26 January 2024

Kyudok Hong, the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea in Budapest, delivered a presentation entitled "Relentless Revolution" at the latest event of the Institute for the Research of Communism. According to the former South Korean Deputy Defence Minister, Hungary and Hungarians set an example for Seoul in the fight against the communist dictatorship. The professor emeritus argued that North Korea must stop its missile tests without delay; an immediate ceasefire is essential in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, in which communist Korea is supporting Moscow with arms. The ambassador considers the House of Terror Museum a bastion for freedom fighters.

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At the event, Mária Schmidt, Director General of the House of Terror Museum and Széchenyi Prize-winning historian, noted in her speech that our country is important for Seoul, because once the border - which divided a nation - is abolished, the Korean people may benefit from the experiences and achievements of Hungary gained during the regime change. Regarding the resolution of the Russian-Ukrainian war, the historian pointed out:

she sees a solution similar to the establishment of a borderline to end the Korean War as the most likely outcome of Moscow's war with Kiev.

Rajmund Fekete, director of the Institute for the Research of Communism, explained that the North Korean dictatorship is not unknown for us Hungarians, as we Hungarians have been "building" communism for almost half a century, which was a dictatorship from the very first moment until the last.

Regarding the history of a divided Korea, Hong Kyudok said that a fourth generation of the Kim dynasty could take power if the current leader, Kim Jong-un, dies. He recalled that Pyongyang has 16 types of ballistic missiles in its arsenal and has conducted numerous missile tests in the past few years. The latter poses concrete threats not only to South Korea but also to Japan. He pointed out that, while the North Korean people are malnourished and the country is facing food shortages, the regime's leadership has spent $500 million on ballistic missile tests in 2022.

Kyudok Hong said that North Korea's communist terror state ignores human rights and is also deeply violating women's rights. He highlighted that 75 per cent of those who fled the country are members of the female population. He also added that Pyongyang is using millions of dollars from cybercrime to finance its missile tests, which carry a permanent, daily threat to tens of millions of people.

The ambassador stated that his country considers Hungary as a constructive partner, and counts on Budapest not only in economic but also in other spheres. Among the latter he mentioned the implementation of the confrontation with the communist past, in which the House of Terror Museum serves as a flagship. In Hong Kyudok's strong opinion, the museum is a "bastion of freedom fighters". He firmly believes that Hungary treats South Korea as a friend. He declared that

Hungary's government made the right decision when it passed a law to protect the sovereignty of our country in order to safeguard its independence.

In connection with the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, the former deputy defence minister noted that the war should be brought to an end as soon as possible, especially since Pyongyang is supporting Moscow with arms, which in turn provides it with military equipment and food. This cooperation is a threat to South Korea.

Kyudok Hong emphasized that a Russian-Ukrainian ceasefire and peace agreement could save many lives and end the further destruction of built and constructed assets. The Ambassador said that he is counting on Hungary, one of the staunch defenders of Christian communities, to help in the persecution of Christians in North Korea.

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