63 Communist ex-prisoners sent to NK

Sixty-three "unconverted long-term prisoners" were turned over to North Korea via the Neutral National Supervision Commission in the truce village of Panmunjeom at 10 a.m. Sunday. Upon their arrival in Pyongyang, they lodged at Koryo Hotel after visiting the Kumsusan memorial Palace, which houses the remains of late president Kim Il-sung. They left the Bugak Parktel in Seoul at 8:07 a.m. and arrived at the Freedom House in Panmunjeom. They began to cross the border from about 10:05 a.m. with ex-guerilla Kang Dong-keun, 84, entering the North first. It took 15 minutes for all of them to enter the northern side of the truce village. South and North Korean liaison officers at Panmunjeom exchanged documents confirming the repatriation of the Communist ex-prisoners to the North as the final procedure.

Hong Mun-go, one of the unconverted communist, said prior to being repatriated to the North, said that he would strongly recommend when he arrives in the North that the South Korean prisoners of war and kidnapped people be sent back to the South. Shin In-yong, who went to the North, leaving his old mother in the South, said he would send a memorandum for security guarantee to his mother and invite her to the North, asking reporters to deliver his words of thanks to the South Korean people who helped him so far.

North Korea held a gala welcoming ceremony for them at Panmunjom with some 500 North Koreans, including high-ranking officials such as Kim Yong-sun, a secretary of the Workers¡¯ Party and Minister Kim Il-chol of People¡¯s Armed Forces, attending. North Korean state-run broadcasting stations telecast live their arrival at Panmunjom and reported their arrival in Pyongyang promptly in special news programs. Pyongyang citizens also welcomed them enthusiastically on streets.

Kim Young-Sik spear@donga.com