Repatriation of Civilian Abductees
Vice-Minister Cho Assures Complete Agreement
(Dec. 8, 1953, Cho-sun Daily, 1st page)

Cho Cheong Hwan, Foreign Affairs Vice-Minister and South Korean representative to the Panmun-jeom preliminary talks, held a press conference on the 6th at which he confirmed that the two sides had completely agreed that repatriations of the Republic of Korea civilians abducted by the Communist side during the early stages of the Korean War would start next January.
As to consultations about the repatriation of abducted civilians, according to paragraph 59 of the Armistice Agreement, they are being handled at the Subcommittee for the Exchange of Displaced Civilians. Only issues related to the procedures for repatriation remained; otherwise, the committee had almost reached agreement, Vice-Minister Cho said.
While UN Military Armistice Commission spokesman Colonel Edward Austin on the 4th said the official figure of Republic of Korea civilians abducted by the Communist side stood at about 80,000, Vice-Minister Cho said, “This figure isn’t exact, and the Ministry of National Defense and the Office of Public Information are currently investigating that.”
Meanwhile, government sources expressed considerable doubts over the issue of “returning home under one’s own free will,” that is, whether the Republic of Korea civilians abducted by the Communist side and now living under the enemy would indeed be able to freely express their will to return.