Former North Korean Soldiers, Spies Seek Repatriation from South Korea

Six elderly men, including 95-year-old Ahn Hak-seop, a former North Korean soldier who spent over 40 years imprisoned in South Korea, have requested repatriation to North Korea. These men, who served lengthy sentences for spying without renouncing their communist beliefs, are seeking to return decades after their release, with Ahn planning to cross the heavily militarized inter-Korean border himself. The request has been officially received by South Korea's Unification Ministry, which indicated that more former convicts might make similar demands. A civic group representing the men argues they should be treated as prisoners of war under the Geneva Convention, recalling that South Korea repatriated 63 such prisoners during a brief thaw in inter-Korean relations in 2000. This development comes amid President Lee Jae Myung's pledge to improve ties with Pyongyang, including removing propaganda loudspeakers along the border, although tensions remain high with North Korea. The issue also highlights ongoing legal controversies in South Korea over remittances sent to the North by defectors' families.