Oct. 10, 2008
Yonhap News

“North Korea systematically abducted South Korean civilians during the War”

(Seoul=Yonhap News)

It has been claimed that the abduction of South Korean civilians during the Korean War was conducted systematically to meet its military needs.

Heo Man-ho, professor of Political Science at Kyungpook National University, has studied a variety of documents, including welfare and whereabouts registration forms, testimonies of escaped abductees and family members of abductees, and North Korean and foreign documents. The results reveal that the number of civilians abducted by North Korea during the War amounts to a maximum of 96,013.

By region, Chungcheong province had the highest in number with 23,664, followed by Seoul with 22,348, Gyeonggi with 18,270, Gangwon with 11,375, Jeolla with 10,852, and Gyeongsang with 9,503.

Professor Heo claimed that the Korean War abductions were part of North Korea's war policy, stating;

▲ the abductions took place in regions North Korea occupied,
▲ the number of abductees in Gyeongsang was the smallest since North Korea’s occupation was the shortest there (although it is estimated that its population was the greatest), and
▲ the number of abductees was greatest in regions North Korea occupied the longest.

Professor Heo analyzed in detail the date of abduction, people involved in abduction, process of abduction and occupations of the abductees. He also focused on the fact that 88.2% of the abductees, 84,659, were taken to the North in a period of three months, from July to September 1950. Based on this analysis, he concluded that North Korea systematically conducted the abduction of South Korean civilians for military purposes.

He also pointed out that the Korean government has been ignoring the issue of abductees by only taking limited measures such as hosting reunions of separated families. He added, “Without addressing this issue, bringing peace to the Korean peninsula remains a remote dream.”

Professor Heo publishes this finding in the form of a paper titled “The Conclusion of the Military Armistice Agreement and the Korean War Abductees,” which he read at a symposium hosted by the Korea War Abductees Research Institute in the National Human Rights Commission of the Republic of Korea this afternoon.