[Uploaded by C. Y. Lee on Tuesday, October 18, 2005] Here is an interview article appeared in the Korea Herald quoting what was originally reported by the Los Angeles Times, which is self-explanatory.

An excerpt from an interview President Kim Dae-jung gave to Los Angeles Times on Tuesday, July 18, 2000, as published by Korea Herald in its issue of July 21, 2000, is quoted in part as follows:

Q: Since you are a former dissident, I must ask you about the fate of the South Koreans who were taken to the North, the abductees, the fishermen, the schoolteachers and also POWs (from the Korean War). Is this something you feel you can raise with the North Koreans, or do you feel that to raise it would cut off the lines of communication that you are establishing?

A: In fact, we have raised this issue with the North on an unofficial level. And I do expect for us to make progress on this issue, as (we deal with) other humanitarian issues as well. But nothing has been raised officially.

Added by KWAFU: No progress has been reported so far. The interview was conducted by the Los Angeles Times Tokyo Bureau Chief Sonni Efron. It is with regret to note that President Kim Dae-jung's Sunshine Policy does not seem to care much about the acute question we have. Unless pressured by the international community's diplomatic efforts to address the issue of human rights involving those abducted in 1950, we have no vision in sight as the goal is miles and miles away in dense fog.