Rev. Ogle Wins 5th Human Rights Award

"I was not surprised when I heard the announcement of the fact-finding committee of mysterious deaths that the People`s Revolution Party`s events were manipulated. Because we have already known the truth for the past 30 years."

George Ogle, 73-year old American Reverend, was deported from Korea when he revealed that the People`s Revolution Party`s events were manipulated by tortures at a prayer meeting in October, 1974.

Rev. Ogle was selected as the winner of the 5th Korea Human Rights Award by the Korean Institute for Human Rights for his efforts to improve the status of Korean laborers. He recalled those past days in a press conference held before the awarding ceremony yesterday.

"I heard the details from wives of those who implicated in the events at a weekly-held prayer meeting. They asked me for help, but I couldn`t be of any help. Instead, I prayed for their husbands at the prayer meeting and told other prayers about those who were tortured and killed on false charges."

Rev. Ogle was detained and tortured by then Korea Central Intelligence Agency(KCIA) for remarks he made at the weekly prayer meeting before being kicked out of the country in December, 1974.

"I was interrogated for 17 hours at the KCIA. They wanted me to confess that I was a Communist and prayed for Communists. When I refused to confess, KCIA agents forced me to confess that I prayed for Communists without knowing they were Communists. But I never gave in. Later on, I gave a lecture on labor-management relations at the Seoul National University. The KCIA expelled me on the charge that I was violated the Visa Act by giving a lecture as a missionary."

The international community vehemently criticized the government for Ogle`s expulsion. Rev. Ogle has continuously tried heart and soul to make the truth on the People`s Revolution Party known to the world even after being deported to his motherland. He testified about the event in front of the us congressional hearings, and toured all across the US to raise the public awareness about Korea`s human rights status.

Rev. Ogle majored in theology in Duke University and served as a missionary in Korea from 1954. He has committed himself to enhancing the status of labor workers in Korea since 1960.

Rev. Ogle has so great affection to Korea that he even gave himself and his wife a Korean name, Oh Myoung-geol, and Oh Sun-hwa respectively.

He recently published a historical novel titled `How Long, O Lord- Stories of Twentieth Century Korea`.

buddy@donga.com