Allies urge NK to free detainees as S. Korean missionary marks 4,000 days in captivity

Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho delivers a congratulatory speech at an event hosted by the Committee for the Five Northern Korean Provinces in Jongno-gu, Seoul, Sept. 13. (Ministry of Unification)

Seoul and Washington issued concurrent statements condemning North Korea’s unlawful detention of six South Korean nationals and demanding their immediate, unconditional release, timed to mark missionary Kim Jung-wook's 4,000th day in captivity.

South Korea released the statement from Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho on Friday, while the US simultaneously issued the press statement Thursday from State Department spokesman Matthew Miller.

In his statement, Kim decried, "North Korean authorities do not provide even minimal information, such as confirmation of life or death about our nationals who were illegally arrested and are currently detained, adding to the suffering of their families over the years."

"The ROK government condemns North Korea's illegal and inhumane human rights violations and strongly urges the North, which is a party to major international human rights instruments, to immediately and unconditionally release our nationals who are illegally detained," the statement added, referring to South Korea by the acronym of its official name, the Republic of Korea.

Kim Jung-wook -- who had been carrying out humanitarian aid and missionary work for North Korean residents and defectors along the China-North Korea border -- was arrested by North Korean authorities on Oct. 8, 2013.

In May 2014, he received a life sentence of hard labor on charges including plotting to overthrow the regime, engaging in anti-state propaganda, and illegally crossing the border.

Missionaries Kim Kook-kie and Choi Chun-gil have been held in North Korean custody since 2014, while three North Korean defectors, now South Korean citizens, have been detained since 2016.

The unification minister also underscored that the return of six South Korean detainees is a "concern shared by the international community" in his statement.

"Therefore, with today’s statement, international solidarity and calls for their immediate release will only grow stronger," the statement read.

"North Korea must not ignore our legitimate demands concerning the lives and safety of our citizens and must clearly recognize the seriousness of the issue, as well as the international community's strong warnings against their repeated violations of universal human rights norms," it added.

According to the Unification Ministry, the statement was the first-ever issued by a unification minister to condemn North Korea's arbitrary detention of South Korean nationals and call for their immediate repatriation.

South Korea's Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho (left) and US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell shake hands during a meeting in Washington in July 2024. Both officials wear symbolic badges featuring three forget-me-not flowers, produced by the Unification Ministry. This emblem represents the "right to not be forgotten" for abductees, detainees and prisoners of war, underscoring the South Korean government's steadfast commitment to protecting its citizens. (Ministry of Unification)

Washington also echoed Kim's remarks in what marked the first time the US State Department has formally issued a statement addressing the issue of South Korean detainees in North Korea.

Miller also called for the "immediate and unconditional release of all those unjustly detained in North Korea."

The DPRK is the abbreviation for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

"We urge the DPRK to immediately release all those who have been denied fair public trials and are subjected to unjust or arbitrary detention. The US remains gravely concerned about the lack of transparency, fairness, and accountability within the DPRK’s judicial system," the US statement read.

Global Affairs Canada issued a statement Thursday in support of the unification minister, stating, "Canada calls for their release and for North Korea to meet its international human rights obligations."

The Kim Jong-un regime had previously detained Americans and a Canadian -- all of whom have since been released.

In a separate document released Friday, the Unification Ministry highlighted the importance of the three concurrent statements.

The ministry emphasized that this joint action showcased the international community’s unified commitment to addressing the issues of abductees, detainees, and unrepatriated prisoners of war in North Korea -- reaffirmed during pivotal events like the Camp David summit in August 2023 -- and that this commitment has now been translated into tangible action.

The Unification Ministry formed an Abductees Response Team in September last year, placing it under direct ministerial oversight. Since then, the ministry has launched a series of initiatives aimed at strengthening international cooperation to address and resolve the issue.

In August, the ministry organized a first-ever event where families of South Koreans abducted and held captive by North Korea made a direct appeal to foreign embassies in Seoul, calling for global support to elevate these long-standing cases to the UN for action and resolution.

Kim Jeong-sam, the elder brother of missionary Kim Jung-wook, said Friday, "I have found strength not only through the Unification Ministry but also from the support of governments and civil societies around the world."

"I am confident that missionary Kim Jung-wook will one day be reunited with his family."

By Ji Da-gyum(dagyumji@heraldcorp.com)