Kim Mi-ok, the wife of an American citizen who was captured and detained in North Korea, cried her heart out and begged publicly for the release of her husband, Kim Hak Song, on Monday. Kim Hak Song is the fourth American citizen detained by the authorities of North Korea after being suspected of carrying acts which were against the norms and laws of the state.
The wife waited, but the husband never emerged
In an interview with CNN, Kim Mi-ok said that she was expected to welcome her husband from a train coming from North Korea in a Chinese border city.
However, Kim Hak Song never came. Kim Mi-ok waited until the final passenger went off and the doors of the train closed but Kim Hak Song was nowhere to be found.
The following day, Kim Mi-ok was shocked and speechless when the state news agency of North Korea announced that her husband had been detained due to “suspicion of hostile acts against the state.” Kim Mi-ok said during an emotional interview that her husband, who had been training students from Pyongyang University of Science and Technology in farming techniques, is innocent of the accusations charged against him and had just been falsely suspected.
"I hope this detention is solved in a humanitarian way and he is sent back to our family.
Our family members are waiting,” Kim Mi-ok expressed for the authorities of North Korea who was responsible for detaining her husband.
Kim Hak Song is a Korean descent who was originally born in China. He decided to move to the United States together with his family where he eventually became a naturalized citizen for more than ten years now.
Kim Hak Song was also an evangelical pastor in the Oriental Mission Church, Los Angeles.
American citizens used as baits
Over the years, North Korea has already detained a number of American citizens who were later on used as chips in bargaining and negotiating with the United States government in lieu of the increasing clash between the two powerful countries.
However, experts confirm that the detainment of US citizens is strategically used by North Korea’s Kim Jong Un as a shield against US attacks which would possibly lead to his removal from office.
Last April, an American citizen named Tony Kim (Kim Sang-Duk) was also detained by North Korea for his alleged ‘hostile acts’ and was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment. A student named Otto Warmbier, 22, and a Korean-American missionary named Dong Chul, 62, were likewise captivated by the state for the same reasons.
