Information Received About Ahn Jae-ku Following His Release

Excerpt from letter to Committee on Human Rights (CHR) Chair Torsten Wiesel, August 18, 1999, from Embassy of Korea in Washington, D.C., formally announcing Professor Ahn’s release:

I am writing in response to your letter expressing concern to our government about the state of imprisonment of Professor Ahn Jae-ku. We were recently notified by the Ministry of Justice that Professor Ahn has been granted amnesty on August 15, 1999, the annual day of the Presidential pardon.

According to the Ministry of Justice, this amnesty was undertaken not only in consideration of his age, but also as a result of accommodating the appeal from various domestic and international humanitarian organizations.

I hope you find this information to your gratification.

Excerpt from letter to CHR Director Carol Corillon, August 18, 1999, from Professor Ahn’s daughter, Ahn So-young, following his release:

My father and I, first of all, we told about your activity. Your statement about my father . . . was reported widely in Korean press. My father said that it gave a great courage to him in prison. We thought that your activity was to be the contribution definitely for the release of my father.

My father said that he appreciated to NAS, and he cannot forget your action which concerned . . . another colleague foreign. He came near being deprived of his lifelong liberty, but he is set free. This is thanks to your activity. About the release of my father, there are so many opposite opinions, but the statement by the prominent association as NAS had an effect to appease the opposite . . . Carol, . . . please convey our gratitude to your committee. We never forget your concern and effort.

[My father] said that he would devote his energy to his studies, and he also would endeavor for the democracy and reunification of his country. He said that he wants really to make over the unification [of our] country to the future generation . . . the end of last month, my grandfather was dead, his aged is 87. After all, he didn’t meet his son. My family and my father, especially he is in deep grief.

The CHR has learned from reliable sources in South Korea that Professor Ahn is under surveillance and that his amnesty can be rescinded at any time. Following his release, Professor Ahn spoke by telephone with a journalist from Science. The article appeared in the 8/20/99 issue.

On August 18, 1999, the CHR received a letter from a former student of Professor Ahn which is summarized below:

After Professor Ahn walked through the main gate of Taeku prison and greeted his wife and daughter, as well as a few dozen other people including friends, members of human rights, and journalists, he said that prisoners of conscience and students "who were not released even this time, must be freed as soon as possible."

Professor Ahn, who is reported to be in reasonably good health considering his age and long imprisonment, plans to write his autobiography with a special focus on his life as a scholar and activist. He said, however, that first he must fully recover his health and then thank all of the people around the world who worked to gain his release.

Professor Ahn expressed his deep gratitude to the CHR and said that "the efforts and concerns from NAS, especially the strong statement and letter to President Kim and the Korean government [exerted] the greatest pressure in making the government decide to release him at the last stage of the selection."