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U.S. State Department officials on Monday watched a segment of "On The Border", a documentary on North Korean refugees produced by the Chosun Ilbo as part of its global cross-media program. The film was shown at the request of the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration and watched by some dozen officials involved in the North Korean refugee issue.
The segment they watched contained scenes of a North Korean woman sold to China across the Duman (or Tumen) River for W46,000 (US$1=W977), a North Korean drug dealer crossing the river naked, and the suffering of North Korean women suffering hardships after being sold to Chinese men.
A U.S. diplomat said the scenes were "shocking" and asked how the crew managed to shoot the footage in the dangerous Chinese-North Korean border area. U.S. diplomats were reportedly curious to discover how China and North Korea treat the North Korean refugees who've crossed the border, and especially what happened to the North Koreans who appeared in the film.
The film, parts of which have been shown all over the world, appears to have helped raise awareness of the plight of North Korean refugees. A State Department official said Congress advised the State Department to address the human rights situation in North Korea and the issue of North Korean refugees, and several State Department offices are currently discussing ways to do so.
Earlier, on March 13, U.S. Republican Senator Sam Brownback, who contributed to the U.S. Congress enacting a law on the human rights situation in North Korea, also watched a part of the film.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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