"Unconverted long-term prisoners" is the North Korean term for northern loyalists imprisoned in South Korea who never renounced Juche. The North Korean government considers them to be "pro-reunification patriotic fighters",[1] while South Korean scholars have described them as "pro-communist spies".[2]
History
In March 1998, South Korean presidentKim Dae-jung declared an amnesty for long-term prisoners over the age of 70, as well as some suffering from disease.[3] In February 1999, President Kim declared another amnesty for 17 unconverted long-term prisoners.[4] In 2000, as part of the June 15th North–South Joint Declaration, sixty-three of the prisoners were permitted to settle in North Korea. There were hopes that North Korea would reciprocate by releasing Southern prisoners of war still detained in the North.[5] A number of them left behind family members in the South; the South's Ministry of Unification refused permission to let the family members go north with them.[6][7] They crossed the border by bus through the truce village of Panmunjom at 10 AM on 2 September 2000, while a group of Southern protesters decried their return and demanded that the North return abducted Southerners; they were welcomed on the Northern side by a reception with a brass band playing revolutionary songs,[8] and each was later awarded the National Reunification Prize.[1]
In literature and film
A book about their experiences was published in North Korea in 2001.[9] In 2003, South Korean director Kim Dong-won released Repatriation, a documentary about the unconverted prisoners, based on more than 12 years and 800 hours of filming.[10]
List of prisoners who crossed over to North Korea in 2000
Following is a list of the 63 prisoners who went to North Korea in 2000.[11][12][13]
Personal names are given in McCune–Reischauer romanisation of the Northern spelling (thus surnames are spelled Ri instead of Yi, Ryu instead of Yu, etc.); place names are given in McCune–Reischauer without diacritics for places now in North Korea, and Revised Romanisation for places now in South Korea.
Name
Hangul
Hanja
Birth/death dates
Place of birth
Province of birth
Years in prison
Notes
Kang Tong-gŭn
강동근
(1916-11-19)19 November 1916 12 February 2004(2004-02-12) (aged 87)
Interviewed by Kyunghyang Shinmun before his repatriation. Published a book of essays about his experiences (새는 앉는 곳마다 깃을 남긴다, ISBN978-89-88996-04-1).[15] Two different hanja versions of his name have been reported in the media.[16][17] Birthdate given as (1932-10-19)19 October 1932 in 70th birthday congratulations published by KCNA.[18] In August 2005, the KCNA reported in that he gave a speech to a visiting group of students from the Chongryon-affiliated Korea University.[19]
Also spelled Kim Sun-myung. Joined the Korean People's Army due to disgust over the prevalence of Japanese collaborators in the South Korean administration. Captured on 15 October 1951, and sentenced to death; sentence commuted to life imprisonment. Family refused to see him; had him declared legally dead in 1975. Released in 1995. Blind due to cataracts left untreated by prison doctors.[23] His experiences were the basis for the 2002 film The Road Taken, starring Kim Jung-gi.[24]
Also spelled Kim Eun-hwan. Released in the February 1999 amnesty.[33] Joined the Korean Painters' Union after moving to the North.[34] 90th birthday congratulations published by Rodong Sinmun.[35]
Kim Ik-jin
김익진
(1932-07-13)13 July 1932 8 July 2008(2008-07-08) (aged 75)
70th birthday congratulations published by KCNA.[43] An essay of his was printed in the Rodong Sinmun in April 2006.[44] Interviewed by The Pyongyang Times in September 2008.[45]
An essay of his was printed in the Rodong Sinmun in May 2003.[46] KCNA published 70th birthday congratulations in February 2005, but did not give a birthdate.[47]
Ryu Un-hyŏng
류운형
(1924-12-26)26 December 1924 22 November 2008(2008-11-22) (aged 83)
Prior to his arrest, held various political posts including head of the Youth Department of the Chorwon, Kangwon, Committee of the WPK and chief of the education section of the Information Department of the Kangwon Provincial Committee of the WPK. Obituary published by KCNA.[48]
