MVFHR in South Korea

Here is a photo of Bud Welch speaking at MVFHR's press conference at the Catholic Pastoral Center for Social Correction, in South Korea


and here are Bud, Bob Curley, and Toshi Kazama meeting with Korean victims' family members



Toshi writes that there were 8 Korean victims' family members joining the U.S. visitors at this meeting. Over the course of two days in South Korea, the MVFHR group also met with the head of the Human Rights Aid division of the Ministry of Justice, the Chairperson of the Judiciary Committee of the National Assembly, and a member of the National Assembly who had introduced a death penalty abolition bill. The visit then culminated with a large public speaking event, "Don't kill in our name."

Many groups helped to make all of this happen: Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea Justice and Peace Subcommittee for Abolition of Death Penalty. Pan-Religious Coalition for the Abolition of Death Penalty, Won Buddhist Human Rights Committee, Catholic Pastoral Committee for Social Correction of Korea, Catholic Human Rights Committee, National Council of Churches in Korea Justice and Peace Committee, and Coalition of Abolition of Death Penalty in Korea.

Bud, Bob, and Toshi have now met up with Renny Cushing, Jeanne Bishop, and Robert Meeropol in Japan, where there are engaged in a similarly full schedule of press conferences, meetings, and public speaking events. I'll post photos and quick reports as I get them.