Ahn Hakseop Repatriation Group Criticizes Foreign Ministry for Repeated "Under Review" Responses, Vows to Use All Means

Ministry of Foreign Affairs: "Reviewing Various Options"
Repatriation Group: "How Much Longer Can This War Veteran Wait?"

The Ahn Hakseop Repatriation Promotion Group, which is working to facilitate the humanitarian repatriation of Ahn Hakseop (age 95), a long-term non-defector who spent 42 years in prison, criticized the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for issuing only a general response that it is "considering various options."

On November 11, the group stated, "The authorities keep repeating that they are 'considering various options.' No one can guarantee how long a war veteran, who is nearly 100 years old, can continue to wait."

On October 14, the group submitted a petition through the National Petition Portal, requesting government cooperation for "the repatriation of Mr. Ahn Hakseop via a third country." At the time, they held a press conference declaring, "We will travel to North Korea via Russia or China," and asked the government to support specific procedures, including the issuance of entry visas for China and Russia and the establishment of a negotiation channel with North Korea. They also formally delivered a letter requesting cooperation on repatriation to the Ministry of Unification and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs using the petition process.

Ahn Hakseop, a long-term non-defector prisoner of war, is speaking at the "Major Announcement Press Conference on the Schedule for the Repatriation of Prisoner of War Ahn Hakseop at Panmunjom," held on August 13 in Jongno-gu, Seoul. From left: Han Myunghee, Co-Director of the Ahn Hakseop Repatriation Promotion Group; Mr. Ahn; Lee Jeok, Co-Director of the Ahn Hakseop Repatriation Promotion Group. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Afterward, the Ministry of Unification stated that promoting the repatriation of long-term non-defectors is a basic government policy, but emphasized that confirmation of North Korea's intentions is necessary. Even if repatriation via a third country is pursued, "fundamentally, confirmation of intentions between the two Koreas is required," and "North Korea's intentions must be confirmed first," the ministry stressed.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded, "The government is reviewing various options in accordance with its basic policy of promoting the repatriation of long-term non-defectors on humanitarian and humanistic grounds," adding, "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will provide necessary support during this process." The ministry also stated, "We will work together with relevant ministries to make progress on resolving the issue of repatriating long-term non-defectors."

However, the repatriation group questioned, "If anything happens to Mr. Ahn, who is still waiting to return to his homeland today despite the aftereffects of brutal torture and illness, can the government take responsibility?" The group announced it would use every possible means to continue its efforts until Mr. Ahn's repatriation is achieved.

Ahn Hakseop, a long-term non-defector, is greeting after finishing a press conference urging repatriation held in front of the Government Seoul Office Building on August 30. Photo by Yonhap News

Ahn Hakseop, who was born in 1930 in Ganghwa-gun, Incheon, fought as a North Korean soldier during the Korean War. He was captured in April 1953 and convicted under the National Security Act (on charges of aiding the enemy), serving 42 years in prison before being released on Liberation Day in 1995 through a special pardon. In September 2000, following the June 15 Inter-Korean Summit, he was given the opportunity to return to North Korea as a long-term non-defector but chose to remain in the South, stating he would continue to fight until the withdrawal of U.S. forces. At that time, 63 long-term non-defectors who wished to return to North Korea were repatriated via Panmunjom, but further discussions on the matter did not continue.

Recently, as his health deteriorated, Ahn Hakseop changed his mind and officially requested the government to allow his repatriation to North Korea. In August, he attempted to enter the Unification Bridge in Paju, declaring his intention to go to North Korea via Panmunjom, but was stopped by military authorities.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.