Han Media: South Korean and U.S. Deputy Foreign Ministers Meet, U.S. Expresses Regret Over Detention of South Korean Citizens, Diary Reveals "Human Rights Issues" During Detention

A senior U.S. State Department official expressed regret following the mass detention of Korean workers in Georgia, USA, and pledged to prevent similar incidents from happening again.

The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated on the 14th that Deputy Minister Park Yun-joo met with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher R. Hill at the government building in Seoul on the same day for a meeting between South Korean and U.S. deputy foreign ministers.

At the meeting, Deputy Secretary Hill expressed deep regret over the incident and also stated that this incident should be an opportunity to improve systems and strengthen the Republic of Korea-U.S. relationship.

He also emphasized that given President Trump's high attention to this issue, those returning to the United States will not face any adverse consequences, and efforts will be made in the future to prevent similar incidents from occurring.

In addition, he said he deeply recognized the significant contribution of South Korean companies' investment activities to the U.S. economy and manufacturing revival, and expressed willingness to provide support at the institutional level and accelerate discussions on follow-up measures to ensure that South Korean workers' contributions are reflected in corresponding visa issuance.

South Korean Deputy Foreign Minister Park Yun-joo stated that Korean enterprise workers had to endure unfair treatment in U.S. detention facilities. Not only did the affected workers themselves suffer, but the entire South Korean people were also greatly impacted by this incident, and he expressed regret over it.

Park strongly urged the U.S. to take concrete measures to prevent similar incidents from happening again and to improve the system to eliminate the anxiety of the South Korean people.

South Korean Foreign Ministry says "will understand the issues and take measures regarding 'human rights violations'

On the other hand, as the issue of human rights violations against detained South Koreans came to light, the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded, saying, "We will carefully investigate the relevant issues and take necessary measures."

A South Korean Foreign Ministry official said, "The South Korean government has expressed regret to the U.S. since the beginning of the incident, and continuously raised the point that the rights of South Korean nationals should not be improperly infringed during law enforcement."

He added, "During negotiations with the U.S., we focused on the top priority of quickly releasing and bringing back the detained South Korean citizens," and "actively requested the U.S. to take measures to alleviate their discomfort and pain during detention."

It is reported that the U.S. partially adopted the demands of the South Korean side, such as allowing limited communication with the outside world, medical staff at the detention facility checking health and recording medical treatment, and providing some medicines according to prescriptions from the medical team.

However, a "detention diary" published that day recorded unfair treatment and poor conditions, such as no "Miranda warning" being given at the time of arrest, moldy beds, and smelly drinking water, as well as remarks by U.S. personnel making fun of North Korea (North Korea) in front of the detainees.

A South Korean Foreign Ministry official said that they would investigate together with the company where the detained individuals were employed whether there were any improper violations of the rights or other interests of the citizens.

The "detention diary" also mentioned that the South Korean Consulate General told the detained individuals, "Sign whatever you are asked to sign here, otherwise, at least four months will pass before the detention can be lifted."

Regarding this, another official explained that it might be because the negotiations were already being conducted in a voluntary departure manner, so the consulate gave this guidance. However, he also emphasized that regardless of what documents the detained individuals signed, it cannot be considered as their acknowledgment of the illegality of staying in the United States, and all negotiations ensured that South Korean citizens would not face any adverse consequences.

Source: JoongAng Ilbo

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1843304053732363/

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