Chairwoman of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee Ileana Ros-Lehtinen took part in a rally held in front of the Chinese embassy in South Korea on Thursday, calling for a halt to the forced repatriation of North Korean escapees by the Chinese government.

Ros-Lehtinen also demanded the release of Kim Young-hwan and three other human rights activists from South Korea who have been detained in China for the past two months.

Civic groups that have been working to make the plight of North Korean escapees a global issue sincerely welcomed the participation of the U.S. congresswoman.

Calls for the release of Kim Young-hwan from the international community have also become stronger.

Advocacy organization Christian Solidarity Worldwide announced its opposition to the human rights activists' detention, and British human rights groups urged for their unconditional and immediate release.