Repatriation of Civilian Abductees
Enemy Suddenly Responds with Approval
(Dec. 2, 1953, Dong-a Daily, 1st column of 1st page)

Yesterday at a regular session of the National Assembly it was reported that, after the Korean War, the enemy expressed that it agrees with 98% of the UN side’s proposal for repatriating the South Korean civilians abducted to the North and will carry out their repatriation at Panmun-jeom before long.
Regarding the opening of the Committee for Assisting the Return of Displaced Civilians prescribed by the Armistice Agreement, the UN side has made a number of requests to the enemy since then, but they have been merely saying this and that about administrative matters and delaying. This time at the Panmun-jeom talks, the enemy’s answer unexpectedly came back that they agreed with 98% of our side’s repatriation proposal.
Although the concrete provisions have not been announced yet, aside from the enemy saying the place to exchange civilian abductees will be Panmun-jeom and it would be good to allow some time for propagating the information, they went so far as to say it would be good if the civilians to be repatriated took their personal belongings. The chairperson reported this proposal and added that the timeframe to implement this would be by mid-January at the latest, and it was expected to happen in Panmun-jeom.