News-Info-Alerts

To: ALL

From: Andi Wolos & Bob Necci
(POW-MIA InterNetwork)

Re: 30 Surviving POWs Identified

Date: October 12, 1998

South Korea is reporting that 30 South Korean long-term POWs were still alive and in captivity in North Korea have been identified. The men were identified by an escaped POW, Chang-Mu hwan.

Chang was captured by Chinese troops immediately before the cease-fire in the summer of 1953. He is scheduled to give apress conference 20 OCT 1998.

According to Chang, he and 70 other POWs were subjected to unimaginable conditions in a northern coal mine. He had memorized the names and addresses of the 70 POWs. 40 have since perished.

This account dovetails with the statements of a previously escaped long-term POW, Yang Soon-yong, who knew of 42 POWs still being held in North Korea. Between the two at least 130 unaccounted-for POWs have been identified as confirmed alive and in captivity in North Korea. Only one other POW has escaped from North Korea, Cho Chang-ho.