North Korea's Continued Detention of South Korean POWs since the Korean and Vietnam Wars

Abstract

Abstract Although the Korean War (1950-1953) came to an end almost half a century ago, the question of South Korean prisoners of war remains unsolved. More than 50,000 South Korean POWs were detained in North Korea after the Korean War. Most are assumed to have since died, while the remaining survivors live under miserable conditions. However, the North Korean authorities continue to deny the existence of any POWs, while successive South Korean governments have failed to pursue the issue with any real resolve. A total of 325,517 South Korean military officers and soldiers participated in the Vietnam War, which lasted 8 years and 6 months, so the absence of any South Korean POWs is clearly dubious. An unknown number of South Korean soldiers were captured and sent to North Korea by the Viet-Cong or Viet-Minh. Yet the North Korean authorities only recognized two as refugees, while the South Korean government only recognized six or eight as missing in action. Since the end of the Korean War, North and South Korea have made various attempts to consolidate peace and pursue reunification, for example, the July 4 Comunique in 1972, Basic Agreement in 1992, and the Summit Talks in 2000. However, the issue of South Korean POWs still detained in North Korea has never been addressed. Surely, the existence of South Korean POWs should be recognized and the chance for repatriation to South Korea offered before peace can be consolidated on the Korean peninsula.