Veteran North Korean former intelligence operative yearns for a homecoming, having spent over four decades imprisoned in South Korea
Elderly North Korean Spies Seek Repatriation, but South Korea Blocks Attempts
Tensions between North and South Korea remain high, with ongoing exchanges of threats, provocations, and episodes of violence. This volatile relationship has left six elderly North Korean spies in a difficult situation, after they were sentenced to long prison terms for espionage in South Korea.
The six elderly individuals, aged between 80 and 96, include Ahn Hak-sop, a 95-year-old who was detained for over 40 years. Ahn was captured in April 1953, three months before the Korean War Armistice Agreement was signed on July 27, 1953, ending the active fighting but not the formal state of war.
The South Korea Unification Ministry has revealed that the request of the six elderly individuals for repatriation is being considered. However, South Korean authorities have not authorized repatriation, invoking national security laws and geopolitical considerations.
Recently, Ahn Hak-sop attempted to physically cross into North Korea holding a North Korean flag, but was stopped by South Korean soldiers at the military checkpoint and taken to hospital. He and the others assert their right to return as prisoners of war and see repatriation as the fulfillment of their destiny.
The group representing the spies demands they be treated as "prisoners of war" and invokes the Geneva Conventions. Despite their appeals, no formal repatriation process is currently in place given ongoing political and security sensitivities.
Ahn Hak-sop stated that he would "fight until the American military leaves South Korea." The group of spies, now seeking repatriation, consider North Korea as their true home.
The demilitarized zone was created as a result of the Korean War Armistice Agreement. The Korean War was set against the backdrop of the Cold War, with South Korea receiving help from the United States. The Korean War began on June 25, 1950, when North Korea, with support from the Soviet Union and China, invaded South Korea.
Despite the armistice, no peace agreement was ever signed after the Korean War, and the two Koreas remain technically at war. The information was reported by the Agence France-Presse (AFP). Ahn Hak-sop's case was also mentioned in The Korea Herald.
In 2000, Ahn Hak-sop had the opportunity to return to North Korea, but chose to remain in South Korea. The exchange of prisoners was allowed as part of the Korean War Armistice Agreement. As the situation stands, the six elderly ex-North Korean spies continue to seek repatriation, holding rallies to publicize their wishes, but their efforts have been met with resistance from South Korean authorities.
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