South Korea confirms six citizens, including missionaries and defectors, have been held in North Korea for years, pledging to secure their release through renewed dialogue.
SEOUL: South Korea’s presidential office confirmed on Thursday that six of its citizens have been held captive in North Korea for years.
The confirmation came a day after President Lee Jae Myung appeared unaware of their plight during a briefing with foreign media.
Lee’s office stated that the six nationals, including Christian missionaries and North Korean defectors, have been detained since their arrests between 2013 and 2016 on charges including espionage.
Four of them have been publicly named by Pyongyang, which has accused them of spying.
“In the current situation, where inter-Korean dialogue and exchanges have been suspended for an extended period, the suffering of our people caused by division continues,” the presidential office said.
“The government will work to address the matter through efforts to swiftly resume inter-Korean dialogue.”
At Wednesday’s briefing, Lee turned to his national security adviser Wi Sung-lac for help answering a question about detainees.
Wi said there had been cases of South Koreans unable to return after entering the North and “other unknown cases”, but could not confirm the timing of their arrests.
Lee’s apparent lack of awareness made headlines in local media, with one conservative newspaper calling him “clueless”.
Seoul’s Unification Ministry said on Thursday it last raised the issue with Pyongyang in 2018.
The North responded at the time that “relevant domestic institutions are thoroughly reviewing the issue”, according to the ministry.
Pyongyang has not commented or taken any action on the matter since.
Since taking office in June, Lee has proposed talks with Pyongyang without preconditions.
This marks a sharp reversal from the hawkish stance of his predecessor, who was removed from office last year.
Pyongyang has remained silent on Lee’s overtures.
