"Even If Harmful, to the Homeland"…Second-Generation POWs' Letters Sent from North Korea

Park Sun-young "Rescue requests made until early this year... More survivors exist"
North Korea's jamming signals block phone attempts in border areas
Military "Willing to cover costs if needed for return"

"My father worked at a snack factory before enlisting in the military. On July 7, 1950, he joined the volunteer army and went to the front. After the physical examination, when my father wore his military uniform, my grandmother packed something like a blanket for him. That was their last farewell."

"My grandfather enjoyed drinking. On the days he received wages at the factory, he considered it his duty to buy beef, pork, and snacks for the children. (Omitted) Here, after the war ended, they were mobilized for postwar reconstruction and the Chollima Movement..."

A letter containing a rescue request from South Korean prisoners of war detained in North Korea and their families. [Photo provided by the nonprofit organization Mulmangcho]

The child of a South Korean POW born in North Korea wrote in a letter sent as a 'rescue request' to the South: details such as a mole on the father's nose bridge, everyday memories with family remaining in South Korea, and even the birthdates of siblings were included as desperate proof of their existence. The 'rescue requests' from surviving South Korean POWs detained in North Korea for decades have continued until recently.

On the 4th, Park Sun-young, director of the nonprofit organization Mulmangcho, told Asia Economy, "Until earlier this year, we received rescue requests saying 'Please save us' from surviving South Korean POWs detained in North Korea through human messengers. Although I cannot disclose specific locations or details for safety reasons, there are about ten people who have contacted us recently. This means there are even more survivors remaining."

It is estimated that most survivors currently detained in North Korea reside in five mining villages in Hamgyongnam-do, Hamgyongbuk-do, Ryanggang-do, Jagang-do, and Pyonganbuk-do provinces. According to testimonies from repatriated South Korean POWs, after the armistice agreement, they were called 'liberation fighters' instead of POWs and were mobilized for postwar reconstruction projects. Their children’s generation has been stigmatized as 'puppet army POWs' and forced into hard labor such as mining.

Director Park explained, "In the past, rescue requests mainly came through letters, then by phone, but after the COVID-19 pandemic, all communication was cut off. Currently, the only way messages are conveyed is verbally through people who can cross the border." She added, "The wish of South Korean POWs is to be buried in their hometowns, even if only their remains. The government must urge repatriation before it is too late."

South Korean POWs over ninety years old: "Please bury my remains in my hometown"

A letter containing a rescue request from South Korean prisoners of war detained in North Korea and their families. [Photo provided by Mulmangcho Association]

According to the National Intelligence Service, as of 2007, there were 1,770 South Korean POWs detained in North Korea, with an estimated 560 survivors. Assuming they were captured at a minimum age of twenty, many are likely deceased by now at around ninety years old, and authorities estimate about 100 surviving POWs remain. Only 80 repatriated POWs have returned to South Korea, with just 12 survivors alive.

Since 2010, rescue requests from survivors who have not returned have become more difficult. An intelligence official said, "Until a few years ago, it was possible to make phone calls to the South from border areas using Chinese communication lines, but recently, North Korean authorities have been jamming these signals." Currently, traders and defector brokers who possess 'crossing permits' and can cross the Tumen River are virtually the only means of contact.

The government maintains that intervention is difficult until the South Korean POWs defect on their own. A Ministry of National Defense official stated, "According to relevant laws, if South Korean POWs and their families defect and request government support for repatriation, the government will assist through interdepartmental consultations. If there are unavoidable circumstances such as insufficient funds for returning to South Korea, support payments can be provided."

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