Release the Civilian Abductees
Exchange is Unspeakable
Foreign Minister Byeon Commented
(Jan. 3, 1952, Dong-A Daily, 5th column of 2nd page)

On the 2nd, Foreign Minister Byeon called for the immediate release of prominent Koreans and foreigners abducted by the Communist forces in a statement, the content of which follows.

At the Panmun-jeom talks there was some degree of agreement on both sides’ reports on the civilian abductees and exchanging them, and (the UN side) gave the Communist side a list of foreign civilian abductees and they broadcast a promise to unconditionally free them. (But) the phrase they used that gives the impression that an exchange was necessary because both sides had abducted civilians was utterly outrageous.

The abductions were inherently the unilateral actions of the Communist Gang; the authorities of the Republic of Korea have not engaged in this inhumane conduct even once. Close to 30,000 abducted civilians, together with the abducted foreigners, as a matter of course must be unconditionally released immediately.