Ministry of Unification: "North Korea to Hand Over Residents' Bodies, Requests Response on Communication Line"

Dead Body Presumed to Be North Korean Resident Found on Seokmodo Island, Incheon
North Korea Consistently Unresponsive to 'Body Repatriation' Requests Since Last Year

The government has requested North Korea to clarify its position, stating that it wishes to hand over a body presumed to be a North Korean resident to the North. However, since April, North Korea has cut off communication with the South and has consistently remained unresponsive to proposals to hand over the bodies of residents.

The Ministry of Unification announced on the 21st that on the 10th, a body presumed to be a North Korean resident was found on the coast of Sang-ri, Seokmodo, Incheon, and is currently kept at a nearby hospital. The body is a male approximately 170 cm tall, and based on clothing, badges, and notes among the belongings, he is presumed to be a North Korean resident. A Ministry of Unification official said, "From a humanitarian and compatriot love perspective, we intend to hand over the body and belongings to the North through Panmunjom around 3 p.m. on the 26th," adding, "We hope the North will promptly inform us of their position via the inter-Korean communication line."

Portrait badges featuring Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il [Image source=Yonhap News]

However, the likelihood of North Korea accepting the body appears low. The Ministry of Unification expressed its intention to hand over bodies presumed to be North Korean residents to the North in November last year and June this year, but North Korean authorities consistently remained unresponsive. At that time, badges bearing portraits of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il were also found with the bodies. North Korea typically recognizes bodies as North Korean residents and accepts them when badges with portraits of the Kim Il-sung family or North Korean resident registration cards (gongminjeung) are found, but since last year, it has broken this precedent and has not responded to repatriation requests.

When asked how they would respond if the North does not respond this time as well, a Ministry of Unification official said, "I understand there are funeral guidelines for unidentified persons at the local government level," and added, "It is expected that the local government jurisdiction where the body was found will cremate and conduct the funeral."

Meanwhile, according to the Ministry of Unification, since 2010, 23 bodies presumed to be North Korean residents have been handed over to the North. The North has generally accepted South Korea's proposals to hand over bodies, but three bodies?two in 2017 and one in 2019?were not handed over due to North Korea's lack of response. The last time the South handed over a body to the North was one found in the West Sea in November 2019.

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