Han Jae-bok, a South Korean POW who was taken to North Korea and forced into labor during the Korean War and later defected, passed away on the 8th at the age of 89.
Han was from Jeongeup, Jeonbuk, and voluntarily enlisted in 1951. In December of that year, he was captured by Chinese forces and taken to North Korea. From September 1953, he was assigned to the Ministry of Interior Construction Unit in North Korea, where he worked in coal mines. After escaping from North Korea in 2001 and returning to South Korea, he served as the chairman of the Returned South Korean POWs Association and advocated for the repatriation of South Korean POWs.
The late Mr. Han filed a damages lawsuit against North Korea and Chairman Kim Jong-un, winning the case in 2020. This was the first domestic ruling recognizing North Korea's obligation to compensate South Korean POWs.
The funeral will be held at Room 202 of the National Military Capital Integrated Hospital Funeral Hall in Seongnam from 10 a.m. on the 9th, with the funeral service on the 11th. With his passing, the number of defected South Korean POWs remaining in South Korea has decreased to 13.
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