Four months have passed since An Hak-seop, a long-term prisoner who refused to change his ideology, requested the government to facilitate his return to North Korea. However, discussions between the two Koreas regarding his repatriation have not even begun. Recently, President Lee Jae Myung emphasized the necessity for repatriation, but as the rift between North and South persists, the chances of An’s imminent return remain slim.
According to representatives from the An Repatriation Promotion Team and the Ministry of Unification, both parties met on Monday to discuss matters related to his repatriation.
During this meeting, the Ministry of Unification stated that, as the President recently mentioned, they are exploring various options. However, the current relationship with North Korea is at an impasse, leaving them with no viable actions to take.
In response, the promotion team announced plans to submit a North Korean Resident Contact Notification to the Ministry of Unification soon, aiming to initiate civilian-level contacts. The Ministry indicated it would accept this approach, as it currently supports full civilian engagement with North Korea.
Previously, on November 23, President Lee mentioned the repatriation of long-term prisoners as one of the measures to improve inter-Korean relations while speaking to reporters on Air Force One en route to Turkey after attending the G20 summit in South Africa.
The President stated that many of these long-term prisoners are over 90 years old, and don’t know how much time they have left. Why should it prevent them from returning to their hometown in North Korea? What benefit is there in keeping them here? He expressed his support for their repatriation, adding that however, despite such efforts, North Korea has shown no response, conveying his disappointment.
The government consistently maintains its stance of supporting An’s repatriation on humanitarian grounds. However, the situation remains challenging as North Korea, which is implementing a policy of hostile two states towards South Korea, continues to ignore requests for dialogue, making repatriation practically difficult.
An, born in 1930 in Ganghwa County, Incheon, fought for North Korea during the Korean War. He was captured in April 1953, convicted under the National Defense Law for treason, and served 42 years before being released in a special pardon on Liberation Day in 1995.
In 2000, during the Kim Dae-jung administration, 63 long-term prisoners were repatriated through the Panmunjom summit, but An chose to remain, stating that he will continue to fight until the U.S. military leaves.
Recently, however, he decided to change his mind due to deteriorating health and officially requested the government for his repatriation to North Korea. In August, he attempted to cross into North Korea via the Unification Bridge in Paju but was stopped by military authorities.