[Focus] Reunion with kidnapped bears significance

Through the successful second family reunions of the separated families of South and North Korea, a turning point in the contentious issue of the war prisoners and the kidnapped seemed possible.

However, concerning the 49-year-old boatswain of "Dongjin 27," Kang Hui-Geun, the North Korean government, through a North Korean press reporter said, "It was not a kidnap but a return to residence in the North." The stance of the North has remained unchanged concerning the kidnapping case.

Even so, the South Korean government, which had announced, "The issue of war prisoners and the kidnapped will be brought under the category of separated families and dealt with accordingly," is of the opinion that great strides have been taken.

In the past, the South¡¯s government unofficially submitted the proposal at various talks such as the inter-Korean special envoy talks, the ministerial-level talks and the inter-Korean Red Cross talks. The South government also included three names of family members of those kidnapped to the North on the list of 200 names for the reunion in the North.

According to the Seoul government, the agreement of the North to resolve this matter "quietly" has been amply demonstrated by the North's confirming and allowing one of the requested family member to visit the North.

"The government is aware of the assertion that the war prisoners and the kidnapped issue must be handled much like South's repatriation of the non-converted long-term prisoners to the North," A high-ranking government official said. "However, as the South and the North are in disagreement, it would be unrealistic to try to solve the problem with arguments in logic."

However, the representative of the organization of families of the kidnapped, Choi Woo-Young, said: "The issue of the kidnapped and the war prisoners must be submitted officially and forcefully. Adding one or two family members of the kidnapped at the separated-families reunion does not in any way address the fundamental issue."

As a matter of fact, the Ministry of Unification has requested the media for a self-imposed ban on issues relating to the reunions of kidnapped family members. Although the North has confirmed the livelihood of the kidnapped family member, the "true intention" still remains unknown and continued media attention to the matter might hamper even the possibility of such family reunions of the kidnapped persons.

However, the fact of a visit to the north of a family member, Kim Sam-Rye, of the kidnapped came to light only through media coverage by the North on Nov. 2.

Ha Tae-Won scooop@donga.com