'52 Years Buried Story' Families of Abductees Found

Ministry of Unification's Abduction Countermeasures Team Locates Victims' Families
Kim Says "Even My Last Remaining Brother Was Taken by North Korea"
Decision to Support Family of Kim Sunsik, Abducted in 1972

"I missed my brother, but I just thought he was someone I could never meet again..."

The government has located the family of a South Korean citizen abducted 52 years ago in the East Sea, confirmed the victim's status, and decided to provide support. The Ministry of Unification has additionally identified victims who were excluded from past surveys.

The 10th Memorial Day for the Victims of Abduction during the Korean War held at the Imjingak National 6.25 War Abductees Memorial Hall in Paju, Gyeonggi Province.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Ministry of Unification's Abductee Measures Team announced on the 24th that they identified the whereabouts of Mr. Kim, the younger brother of post-war abductee Kim Sun-sik, and confirmed through investigation that he is a family member of a post-war abductee victim. Since April, the Ministry of Unification has been conducting a survey in cooperation with the National Police Agency on families of abductee victims who have not received government support due to unknown whereabouts and other reasons. Kim Sun-sik was abducted in May 1972 in the East Sea.

The Ministry of Unification held the 60th Abductee Victim Compensation and Support Deliberation Committee on the 12th and 13th of last month, recognizing Mr. Kim, the younger brother of Kim Sun-sik, as a family member of a post-war abductee victim and resolved to provide victim consolation payments.

Vice Minister Kim Soo-kyung met Mr. Kim that morning and comforted him for the hardships he endured as a family member of an abductee victim. Although the Post-War Abductee Act was enacted in April 2007 and a survey for victim consolation payments was conducted until 2011, Mr. Kim revealed that he had been too busy making a living to receive any information or support.

Mr. Kim lamented, "My parents had nine children, but seven passed away at a young age. Only my brother and I survived, but even my brother was taken away by North Korea." He added, "Whenever I missed my brother, I wanted to apply for a reunion of separated families, but in the end, I just thought he was someone I could never meet again. When I received a call from the Ministry of Unification and heard my brother's name, my heart was heavy."

Vice Minister Kim Soo-kyung said, "It must have been a great emotional hardship over the long years, but I am very relieved that you have been able to find your family now. The government is finally able to fulfill its rightful duty, even if only a little."

Kim Soo-kyung, Vice Minister of Unification, is consoling Kim Mo, the younger sibling of Kim Soon-sik, a person abducted to the North around the 24th. The Unification Ministry's Abductee Measures Team is cooperating with the National Police Agency to identify the whereabouts of families of abductee victims and is discovering individuals who had been excluded from government support. [Photo by Ministry of Unification]

At the Camp David summit last August, South Korea, the United States, and Japan confirmed their joint commitment to resolving the issues of abductees, detainees, and Korean War POWs, and the Ministry of Unification established a ministerial-level Abductee Measures Team in response.

The Abductee Measures Team provided victim consolation payments last November to families of detainees such as missionaries Kim Jeong-wook, Kim Guk-gi, and Choi Chun-gil, and is conducting surveys to locate families who have not received government support. There are a total of 516 post-war abductees, of whom 98 have no family in the South or have unknown whereabouts and thus have not received government support. In cooperation with the National Police Agency, the Abductee Measures Team conducted local inquiries for 41 individuals whose regional information was identified and plans to continue additional investigations and confirmations until November.

An official from the Ministry of Unification stated, "We will prioritize the protection of our citizens and expand public consensus, and through cooperation with the international community, we will do our utmost to resolve the issues of abductees, detainees, and Korean War POWs."