Ministry of Unification "Efforts to Confirm Life Status of North Korean Detainees... 3 of 6 Are Defectors"

Minister Kwon Young-se, Meets with Families of 2 Detainees on 21st
"North Korea Must Respect 9.19 Military Agreement and Halt Provocations"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Hee-jun] Unification Minister Kwon Young-se will meet with the families of South Korean nationals detained in North Korea on the 21st. This is the first time a sitting minister has held talks with the families of detainees.

Since 2013, a total of six South Korean nationals have been detained in North Korea. This meeting involves the families of two out of three of our nationals. The remaining three detainees have been confirmed to be defectors from North Korea.

An official from the Ministry of Unification told reporters on the 20th, "Minister Kwon Young-se plans to meet with the families of two detained nationals on the 21st to offer consolation and explain the South Korean government's commitment to resolving the detainee issue," adding, "Among the six nationals detained in North Korea, three are South Korean citizens, and the other three are defectors (North Korean defectors)."

When asked about reports that North Korea had previously sentenced detainees to forced labor reform, the official said, "The government has been making efforts from the perspective of inter-Korean relations, and efforts have also been made through international organizations and private groups. However, it is difficult to provide detailed information about those processes."

Currently, six South Korean nationals have been detained in North Korea since 2013. Three missionaries?Kim Jeong-wook, Kim Guk-gi, and Choi Chun-gil?were arrested by North Korean authorities while operating shelters for defectors or conducting missionary activities in border areas between North Korea and China, including Dandong, China. They are reportedly serving indefinite forced labor reform sentences, but their current status or well-being remains unknown.

The other three detainees are South Korean nationals who are former defectors, known as Ko Hyun-cheol, Kim Won-ho, and Ham Jin-woo. They are also said to have been captured by North Korea while supporting defectors in China. However, the Ministry of Unification has stated that it cannot confirm the identities of the detainees for privacy protection reasons.

Additionally, the Ministry of Unification issued a statement urging North Korea to respect and implement the September 19 inter-Korean military agreement, which North Korea has violated through repeated artillery fire. The ministry also assessed North Korea's continued provocations during the Chinese Communist Party National Congress period as "likely intended to express dissatisfaction with South Korea-U.S. military exercises, pressure for the suspension of the drills, and to confirm South Korea's stance regarding the September 19 military agreement."

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