This undated handout picture released from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on April 17, 2022 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as he observes the test-fire of a new-type tactical guided weapon in North Korea. - North Korea has test-fired a new weapons system, under the supervision of leader Kim Jong Un, that it claims will boost the efficiency of its tactical nuclear weapons, state media said early April 17, 2022. - South Korea OUT - XGTY / ---EDITORS NOTE--- RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO/KCNA VIA KNS" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS / THIS PICTURE WAS MADE AVAILABLE BY A THIRD PARTY. AFP CAN NOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY, LOCATION, DATE AND CONTENT OF THIS IMAGE --- (Photo by KCNA VIA KNS / AFP) / South Korea OUT - XGTY / ---EDITORS NOTE--- RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO/KCNA VIA KNS" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS / THIS PICTURE WAS MADE AVAILABLE BY A THIRD PARTY. AFP CAN NOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY, LOCATION, DATE AND CONTENT OF THIS IMAGE --- / South Korea OUT - XGTY / ---EDITORS NOTE--- RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO/KCNA VIA KNS" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS / THIS PICTURE WAS MADE AVAILABLE BY A THIRD PARTY. AFP CAN NOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY, LOCATION, DATE AND CONTENT OF THIS IMAGE --- (Photo by STR/KCNA VIA KNS/AFP via Getty Images)
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.