SEOUL, May 8 (UPI) -- North Korea says the wife of famed defector Oh Kil-nam has died of hepatitis in the Yoduck political prison camp, although he believes she is still alive.
Ri Jang-gon, deputy North Korean representative to the United Nations, issued a letter dated April 27 to the U.N. Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearance, saying: "Ms. Sin Suk-ja, the ex-wife of Oh, died of the hepatitis that she has suffered since the 1980's." The letter was revealed in a press conference Tuesday held by The International Coalition to Stop Crimes against Humanity in North Korea.
Oh escaped North Korea alone in 1986 leaving behind his wife and two daughters. His family was allegedly sent to the Yoduck camp. Yonhap News Agency reported several other defectors from the North have claimed to have seen his wife in the camp.
After fleeing to the South, Oh has lobbied for the release of his family with support from the North Korean human rights advocacy group.
Ri's letter also alleged Oh's daughters have disowned their father because "he abandoned his family and drove their mother to death.
Because the North is known to force false statements out of detainees, and because Ri's claims could not be verified, Oh responded to the letter saying, "I think she's still alive," and vowed to continue to fight for his family's freedom. He also denied having divorced his wife, as the letter alleges by calling his wife by her maiden name.
