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First Post
7 days ago
- Politics
- First Post
In rare gesture, Seoul returns six North Koreans with 'strong desire' to go back
Four sailors who had drifted over the disputed maritime boundary came in May. The other two entered southern waters in March and remained for four months, the longest known stay for any non-defectors in the South read more South Korea has returned six North Koreans who accidentally crossed into its waters earlier this year, marking the first such repatriation under new president Lee Jae-myung. The group had expressed a desire to return home, Seoul's Ministry of Unification said on Wednesday (July 9). The handover took place at sea, with North Korean patrol vessels and fishing boats seen at the transfer point in the early morning. While Pyongyang did not formally acknowledge the return, some observers believe a 'behind the scenes' agreement was struck between the two sides. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'If you set a boat adrift in the vast ocean without any co-ordination, there's a real risk it could drift away again,' said Nam Sung-wook, former head of the Korea National Strategy Institute. He added that the six would likely be subjected to extensive interrogations by North Korean authorities to determine whether they 'received any espionage training or overheard anything sensitive', BBC reported. Four of the six were sailors who had drifted over the disputed maritime boundary came in May. The other two entered southern waters in March and remained for four months, the longest known stay for any non-defectors in the South. This repatriation comes as inter-Korean communication channels remain almost entirely severed. In April 2023, Pyongyang cut all official lines. Eight months later, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un declared that unification was no longer possible. The only known routes for contact now are through the US-led United Nations Command and media reports. Seoul said it had tried to notify the North twice through the UN Command but received no response. Disputed repatriation While official channels remain closed, the reappearance of North Korean vessels at the repatriation site suggests that some level of communication may still be occurring. 'Pyongyang certainly did not trust the Yoon remnants in South Korea,' said Michael Madden of the Stimson Center in Washington. He added that both sides may have been wary of being accused of an 'unlawful repatriation out of political expedience by the international community'. The incident occurred while South Korea was under interim leadership following the impeachment of former president Yoon Suk Yeol. It was only after Lee took office in June that the return process moved forward. Activists and defectors in the South have expressed concern over the decision. 'They should have been given a chance to talk to defectors and learn more about South Korean society,' said Lee Min-bok, a defector and campaigner who is known for floating anti-Kim leaflets into the North. 'If I'd had the chance to speak with them, I would have told them the truth [about inter-Korean history] and warned them that they could eventually face punishment from the North Korean regime.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Lee also warned that the new administration's conciliatory approach may lead to tighter restrictions on activists. South Korea's National Assembly is currently debating legislation that would ban balloon launches of propaganda across the border. Cautious diplomacy Since taking office, President Lee has made clear his desire to re-engage with Pyongyang. A week into his presidency, the South suspended its loudspeaker broadcasts across the border in what it called an attempt to 'restore trust in inter-Korean relations and achieve peace on the Korean Peninsula'. Despite these moves, analysts are sceptical about the chances for a thaw in relations. Celeste Arrington, director of the Institute for Korean Studies at George Washington University, said North Korea's growing military and economic partnership with Russia meant it had 'little need' to engage with Seoul. 'Thus, there are few signals, if any, of North Korea wanting to re-establish lines of communication with the South, let alone a desire for meaningful warming of relations,' she said. South Korean public opinion also remains cautious, with limited enthusiasm for renewed engagement. For now, efforts to rebuild trust between the two Koreas appear to be met with silence.
Saudi Gazette
7 days ago
- Politics
- Saudi Gazette
Seoul returns six North Koreans with 'strong desire' to go back
SEOUL — South Korea has repatriated six North Koreans who accidentally drifted into South Korean waters earlier this year. All six had consistently expressed their desire to go back, Seoul's Ministry of Unification said. Two of the North Koreans had veered into southern waters in March and stayed on for four months - the longest period recorded for non-defectors. The other four are sailors who drifted across a disputed maritime border between the North and the South in May. This is the first such return under the presidency of South Korea's Lee Jae-myung, who had campaigned on improving inter-Korea ties. The two countries unsuccessfully tried to co-ordinate the return for months. There have been several previous cases of North Koreans sailing unintentionally into the South. They often use small, wooden boats that cannot be easily steered back onto their course once adrift. In the past, authorities in the two countries would co-ordinate to send those who wished to return to the North back via their land Pyongyang had cut off all inter-Korea communication lines in April 2023 amid heightened months later, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un declared that unification with the South is no longer only known channels of communication that remain are the US-led United Nations Command and through the news Ministry of Unification said it had tried twice to inform the North of its intention to send these six people home via the United Nations Command, but did not receive a Korean patrol vessels and fishing boats were spotted at the handover point on Wednesday morning, leading some observers to believe the two Koreas would have agreed on a repatriation plan "behind the scenes"."If you set a boat adrift in the vast ocean without any co-ordination, there's a real risk it could drift away again," says Nam Sung-wook, the former head of the Korea National Strategy Institute think believes the six people will be interrogated at length when they return to the North."They'll be grilled on whether they received any espionage training or overheard anything sensitive. [It will be] an intense process aimed at extracting every last piece of information," he tells BBC the investigation is over, they may be asked to help spread propaganda. Their desire to return to the North "strengthens the legitimacy of [Kim's] regime", adds Lim Eul-chul, a professor specialising in North Korean studies in Kyungnam Madden, a North Korea expert from the Stimson Center in Washington, pointed out that the boats drifted south when South Korea was being led by interim presidents following former President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment."This may have delayed some decision making in both Koreas."Pyongyang certainly did not trust the Yoon remnants in South Korea, and both Koreas could have been open to accusations of an unlawful repatriation out of political expedience by the international community," he repatriations have left some North Korean defectors Lee Min-bok says the six people "should have been given a chance to talk to defectors and learn more about South Korean society"."If I'd had the chance to speak with them, I would have told them the truth [about inter-Korean history] and warned them that they could eventually face punishment from the North Korean regime, simply because they had already experienced life in the South," says Mr Lee, who used to float balloons with anti-Kim leaflets into the Mr Lee and other activists are expecting crackdowns from South Korea's new, pro-engagement National Assembly is currently debating a bill to ban such balloon Jae-myung, who was elected South Korea's president in June, has pledged to restart dialogue with Pyongyang and to reduce tensions between the two countries.A week after he took office, South Korea's military suspended its loudspeaker propaganda broadcasts across the border to North Korea - in what it described as a move to "restore trust in inter-Korean relations and achieve peace on the Korean Peninsula".Some analysts, however, do not expect a major improvement of ties between the Korea has "built up solid co-operation" with Russia, and now has "little need" to engage the South, says Celeste Arrington, director of The George Washington University Institute for Korean opinion in the South also suggests little appetite for engaging with the North, she says."Thus, there are few signals, if any, of re-establishing lines of communication between the North and the South, let alone meaningful warming of relations." — BBC
