Kim Geon-hee Meets Families of Abducted and Detained Persons, Urges Government to Confirm Life Status and Strive for Return

Family Members: "Just Meeting Us Is Hope"

First Lady Kim Keon-hee, wife of President Yoon Suk-yeol, met with families of abductees and detainees at the National 6.25 War Abductees Memorial Hall in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, on the afternoon of the 12th, spokesperson Lee Do-woon conveyed in a written briefing.

After attentively listening to the grief of an elderly mother who has never forgotten her son abducted to North Korea in 1977, Kim said, "It is difficult to even imagine the pain of having one's ordinary daily life and freedom with beloved family taken away, and living for decades not knowing whether they are alive or dead."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

After hearing the stories of the families of abductees and detainees, Kim said, "Each story is different, but this is the issue of our people and the pain of us all. It must have been a deep sorrow for decades," adding, "Now the government must join forces with the international community to strive for confirming the whereabouts and return of abductees and detainees."

The families of abductees and detainees expressed their gratitude, saying, "No previous president or first lady has met with us, so just meeting us and not forgetting our pain gives us hope."

They also expressed thanks for the government’s demonstrated commitment to resolving the abductee and detainee issues through the November joint statement by the leaders of South Korea, the United States, and Japan in Phnom Penh last year.

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