“Now is the time to resolve the abductees’ issue, forgotten for 60 years, and comfort their deep sorrow.”

The Act on Investigating Abductions by North Korea during the Korean War and Restoring Honor to the Victims finally passed
after 7 years’ deferment, thanks to Ms. Lee's devotion.

Chosun Daily,
Mar. 12, 2010


Lee Mi-il (60), President of the Korean War Abductee's Family Union (KWAFU), often sang an old song, “Miari Hill of Sadness,” when overwhelmed by the loss of her father. His name was Lee Seong-hwan and he owned a brassware factory in Cheongnyangni, Seoul, before his abduction. He was abducted by the North Korean Army at the beginning of the war in September 1950.

On the 2nd, Ms. Lee heard the joyful news that the Act on Investigating Abductions by North Korea during the Korean War and Restoring Honor to the Victims had passed the National Assembly.

Ms. Lee has worked for the passage of the Act since 2003 as the president of KWAFU, which was founded in 2000. She also held panel discussions and published 2,000 page Korean War Abduction Sourcebooks which collected the stories of the abductees and relevant sources and information.

According to the government data in 1952, the number of South Korean civilians who were abducted by the North amounted to 82,959.

Ms. Lee said, “The implementation of the Act has been pursued since the 16th National Assembly in 2003, but it was automatically scrapped because there had been no progress by the end of the 17th National Assembly. But 7 years of effort has finally paid off.”

She also said with a sigh, “The KWAFU office in Cheonnayngni is located at the very sight where my father’s factory stood. When I first started activities for the abductees in 2000 with the foundation of KWAFU, my father would have been 79 years old if he was still alive in the North. More than 10 years have passed since then.”

The centerpiece of the Act is the establishment of the National Committee on Investigating Abductions by North Korea during the Korean War and Restoring Honor to the Victims under Prime Minister and commemoration projects for the victims.

Individual compensation for the abductees and their families were not included in the Act. Instead, more focus was on investigating abductions by North Korea and restoring honor to the victims. In addition, budget support is available for organizations that consist of the abductees’ families.

Ms. Lee said, “Restoring honor to the victims and compensation is only possible after the truth about the North Korean abductions is revealed. But the government’s attitude has been disappointing. It says that, with no law specifically addressing the issue, no investigation is possible.”