Two Koreas to Discuss Repatriation of South Korean POWs and Abductees

The two Koreas are scheduled to hold a sixth inter-Korean Red Cross meeting at Mt. Geumgang from August 23 to 25 in a bid to discuss the matter of the repatriation of South Korean POWs and abductees in North Korea. Inter-Korean Red Cross meetings will be held for the first time in 21 months since November 2003.

A high-ranking official of the Unification Ministry revealed the above yesterday, explaining, “The two Koreas reached an agreement during the 15th inter-Korean ministerial-level talks held in Seoul in June 2005 in which they would hold a sixth inter-Korean Red Cross meeting in August in a bid to consult the issue of the fate of those who were not found during the Korean War with each other.”

Currently, the South government estimates that the number of South Korean POWs still alive in North Korea is 538 and the number of abductees in North Korea after the Korean War is 486. The North has so far denied the existence of South Korean POWs.

The two Koreas also plan to discuss measures in which they will continually expand and promote reunions of separated families by video link during a sixth inter-Korean Red Cross meeting. The South and North are scheduled to conduct reunions of 40 separated families by video link through an optical communication network connecting Seoul with Pyongyang for the first time on August 15.

Hyung-June Park lovesong@donga.com