People Power Party Lawmaker Tae Thanks U.S. Ambassador for Defector Support
The Chosun Ilbo · Kim Min-seo ·
People Power Party Lawmaker Tae Thanks U.S. Ambassador for Defector Support Ambassador Steel aided defectors during 2023 repatriation crisis, continues advocacy for North Korean refugees
Former North Korean diplomat and People Power Party lawmaker Tae Young-ho met with U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Michelle Steel on the 3rd after three years, stating, “I deeply thank Ambassador Steel and her husband for steadfastly standing by North Korean defectors on their path to freedom.”
In a Facebook post on the same day, Rep. Tae recounted how Ambassador Steel had been a crucial support during a 2023 crisis when, after North Korea reopened its borders post-COVID, China began mass forced repatriations of detained defectors. He explained that at the time, “families in South Korea and defector groups desperately appealed, and even the Prime Minister urged a halt, but China remained unmoved.” A defector delegation then turned to the U.S. as a last hope.
He added, “The UN only repeated its principled stance against forced repatriation, and the walls of the U.S. Congress seemed insurmountable in Washington. It was then-Rep. Steel who reached out first amid the despair.” Ambassador Steel met the delegation directly, sent letters to colleagues urging solidarity, and led media interviews to expose China’s inhumane forced repatriations globally.
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