The Unification Ministry here said earlier this week that six former North Korean soldiers have recently requested repatriation. Now in their 80s and 90s, they spent decades in prisons here after refusing to abandon communist ideologies and pledge their allegiance to the South.
The ministry said these are believed to be the last remaining prisoners of war (POWs) here, though others may still remain.
Among them was 95-year-old Ahn Hak-sop, who tried to cross a bridge in Paju, north of Seoul, on his way to Panmunjom to enter North Korea. The bridge is inside a restricted military zone that requires approval from both the South Korean military and the United Nations Command. He was stopped by soldiers at a checkpoint.
Ahn said he had endured "humiliation and torture" for refusing to sign such a statement, claiming that it would be "unfair to remain buried here [in South Korea] even after death."
His supporters also argued that former POWs should be allowed to return to their homeland.
The ministry said it is reviewing the matter on humanitarian grounds but stressed that immediate repatriation is impossible due to various factors and circumstances. "Various options are under review," a ministry official said.
Ahn, who hailed from Ganghwa Island , was captured in 1953 during the Korean War and spent 42 years in prison before being released in 1995. In 2000, shortly after the first inter-Korean summit, South Korea repatriated some 63 long-term prisoners through Panmunjom. At that time, Ahn declined to join, vowing to continue his struggle here until U.S. troops leave the Korean Peninsula.
No further repatriations have taken place since then.
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