June 11, 2003, Chosun Ilbo
Korean War Abductees' Family Union president attempts to send abductee list to North Korean representative
in the U.N. North Korea refuses to receive the list


Representatives from a South Korean abductees family union visited the offices of the North Korean representative to the U.N. in New York in an attempt to hand over a list containing the names of around 80,000 Korean war abductees and another list of 486 people who were abducted after the war. The office of the North Korean representative refused to receive the lists, saying that North Korea had never abducted any south Korean civilians. The family union is currently visiting the U.S. to increase international interest in the abductee issue, but when it tried to enter the building in which the office of the North Korean representative is located they were prevented from entering the building by security personnel.

The family union representatives later called the office of the North Korean representative to explain why they were trying to visit the offices but the North Korean official who answered the phone refuse to receive the list and did not pick up when further calls were made.

The family union representatives included 6.25 War Abductees Family Union Chairman Kim Song Ho and former chairwoman Mi-il Lee, North Korean Abductees’ Family Union President Chae Song Yong, Citizens' Coalition for Human Rights of Abductees and North Korean Refugee President Bae Jae Hyun, and North Korean Abductees’ Family Union Chairman Chae U Yong. Their aim in this trip to the U.S. was to hand over a CD-ROM with the information of more than 80,000 Korean war abductees and a list of 486 people who were abducted after the Korean War to the office of the North Korean representative to the U.N. They also wanted to request that an investigation be conducted into the abductees’ whereabouts and their repatriation. The representatives visited the main offices of the U.N. and submitted a public petition to U.N. General Secretary Kofi Annan, calling for the U.N. to immediately begin an investigation into the list of abductees and take a proactive measures to help bring the abductees back to their families.

“The South Korean government is showing a passive attitude towards the abductee issue,” said Chairman Kim Song Ho. “When President Roh Moo Hyun visited the U.S. he made no mention whatsoever of the human rights of the abductees.”