MAVOCKE--As North Korea continues to ramp up the tension on the Korean peninsula by taunting the United States with threats of war, concern is growing for a Grassadellian woman who is being held captive in North Korea.
Charlotte Gibbons, a 63-year-old Damoign woman who traveled to North Korea back in December on a humanitarian mission, is still being held in the reclusive country, three and a half months after initially being detained.
Grassadellia is feverishly working to secure Gibbons release, Deputy Secretary of Foreign Affairs Dawnelle Hunter-Garrett told the media.
"We have been working tirelessly to get her out of there, and we are continuing our best efforts to bring Charlotte Gibbons back home," Hunter-Garrett said at a press conference Friday.
With North Korea's recent "bellicose rhetoric," as the United States called it, the Grassadellian State Department fears Gibbons may be in an increasingly dangerous situation.
"North Korea is never a really safe place to go, in terms of coming back," Hunter-Garrett explained. "But in this case, Miss Gibbons was traveling there on a humanitarian mission, with a group from the European Union. So she was there on official humanitarian business, and that should be respected and she should be allowed to return to Grassadellia."
Gibbons was detained by North Korean officials, for what the state-ran media called "harboring illegal drug activity in the DPRK," which stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, a name the oppressive government officially uses.
Grassadellian officials believe Gibbons was not involved in any illicit activity, and that the charges against were made up.
President Brenton Menuhaeo said he is "very displeased" with Gibbons' detainment, and said Grassadellia will not allow its citizens to be held hostage in other countries.
"North Korea is engaging in a dangerous game of rhetoric and provocation. This is a regime that has oppressed its own people for decades, and is known for playing psychological games with other countries as a method of manipulation. But Grassadellia will not tolerate the abusive treatment and unlawful detainment of its citizens. Anywhere."
Menuhaeo also urged the North to stand down and back off from its recent threats.
"If North Korea provokes a war or a military conflict with the United States or with virtually any other nation, for that matter, it will not end in North Korea's favor, I can tell you that," Menuhaeo said.
Meanwhile, the family of Charlotte Gibbons is praying for her quick and safe return.
"This has been three months of hell for us," sister Kathy Genn told the STAR network. "We just want our Char back. We want her back here safe with us."
Back in Mavocke, Deschire Sen. Jim Frasier (C), who is the ranking member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has called for Grassadellian naval ships to be mobilized to the East China Sea.
"The US is sending ships there. Why not join them with a couple of Grassadellian naval destroyers. Just to show North Korea we are very serious about defending our country and defending our citizens."
Critics argue that will only endanger Charlotte Gibbons.
"That is a really bad idea that will have a really bad outcome," Sheila Wirth, Executive Vice President of the North Korea Policy Institute in Grassadellia City told the Mavocke Capitol newspaper.
Instead, Wirth and some members of Congress are calling for negotiations.
"What we need is a Bill Richardson or a Tony Blair to go over to North Korea and negotiate, peacefully and without increasing tensions, the release of Miss Gibbons," Marchenay Sen. Joseph Milhaughly (N) said after the Foreign Relations Committee hearing. "Bill Richardson did it with the US and Laura Ling. And we can do it too, but we need to act quickly and rationally."
Skeptics say a negotiation is unlikely right now, as North Korea is projecting a strong, bold and brazen image. A negotiation might be seen as a sign of weakness, they say.
"I think a negotiated release is very unlikely at this time. North Korea is not going to release someone in the midst of this arms competition they're having with the US," Sen. Paul Ludtke (DR-Ansleigha) told Good Morning Grassadellia. "The best thing we can do at this point is to back off, try to simmer things down and put the pressure on China to persuade the North Koreans to back off as well. And then we can negotiate the release."
Charlotte Gibbons' family, however, wants immediate action.
"Every day is precious. Every day that goes by is a missed opportunity," said Genn, her younger sister. "We just want her to know we are doing everything we can to bring her back."
Charlotte Gibbons, a 63-year-old Damoign woman who traveled to North Korea back in December on a humanitarian mission, is still being held in the reclusive country, three and a half months after initially being detained.
Grassadellia is feverishly working to secure Gibbons release, Deputy Secretary of Foreign Affairs Dawnelle Hunter-Garrett told the media.
"We have been working tirelessly to get her out of there, and we are continuing our best efforts to bring Charlotte Gibbons back home," Hunter-Garrett said at a press conference Friday.
With North Korea's recent "bellicose rhetoric," as the United States called it, the Grassadellian State Department fears Gibbons may be in an increasingly dangerous situation.
"North Korea is never a really safe place to go, in terms of coming back," Hunter-Garrett explained. "But in this case, Miss Gibbons was traveling there on a humanitarian mission, with a group from the European Union. So she was there on official humanitarian business, and that should be respected and she should be allowed to return to Grassadellia."
Gibbons was detained by North Korean officials, for what the state-ran media called "harboring illegal drug activity in the DPRK," which stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, a name the oppressive government officially uses.
Grassadellian officials believe Gibbons was not involved in any illicit activity, and that the charges against were made up.
President Brenton Menuhaeo said he is "very displeased" with Gibbons' detainment, and said Grassadellia will not allow its citizens to be held hostage in other countries.
"North Korea is engaging in a dangerous game of rhetoric and provocation. This is a regime that has oppressed its own people for decades, and is known for playing psychological games with other countries as a method of manipulation. But Grassadellia will not tolerate the abusive treatment and unlawful detainment of its citizens. Anywhere."
Menuhaeo also urged the North to stand down and back off from its recent threats.
"If North Korea provokes a war or a military conflict with the United States or with virtually any other nation, for that matter, it will not end in North Korea's favor, I can tell you that," Menuhaeo said.
Meanwhile, the family of Charlotte Gibbons is praying for her quick and safe return.
"This has been three months of hell for us," sister Kathy Genn told the STAR network. "We just want our Char back. We want her back here safe with us."
Back in Mavocke, Deschire Sen. Jim Frasier (C), who is the ranking member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has called for Grassadellian naval ships to be mobilized to the East China Sea.
"The US is sending ships there. Why not join them with a couple of Grassadellian naval destroyers. Just to show North Korea we are very serious about defending our country and defending our citizens."
Critics argue that will only endanger Charlotte Gibbons.
"That is a really bad idea that will have a really bad outcome," Sheila Wirth, Executive Vice President of the North Korea Policy Institute in Grassadellia City told the Mavocke Capitol newspaper.
Instead, Wirth and some members of Congress are calling for negotiations.
"What we need is a Bill Richardson or a Tony Blair to go over to North Korea and negotiate, peacefully and without increasing tensions, the release of Miss Gibbons," Marchenay Sen. Joseph Milhaughly (N) said after the Foreign Relations Committee hearing. "Bill Richardson did it with the US and Laura Ling. And we can do it too, but we need to act quickly and rationally."
Skeptics say a negotiation is unlikely right now, as North Korea is projecting a strong, bold and brazen image. A negotiation might be seen as a sign of weakness, they say.
"I think a negotiated release is very unlikely at this time. North Korea is not going to release someone in the midst of this arms competition they're having with the US," Sen. Paul Ludtke (DR-Ansleigha) told Good Morning Grassadellia. "The best thing we can do at this point is to back off, try to simmer things down and put the pressure on China to persuade the North Koreans to back off as well. And then we can negotiate the release."
Charlotte Gibbons' family, however, wants immediate action.
"Every day is precious. Every day that goes by is a missed opportunity," said Genn, her younger sister. "We just want her to know we are doing everything we can to bring her back."
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