Presidential Fact-Finder Adds More Fuel to Controversy

The Presidential Truth Commission on Suspicious Deaths is mulling a proposal for President Roh Moo-hyun to allow South Korea-native, former long-term prisoners who have renounced communist ideology but now want to live in the North to be sent back to North Korea, Dong A Ilbo learned on July 5.

The proposal will likely further fuel controversy over the commission as it will follow its policy conclusion that the refusal by some North Korean agents and leftist guerillas to renounce communist ideology in writing have contributed to the democratization of the country.

“The latest survey shows a considerable number of long-term prisoners, who made ideological conversions, did so forcedly and regardless of their intentions,” said Suh Jae-il, director of the special investigation department at the commission. “On a working level, we are considering a proposal to send those who want to go to the North among them to North Korea on humanitarian grounds.”

“In 2000, when unconverted long-term prisoners were repatriated the North, 28 out of those who could not go to the North because of their pledges to conversion in writing, now wishes to return to North Korea,” Suh said. “Since their conversions turned out to be coercion by violence, they may be included in the second batch of returnees.”

However, the government made clear that those who signed conversion pledges should not be returned to the North in September 2000 when it repatriated unconverted 63 long-term prisoners.

Under the special law on the fact-finding of suspicious deaths, the commission will file a report with the president within one month of the expiration of its investigative period. The second investigative period of the commission expired in late June. The new report should be submitted by the end of this month.

The report can include a proposal to prevent the recurrence of suspicious deaths and compensate for them. Some of the commission suggested that a proposal on the former prisoners who want to get repatriated to the North should be included in the report.

In related news, the commission released a statement as Suh’s remarks added to the controversy. “The proposal will be finalized at a joint meeting of the report production committee and the meeting of commissioner after a working-level review and a full-timer meeting,” it said. “Their repatriation is working-level consideration, not an official position.”

Yang-Hwan Jung ray@donga.com