Pang Yang-kyun, secretary to Suh Kyung-won, an opposition member of the National Assembly who is also a prisoner of conscience, is serving a 7-year sentence on charges under the National Security Law. The charges relate to a visit Suh Kyung-won made to North Korea in 1988: Pang Yang-kyun was imprisoned for failing to report the visit and for allegedly passing state secrets to a North Korean agent. AI has adopted both as prisoners of conscience. Pang Yang-kyun maintained at his trial that he had been beaten, threatened and deprived of sleep during his interrogation and that he had signed a statement under duress agreeing not to disclose his treatment by the security police. AI is calling for the release of Pang Yang-kyun and an investigation of his allegations of torture.
