Abduction of civilians during the Korean War: analysis of abductee lists and armistice talks

man-ho Heo

Volume 22 Number 4 December 2010

Since the preceding Roh Moo-hyun government, the move toward a new peace
regime has become more evident. However, the question of the Korean War
civilian abductees remains noticeably absent from any talks or agreement. In as
much as the North Korean authorities deny any large-scale abduction of civilians,
this research aims to prove North Korea’s complicity in these abductions and also
explain their purpose. Accordingly, this study analyzes the trends of the
abductions by examining the number of abductees by region, the timing of the
abductions, the abduction agents, the process of the abductions, the occupations
of the abductees, and the expected value of the abductees. As a result, it can be
proven that the civilian abductions were undertaken as an important and integral
part of the North Korean war policy. Furthermore, this research points out the
mistakes in policy and bargaining tactics committed by the UN side during the
armistice talks. Finally, when considering the non-observance of the existing
agreements, the key to resolving the issue of South Korean civilian abductions
would seem to be political negotiation and an approach in line with other pending
issues in inter-Korean relations.