[USFK Forums] NK Agrees to Discuss Fate of S. Korean Abductees [Korea Times]

[C. Y. Lee]

Uploaded by C. Y. Lee on Friday, February 24, 2006: Beware "Every law has a loophole."

NK Agrees to Discuss Fate of S. Korean Abductees

Updated: February 23, 2006 22:57
Joint Press Corps & Seo Dong-shin, Staff Reporter

MT.KUMGANG, North Korea _ North Korea Thursday agreed to discuss the fate of South Koreans believed to be kidnapped to the North after the Korean War (1950-1953) in an unprecedented gesture, albeit in very roundabout words.

It is the first time for the North to give an official nod to the South’s push on the issue, although the word ``abductee’’ is apparently intentionally omitted in the agreement.

At the end of the three-day Red Cross talks held in the scenic resort area in the North, South and North Korea produced a seven-point joint agreement after hours of tug-of-war on the issue. The talks were the seventh of their kind.

One of the agreements says that ``the two sides undertook to discuss and resolve the issue of confirming the fate of people, whose fate became unknown around and after the Korean War, within the framework of the separated families issue.’’

To date, a small number of South Korean families whose family members are believed to have been abducted by North Korea had been briefly reunited in the family reunion sessions of the two Koreas. Officially, however, North Korea flatly denies to have kidnapped any South Koreans during and after the war.

The South Korean government estimates that more than 500 South Korean prisoners of war (POWs) and some 480 civilians, mostly fishermen, are still alive in the communist North.

``We consider it progress in that the North agreed to work toward resolving the issue of confirming the fate of South Korean POWs and abductees, which it has been denying until now,’’ an official at the Unification Ministry said.

``We will continuously make efforts to resolve the issue on the government level including the ministerial-level talks as well as the Red Cross talks.’’

On another note, South and North Korea also agreed to hold a family reunion session of 200 families from each side marking the sixth anniversary of the June 15 joint statement from the inter-Korean summit in 2000.

On-screen reunion sessions of 60 families from each side are also planned for the June 15 anniversary, as well as on the occasion of the National Liberation Day on Aug. 15, according to the agreement.

The next Red Cross talks will be held around June at Mt. Kumgang.

saltwall@koreatimes.co.kr

02-23-2006 22:57

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