On Thursday, the Presidential Office announced that President Lee Jae Myung would address the situation regarding South Korean nationals detained in North Korea. The office stated that it will work to resume inter-Korean dialogue swiftly based on national consensus.
In a media release that morning, the Presidential Office revealed that it has identified six South Korean citizens (including three defectors) who were detained on charges of espionage and other offenses between 2013 and 2016.
The office explained that with inter-Korean dialogue and exchanges suspended for an extended period, its people continue to suffer due to the division. Resolving this issue is urgent.
The previous day, during a press conference marking the one-year anniversary of the state of emergency, President Lee was caught off guard when an NK News reporter asked about efforts to address the ten South Koreans detained in North Korea. President Lee responded that his is the first he’s hearing of this.
President Lee then asked National Security Office Director Wi Sung-lac about the truth of South Koreans being held, since when and under what circumstances. Wi replied that there are cases where individuals can’t leave after entering or are detained under unknown circumstances. It needs to determine the timeline.
As the facts remained unclear, President Lee concluded that this appears to have happened some time ago, so it lacks specific information. He will gather more details and make an informed decision.
North Korea is currently illegally detaining six South Koreans, including missionaries Kim Jung-wook, Kim Guk-ki, and Choi Chun-gil, along with three defectors. Pyongyang has not even confirmed their status. Seoul is urging the release and repatriation of its citizens, but North Korea claims they are serious criminals and refuses to engage in discussions.
On March 13 (Geneva time), the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council’s Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) demanded the release of the detained missionaries, including Kim Jung-wook, Kim Guk-ki, and Choi Chun-gil, declaring their detention arbitrary.
Kim Geon, a lawmaker serving as the secretary of the ruling People Power Party on the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, criticized the situation on Facebook. He stated that the reporter who asked the question and other foreign journalists must have been shocked by the president’s unexpected response, adding that it’s deeply concerning that the president was unaware of the basic fact that there are South Korean detainees in North Korea.
