The country’s presidential office confirmed that six of its citizens have been captive in North Korea for years, after Presi-dent Lee Jae-myung appeared unaware of their plight during a briefing with foreign media.
Asked on Wednesday about South Koreans detained in the North, Lee replied: “It’s my first time ever hearing about this.”
Lee’s office later followed up with a statement yesterday saying that six nationals – including Christian missionaries and North Korean defectors – have been held since their arrests “between 2013 and 2016 on charges of espionage, among others”.
“In the current situation, where inter-Korean dialogue and exchanges have been suspended for an extended period, the suffering of our people caused by division continues,” it said.
Seoul’s Unification Ministry, which handles inter-Korean relations, said yesterday that it last raised the issue with Pyongyang in 2018.
The North responded that “relevant domestic institutions are thoroughly reviewing the issue”, according to the ministry.
Pyongyang has not commented or taken any action on the matter since, it added. — AFP
