Elderly Individual Desires to Pass Away in North Korea, yet South Korea Prevents His Departure
In a poignant tale of division and longing, Ahn Hak-sop, a 95-year-old South Korean man, finds himself unable to fulfil his dying wish of being buried in North Korea. Born during Japan's colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula in 1930, Ahn's life has been marked by a steadfast support for North Korea, a loyalty that has landed him in South Korean prisons for over four decades.
Ahn served in North Korea's People's Army during the Korean War, specifically in the intelligence department. However, he was captured by South Korean forces and remained imprisoned for 42 years and six months. Despite the opportunity to cross the border to North Korea in 2000, Ahn chose to stay, citing his resistance against what he calls the American "occupation" of South Korea.
Ahn's home in Yonggang-ri, barely a mile from the North Korean border he dreams of crossing, is a testament to his unwavering ideology. The walls are adorned with faded photographs and North Korean posters. His doormat, surprisingly, is a US flag, a symbol of the country he vehemently opposes.
Under then-existing South Korean legislation, Ahn could have been eligible for parole if he had signed a paper renouncing the North and its communist ideology. Yet, he refused, a decision that has defined his life. Shunned by his extended family, Ahn lives in a modest home, his existence defined by his ideology.
In 2023, North Korea halted all communications with South Korea, making it tougher for Seoul to discuss Ahn and other prisoners' repatriation. The highly militarized inter-Korean border further complicates matters. The South Korean government has banned individuals from making unauthorized contact with North Korea, and civilians are restricted from entering the heavily fortified DMZ.
On Wednesday, Ahn attempted to cross the Korean Peninsula's Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) to enter North Korea, but was denied access. Officials blocked his passage, citing national security law and the absence of any agreement with Pyongyang to facilitate his return. After being denied permission at the border, Ahn hobbled into a waiting ambulance and was taken away.
For Ahn, the refusal underscores what he has believed for nearly 80 years: that his fate is bound up not in reconciliation, but in perpetual division. His story serves as a stark reminder of the deep-rooted divisions and tensions that persist on the Korean Peninsula.
[1] For more context, please refer to the historical events surrounding the Korean War and the division of Korea.
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