- by Sebastian Peady
- The Guardian
- Issue #2160
Six men, all former soldiers and spies of the DPRK, all of whom had been arrested and imprisoned in South Korea decades ago, have collectively submitted a formal request to the unification ministry of the South Korean government to repatriate them to the DPRK. All six men have been unable to return home since their releases from prison.
Yang Won-jin, 96, Ahn Hak-sop, 95, and four others were arrested before and after the Korean war by the fascist puppet state installed by the American military occupation. Each of these men served decades in prison as all bravely refused to renounce communism in the face of the South’s assault on freedom and democracy. Many before them have made similar demands, but died before their wishes to return home could be fulfilled.
The last and so far only time South Korea has allowed such a repatriation to happen was back in 2000, when 63 former prisoners were returned to the DPRK through Panmunjom, the truce village on the border between the two countries. Ahn Hak-sop had the chance to return to the DPRK during this repatriation, but he chose to stay as an act of defiance against the US military presence in South Korea. Recent health scares made him decide to return to the DPRK, saying in interview with CNN “I want to go back to the home of my ideology. It would be too much of a resentment to be buried in the colony even after death.”
Ahn Hak-sop participated in a rally, marching along the southern border to the Unification Bridge, at which he gave the speech, “I miss the North, where my comrades are. It’s unbearable. I want to be buried in the free land. Independent nation. A land free from imperialism.”
A civic group advocating for the repatriation of these six men argued that the South Korean government should allow them to be returned to the North. This group argued that the men should be treated as prisoners of war, noting that the Geneva Conventions mandates humanitarian treatment in war.
An official from the Unification Ministry said that the government is “well aware of the demands” and was “looking at various ways to address this.” The official also added that it expects more former prisoners from the DPRK to make similar demands, but could not give a precise figure as to how many are still alive.
This request comes after South Korea’s newly elected president, Lee Jae-myung, vowed to resume dialogue and improve ties with the DPRK. Lee started improving relations with the DPRK by removing loudspeakers along the border which had been broadcasting anti-DPRK, pro-South messages, with the intent of encouraging migration. This is already a massive improvement from South Korea’s previous president, Yoon Suk Yeol, who attempted to enact martial law and provoke war with the DPRK.
