[The Chosun Ilbo, March 5 2008] Shock Greets Chosun Film on N.Korean Refugees

Viewers in Korea and abroad responded with shock to a documentary on North Korean refugees produced by the Chosun Ilbo and aired on cable TV channels Monday. Internet portal sites including Chosun.com and Naver were inundated with postings saying it had been high time the story was told.

One Internet user, a subscriber to Chosun.com, said, "It's been 10 years since the news about 3 million starved North Korean people spread around the world. The South Korean people, press and broadcasters should be ashamed for having turned a deaf ear to the situation in the North." The user added, "I'd like to praise the Chosun Ilbo and Durihana Mission," a South Korean group supporting North Korean refugees.

Another Web user, who watched the first of the documentary's four parts on cable channel tvN, said, "Watching the program chilled my heart. The program really made me question myself." As of Tuesday, some 90 people had donated approximately W9 million (US$1=W947) to Durihana Mission as a result of the program.