Gov't Considering Aid for Return of POWs
The Unification Ministry is considering a West Germany-style offer of economic aid to North Korea in return for the release of South Korean prisoners of war. Before unification, West Germany cajoled East Germany to hand over political prisoners for economic aid. Seoul believes that there are some 560 South Korean POWs and 480 abduction victims in the North.
An official said his ministry reported to the presidential transition committee four or five ways of offering economic aid to the North to ensure the safety of South Korean POWs and abductees, promote meetings with their relatives in the South, and ultimately achieve their return. The West German government gave some W1.7 trillion (US$1=W937) to East Germany and brought 34,000 political prisoners to the West between 1963 and 1989. Bonn first gave cash but later provided coffee, oil and copper.
A ministry official said in addition to the West German way, Japanese and U.S.-style solutions were being suggested to the transition team. Japan exercised political pressure and offered rice to the North to bring back some of the Japanese kidnapped by the communist country in the 1960s and 1970s. The U.S. traded the remains of its soldiers in North Korea killed during the Korean War for cash.
North Korea officially denies there are South Korean POW there, using the ambiguous expression Òpeople whose fate became unknown during or after the war" instead of POWs or abduction victims.
© 2007 The Chosun Ilbo & Digital Chosun Ilbo
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Jan.16,2008 09:56 KST
Germany Provides a Model for Freeing POWs
In order to secure the safe return of South Korean prisoners of war and citizens abducted by North Korea, South Korea's Unification Ministry reportedly told the presidential Transition Committee it could consider using West Germany's method of winning the release of political prisoners from East Germany through economic rewards. There are around 560 South Korean prisoners of war in North Korea, according to accounts provided by POWs who escaped from the communist country. Around 480 South Koreans civilians have been abducted by North Koreans since the armistice.
The Transition Committee has said it considers the POW issue a top priority which requires the utmost efforts to resolve. But North Korea refuses to acknowledge that these people even exist. Just ahead of the launch of the Lee Myung-bak administration, it has become clear that securing the return of the POWs and abductees is the nation's top priority. The question is, how will we do it?
The West German government began holding secret talks with East Germany in 1963 and exchanged money or goods in return for the release of political prisoners from the communist East. Around 34,000 East German political prisoners were brought to West Germany through this method until the Berlin Wall came down in 1989. As a reward for their release, West Germany paid East Germany 3.44 billion marks (around W1.7 trillion, US$1=W937) over a 26-year period. At first the payments were cash, but later they became crude oil, copper and other goods. The reward for each released prisoner was around 40,000 marks (around W20 million), but it rose to 100,000 marks (about W50 million) in the 1980s.
The price would be much higher when adjusted to today's rates. There was criticism that the money and goods the West gave the East ended up contributing to the continuation of the East German regime, which in turn prolonged the suffering of its people. We will face the same controversy should we take this approach.
But North Korea has held South Korean POWs and abductees captive for almost 60 years. Even Josef Stalin did not treat German POWs so harshly. South Korean POWs and abductees held in North Korea are now in their final years of life. They are running out of time.
The West German government never publicized its deals. Civilian and religious groups did the actual work. That was done in order to keep the pressure off the East German government. Closed-door negotiations will be necessary in order to get North Korean officials, who are ultra-sensitive about this issue, to talk. But South Koreans, who have heard the prayers of the families of the POWs and abductees, will be more than able to accept this approach.
© 2007 The Chosun Ilbo & Digital Chosun Ilbo