"Human Rights Groups Call for Investigation into Korean War POWs, Letter Sent to National Security Office Chief"

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Human rights organizations have sent a letter to Cho Tae-yong, Director of the National Security Office, urging the establishment of a 'government-level truth investigation committee' to resolve the issue of Korean War POWs and the abolition of the Ministry of National Defense's 'Korean War POW grading system.' The demand is for President Yoon Suk-yeol to translate his declared 'will for the immediate resolution of the Korean War POW issue' on the international stage into concrete actions.

On the morning of the 25th, 16 human rights organizations from Korea, the U.S., and the U.K., including the Korean War POW Families Association, the nonprofit organization Mulmangcho, and the Transitional Justice Working Group (TJWG), sent an open letter to Cho Tae-yong, Director of the National Security Office, urging the enactment of a government bill to establish a Korean War POW truth investigation committee. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, Minister of National Defense Lee Jong-sup, Minister of Unification Kim Young-ho, Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Jin, and Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon were also included as recipients.

Cho Tae-yong, Director of the National Security Office Photo by Yonhap News

The organizations stated, "Among the 80 repatriated Korean War POWs, only 12 survivors remain," and urged, "Although it is 70 years late since the 1953 armistice agreement, the government must raise domestic and international awareness of the Korean War POW issue and hasten measures for the immediate repatriation of POWs, including the return of remains of the deceased, realization of accountability, and investigation and documentation of human rights violations by North Korean authorities against Korean War POWs and their families."

They also recalled that the leaders of Korea, the U.S., and Japan reaffirmed their "joint will for the immediate resolution of the abductees, detainees, and unrepatriated Korean War POWs" during the Camp David summit on the 18th, pointing out that "the sad reality is that despite the efforts of Korea, the U.S., and Japan, the South Korean government has neither produced an official report nor even confirmed basic figures." According to data compiled by the National Intelligence Service in 2007 based on testimonies from defectors, the estimated number of Korean War POWs detained in North Korea at that time was 1,770, including 560 survivors, 910 deceased, and 300 missing. Although thousands of defectors have entered South Korea since then, the government has neither reassessed nor disclosed the status of survivors for 16 years.

In particular, the organizations emphasized the need to abolish the Ministry of National Defense's 'Korean War POW grading system' and establish a dedicated department similar to the U.S. Department of Defense's Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA). It was confirmed through our report that the Ministry of National Defense assigned the lowest grade to 70 out of 80 repatriated Korean War POWs based on criteria that even forced labor for survival was interpreted as 'indirect hostile acts.'

A scene of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army transporting South Korean prisoners of war during the Korean War. [Image source: book 'The Korean War as They Saw It 1']

Furthermore, the organizations cited the example of the Korean War Abductees Truth Investigation Committee established in 2010 under related laws. That committee received reports from families of civilian abductees during the war, conducted oral and documentary investigations, and pursued international legal accountability. They argued that the Korean War POW issue also requires expanded government-level truth investigations, including POWs from the Vietnam War and the naval broadcasting ship 'I-2' capture incident.

Shin Hee-seok, legal analyst at the Transitional Justice Working Group, said, "The bill to establish the Korean War POW truth investigation committee must pass the National Assembly, but it will be difficult for the opposition party to oppose a government bill that has confirmed firm budgetary and administrative support from the government." He urged, "President Yoon Suk-yeol should translate his 'will to resolve the Korean War POW issue' demonstrated on the international stage into action and lead corresponding diplomatic efforts."

He added, "The Ministry of National Defense's Korean War POW grading system is an act of shifting the government's responsibility, which has failed to repatriate a single person in 70 years, onto the POWs themselves, and a self-harming act that dilutes North Korea's violation of the armistice agreement. The Ministry of National Defense must immediately abolish this grading system and establish a dedicated department for repatriation. We propose the creation of a medal to honor their participation, sacrifice, and forced labor damages."

Meanwhile, the reason the open letter was sent to the National Security Office rather than the Ministry of National Defense or the Ministry of Unification is reportedly because Director Cho Tae-yong has shown a clear awareness of the Korean War POW issue since his time as a lawmaker. He also introduced a bill on the truth investigation and restoration of honor for Korean War POWs in June 2021. Although the bill was submitted to the National Assembly's National Defense Committee in August of the same year, it has yet to be deliberated.

▶Below are the signatories of the letter: 1 individual and 15 human rights organizations from 3 countries

Mr. Kim Jeong-sam (brother of missionary Kim Jeong-wook, detained in North Korea since 2013), Families of the 1969 KAL Hijacking Victims, Defectors' Comrades Association (NKD), Citizens' Alliance for North Korean Human Rights (NKHR), Human Rights Network for North Korea (HRNK, USA), Han Voice, North Korean Human Rights Promotion Center, North Korean Justice Solidarity, Korean War POW Families Association, Nonprofit Organization Mulmangcho, No Chain (USA), North Korea Strategy Center (NKSC), Save NK, Jinggeumdari (UK), THINK, Transitional Justice Working Group (TJWG)

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