SEOUL — South Korea’s Ministry of Unification is reviewing a repatriation request from Ahn Hak-sop, a 95-year-old former North Korean soldier who was captured during the Korean War (1950–1953) and imprisoned for over 42 years for refusing to renounce his allegiance to North Korea’s communist regime.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Ahn formally submitted his request to return to North Korea in July. Ministry officials visited him in a hospital on July 23 to assess his health, verify the details of his request, and understand the motivations behind his decision.
Ahn currently resides in South Korea, where he remained following his release from prison. He expressed a desire to return to his place of origin in the North.
The Ministry of Unification, responsible for matters related to North Korean defectors and other cross-border humanitarian issues, has not yet made a decision on Ahn’s case.
The Korean Peninsula remains technically in a state of war, as the 1953 armistice agreement ended active hostilities but did not result in a peace treaty.
The Ministry is expected to weigh multiple factors in its decision-making process, including Ahn’s personal rights, his longstanding imprisonment, the humanitarian implications of his request, and the broader diplomatic environment. Officials have not provided a timeline for reaching a decision.
