Two North Korean POWs welcomed to South Korea

Medical, psychological and resettlement support urged

'Limit disclosure to protect families in North Korea'

National Human Rights Commission of Korea Chairperson Ahn Chang-ho presides over the seventh plenary session at the commission's office in Jung-gu, Seoul, in April, during which the panel publicly deliberated on recommendations for humanitarian measures to protect the lives, physical safety and mental health of North Korean prisoners of war captured in Ukraine, and to facilitate their entry into South Korea. [Yonhap]
National Human Rights Commission of Korea Chairperson Ahn Chang-ho presides over the seventh plenary session at the commission's office in Jung-gu, Seoul, in April, during which the panel publicly deliberated on recommendations for humanitarian measures to protect the lives, physical safety and mental health of North Korean prisoners of war captured in Ukraine, and to facilitate their entry into South Korea. [Yonhap]

The National Human Rights Commission of Korea said sensitive information about two North Korean prisoners of war — captured in Ukraine and recently repatriated to South Korea — must be strictly protected to prevent excessive public disclosure of details such as their identities and movements.

Commission Chairperson Ahn Chang-ho welcomed the two men's arrival Monday, saying he hoped they would "recover from the wounds of war and captivity, have their human rights fully guaranteed, and settle stably into our society."

The commission particularly stressed the need to safeguard the men's privacy and personal safety after their arrival. "Sensitive information — including their identities, travel routes, the investigation and protection process, health conditions and family relationships — must be strictly protected so that its excessive disclosure does not threaten the safety of the individuals themselves or of family members remaining in North Korea," it said.

The statement came amid a diplomatic dispute between South Korea and Ukraine over the public disclosure of the repatriation. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed in a speech to the UN General Assembly on Wednesday (local time) that two North Korean POWs had been sent to South Korea.

The South Korean government subsequently said the two sides had agreed to keep the transfer confidential, but Ukraine denied this. Cheong Wa Dae on Sunday formally called for an official explanation and apology from the Ukrainian government.

The commission has consistently emphasized respect for the prisoners' free will and the principle of non-refoulement since their capture. Last January, it urged governments and media outlets to exercise caution against excessive disclosure of personal information — including faces, voices and statements — citing the Third Geneva Convention's principle of protection from public curiosity.

After the two men expressed their wish to come to South Korea in November of that year, the commission said the matter should be treated not merely as a diplomatic or security issue but as a human rights issue directly tied to their lives and safety, and that repatriation against their will must not occur.

In April, the commission called on the government to respect the two men's wish to enter South Korea, pursue their safe and prompt arrival, and take measures to protect their lives, physical safety and mental health in the meantime. The commission determined that, in light of the Constitution and the Nationality Act, North Korean POWs who had clearly expressed a desire to come to South Korea should be protected from the perspective of safeguarding the country's own nationals.

The commission said the arrival "is significant in that the issue of prisoners of war was handled not solely as a matter of competing national interests, but in a manner that respects the individuals' free will, their lives and safety, and human dignity."

It also urged the government and relevant agencies to provide sufficient medical and psychological support as well as resettlement assistance, and to ensure the two men are not subjected to prejudice or discrimination on account of being North Korean defectors.


jookapooka@heraldcorp.com