Joined the Korean Painters' Union after his return to the North.[34] 70th birthday congratulations published by KCNA.[53] Essays of his were printed in the Rodong Sinmun in February 2005 and December 2006.[54][55]
Birth date stated as (1911-09-25)September 25, 1911 in 90th birthday congratulations published by KCNA.[61] An essay of his was printed in the Rodong Sinmun in October 2006.[62]
Ri Jong-hwan
리종환
(1922-10-07)7 October 1922 30 April 2001(2001-04-30) (aged 78)
Married to Lee Chun-ja of South Korea; two daughters. Left them behind to cross over to North Korea.[6] 80th birthday congratulations published by KCNA.[68]
Also spelled Shin In-young. Served in the Korean People's Army during the Korean War; returned to the South as a spy and was arrested in 1967. Believed to have a wife, son, and two daughters in the North; his mother, Koh Bong-hee, continued to reside in the South.[6] Imprisoned in Daejeon. Released in the March 1998 amnesty. Suffering from leukaemia. At the time of his release, he stated, "now I want to take care of my mother for the rest of her life".[3] However, he bid farewell to her in 2000 and crossed over to North Korea with 62 other long-term prisoners, in a scene captured in Kim Dong-won's 2000 movie Repatriation.[21] She died in 2002.[76]
Also spelled Ahn Young-gi. Prior to his arrest, designed the Okryu Restaurant in Pyongyang.[77] Released in the February 1999 amnesty.[33] Joined the Korean Painters' Union after his return to the North.[34]
Released in the February 1999 amnesty.[33] Joined the Korean Painters' Union after moving to the North.[34] An essay of his was published in the Rodong Sinmun in August 2004.[78]
O Hyŏng-sik
오형식
(1932-01-24)24 January 1932 3 September 2006(2006-09-03) (aged 74)
Also spelled Woo Yong-gak. Was captured in a North Korean commando raid in Southern waters in 1959.[3] At the time of his release under Kim Dae-jung's amnesty in 1999, was believed to be the world's longest-serving political prisoner.[4]
Yun Yong-gi
윤용기
(1926-08-02)2 August 1926 13 June 2001(2001-06-13) (aged 74)
80th birthday congratulations published by KCNA.[85] Gave a lecture to a visiting group of students from Korea University of Japan in October 2003.[86] An essay of his entitled "Society and Morality" was published in the Rodong Sinmun in October 2005.[87] 100th birthday congratulations published by Rodong Sinmun , Pyongyang Times and KCNA, received a birthday spread from Kim Jong-un.[88]
Released in the February 1999 amnesty.[33] Joined the Korean Painters' Union after moving to the North.[34] An essay of his was published in the Rodong Sinmun in March 2005.[90]
Applied for repatriation in 1993 (at the time of Ri In-mo's repatriation) and again in 1996, but was denied both times.[38][96] The KCNA reports that a daughter was born to him on (2003-03-19)19 March 2003.[97] In December 2006, an essay of his was printed in the Rodong Sinmun.[98]
Released in 1989. Married a woman surnamed Kim, but did not tell her about his past as a communist agent; she only learned of it in late 1999.[6] 80th birthday congratulations published by KCNA.[103] An essay of his was printed in the Rodong Sinmun in 2006.[104]
^Kim, Samuel S. (2001), "North Korea in 2000: Surviving Through High Hopes of Summit Diplomacy", Asian Survey, 41 (1): 12–29, doi:10.1525/as.2001.41.1.12
^Kang, Jin-uk (2000-06-30), 北送 희망 미전향장기수 60명 넘어설듯 [List of unconverted long-term prisoners hoping to be sent North exceeds 60 names], The Dong-a Ilbo (in Korean), archived from the original on 2011-06-08, retrieved 2010-06-27
^ ab북송 장기수 63명 명단 [List of 63 long-term prisoners to be sent North], The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean), 2000-08-25, archived from the original on 2010-08-11, retrieved 2010-06-27
^辛光洙容疑者ら２人に逮捕状…共に諜報機関幹部工作員 [Arrest warrant for Sin Kwang-su and another suspect; both intelligence agency operatives]. Yomiuri Shimbun (in Japanese). 2006-02-23. Archived from the original on 2006-05-23. Retrieved 2010-06-27.
^비전향장기수 함세환의 수기 《선군덕에 통일강국이 보입니다》 [Unconverted long-term prisoner Ham Se-gwan's diary: 'Thanks to the military-first policy, we will enjoy a strong and unified country'], Korean Central News Agency (in Korean), 2006-12-13, archived from the original on 2011-06-09, retrieved 2010-06-28
