Please read Four US Congressmen Urge North Korea to Free Missionary Bae, by Alex Dobuzinskis, at SRN News.
"The last surviving members of the U.S. Congress to have served in the Korean War have sent a letter to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un asking him to release imprisoned American missionary Kenneth Bae.North Korea in December released 85-year-old Korean War veteran Merrill E. Newman, a former U.S. special forces soldier who had been held since October after visiting the country as a tourist, and the members of Congress applauded that in the letter seeking Bae’s freedom.
" “You have done the right thing by releasing a fellow Korean War veteran, Merrill E. Newman, to return home, you would be making further progress on the humanitarian front by freeing Kenneth Bae to reunite with his family,” stated a copy of the letter obtained by Reuters on Wednesday.
"The letter, signed by Democrat Charles Rangel from New York, Democrat John Conyers Jr. from Michigan, Republican Sam Johnson from Texas and Republican Howard Coble from North Carolina, is not seen as having nearly as much influence on the North Korean leaders as a possible visit from a U.S. envoy.
"Bae, 45, has been held for more than a year by North Korea, which convicted him of trying to overthrow the state and sentenced him to 15 years of hard labor. Rangel and a congressman from Washington state, where Bae lived, invited his family to attend President Barack Obama’s state of the union speech last month.
"Bae’s sister, Terri Chung, said in an interview she was grateful to the four congressmen for calling attention to her brother’s situation. “When there’s more awareness of Kenneth’s plight, I think that’s always a good thing,” she said.
"Chung said Bae’s Seattle-area family has not spoken to him since a December 29 phone call, one of three that North Korea has allowed Bae to have with his family since his detention in November 2012. Bae’s mother was permitted to visit him in Pyongyang in October."
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