Unification Ministry: "North Korean Resident's Body to Be Handed Over at Panmunjom on August 5"... Unprecedented Public Notification

North Korea Aware of Situation Through UN Command Channel
...But No Response Yet

The government announced on July 29 that it plans to hand over the body of a man, presumed to be a North Korean resident, through Panmunjom on August 5. The body was discovered on June 21 on the coast of Seokmodo, Ganghwa, Incheon. It is unusual for the government to publicly disclose both the identity of the deceased and the details of the repatriation plan to the media.

Byeongsam Koo, Spokesperson of the Ministry of Unification

On this day, Koo Byungsam, spokesperson for the Ministry of Unification, stated, "The government has found a body believed to be a resident of your side (North Korea) and is keeping it at a nearby hospital. On humanitarian grounds and out of brotherly compassion, we intend to hand over this body and its belongings to your side through Panmunjom at 15:00 on August 5. We ask that you promptly communicate your position via the inter-Korean communication line."

According to the government, belongings found on the body included a temporary certificate containing a North Korean address. The certificate identified the man as Ko Seongcheol, born on October 20, 1988, a farm worker residing at 21-1 Ban, Gangbuk-ri, Geumcheon-gun, North Hwanghae Province. Other belongings included a military winter uniform and a badge.

Spokesperson Koo added, "Since the inter-Korean communication line is currently cut off, it is difficult to send an official notice to the North, so we are conveying the notification through the media."

A Ministry of Unification official told reporters, "Regarding this matter, we have notified North Korea through the United Nations Command (UNC). Although we have not received a response, North Korea is already aware of the situation." If North Korea does not respond by the time of the government's notification, the body will be cremated as unclaimed in accordance with relevant laws.

There have been previous cases where the bodies of North Korean residents have drifted to the South. Since 2010, a total of 29 bodies presumed to be North Korean residents have been found. Of these, 23 were taken back by North Korea, while 6 were not claimed and were cremated. The last time North Korea accepted a body was in November 2019.