Son of North Korea hijack victim demands return of father
December 8, 2019, 9:53 am

Son of North Korea hijack victim demands return of father

South Korean Hwang In-cheol holds a photo showing himself with his father. (File photo AP)

The son of a hijacking victim and his supporters on Sunday once more demanded North Korea return his father, five decades after Pyongyang diverted a plane carrying 50 South Koreans on board.

Hwang Won was on a domestic Korean Air flight from Gangneung to Seoul’s Gimpo airport on December 11, 1969, only for the aircraft to be hijacked by a North Korean spy 10 minutes after takeoff and made to land in Pyongyang.

Two months later, 39 passengers were repatriated, but the North never returned 11 people including Hwang -- whose son, who was two at the time of the hijacking, has continued to fight for his release.

Returning passengers said Hwang Won had been dragged away after resisting indoctrination efforts and questioning North Korea’s ideology.

Hwang In-cheol, now in his 50s, was joined Sunday by dozens of supporters at Imjingak, just south of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) dividing the two Koreas, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the hijacking next Wednesday.

“World leaders won’t do anything about this until enough of us speak up,” Hwang said in a petition calling for the release of his father.

“North Korea is the worst country in the world, and will remain so until humanity forces it to change,” he said.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has engaged in a flurry of diplomacy since last year, including summits with US President Donald Trump and the South’s President Moon Jae-in, but activists say the issue of human rights has largely been off the table.

With temperatures dipping below zero in the bitter weather, activists waved posters reading, “We stand with Hwang In-cheol”, and flew paper airplanes with messages to his father that said: “See you this Christmas!”

Hwang wrote on a ribbon “North Korea, send my father home” and tied it on a wall of other ribbons on a barbed wire fence.

For Hwang In-cheol’s supporters, his case is a reminder of the luxuries in life that are often taken for granted.

“I can call my dad at any time, I can see my family, I can go home, I know where my family is,” said Jennifer Bowman, a member of TNKR, a nonprofit group helping North Korean refugees.

“That really made me realize this is an issue that applies to everyone.”

source: AFP

German minister urges more action against Russia on killing Trapped gold miners found dead in South Africa

BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”