U.S. President George W. Bush on Monday met with North Korean defector and Chosun Ilbo journalist Kang Chol-hwan at the White House for a 40-minute discussion on human rights in the Stalinist country. Kang, 37, is the author of the book "The Aquariums of Pyongyang: Ten Years in the North Korean Gulag," which put the spotlight on North Korea¡¯s forced labor camps.
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North Korean defector and Chosun Ilbo journalist Kang Chol-hwan with the English, French and Korean editions of his book "The Aquariums of Pyongyang: Ten Years in the North Korean Gulag", which put the spotlight on North Korea¡¯s forced labor camps./Chosun Ilbo DB
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Bush told Kang he found the book ¡°heartrending¡± and said he asked him to the Oval Officer to hear frank talk about North Korea. The president recommended the book to all Americans to learn what the reclusive country is really like. A high-ranking White House official said the president was deeply moved when he read Kang's book some months ago and wanted to meet the writer. The meeting was also attended by Vice President Dick Cheney and Michael Green, the Asia director of the National Security Council.
Kang, who was born in Pyongyang, was imprisoned in Yodok concentration camp when he was only nine years old and spent 10 terrible years there. He escaped to South Korea in 1992. "The Aquariums of Pyongyang," co-written with French journalist Pierre Rigoulot in 2000, has been published in English, French, Spanish and other languages.
Bush said the North Korean human rights situation was grave and vowed to show more interest in resolving the issue. He said he was particularly heartbroken by pregnant women and children starving, adding he would not link humanitarian aid with political issues but continue to provide food aid to North Korea despite the dispute over the country¡¯s nuclear program. The White House handed out photos of Bush and Kang shaking hands after their meeting. "The president thought it was a compelling story,¡± White House spokesman Scott McClellan commented. ¡°He's concerned about the human rights situation in North Korea."
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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