Norbert Vollertsen Update

Norbert has given me permission to print his e-mail in full:

Dear Joshua,

Thank you for your message! I am in Seoul ~ it worked again like in January after the tsunami when I returned from Indonesia with a Korean medical aid team. This time I came back from the Philippines with another Korean aid team and I got a “final notice” but was allowed to enter the country even when I refused to sign any document. I do not know if this was because of any influence of the US govenment, the lobbying of GNP member Kim Moon~soo on my behalf or just … bureaucrazyness….

So I will stay in Seoul … and continue despite the “final notice” says :

~ Anyone with tourist visa including B1 should not beallowed to do any political activities according tothe Immigration Law Article 17,1 and 2

~ You are not allowed to do anything which maydisadvantage the Korean government and endanger thepublic security and public order according to the Immigration Law Article 11, 1~3 and 8

~ In case you don’t abide by the statement above you shall be subject to any measures including deportation etc.

So will stressing the suffering of the North Korean people disadvantage the Korean Government?

Virtually I was blocked to go even outside of my apartment whenever there was any activity like a conference or any other public event with the head of state because ~ according to some journalists ~ the first lady felt threatened when I was around…

So what shall I do ?

I will continue my job with some more “underground activities”…

Best regards

Norbert

Among the activities he plans are protests in Kaesong and elsewhere on NK territory, which raises some obvious safety concerns that I’ll be able to ask Dr. Vollertsen, who has kindly agreed to an interview. Feel free to nominate questions.