in some cases, executed.

North Korean refugees who do make it to South Korea receive a government stipend, free schooling and affordable housing. Nevertheless, the transition is a difficult one, and many young refugees drop out of school and complain of social isolation.

For more on the subject, click: Helping Hands Korea