Seoul: The government has conducted its first official memorial ceremony for individuals abducted by North Korea during the Korean War from 1950 to 1953, reaffirming its commitment to addressing longstanding humanitarian issues resulting from the country's division.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the inaugural Korean War Abductees Remembrance Day event took place at Imjingak Peace Park in Paju, a city located north of Seoul. This marked the first official commemoration of the day, which was legally designated last year to be observed annually on June 28.
During a speech at the event, Vice Unification Minister Kim Nam-jung emphasized the state's fundamental duty and top priority in resolving humanitarian issues caused by the Korean Peninsula's division. Kim characterized the issue of wartime abductions as a significant legacy of division and conflict, noting that any future-oriented approach to inter-Korean peace must also address past grievances.
Kim stressed the urgency of confirming the fate of abducted individuals and alleviating the suffering of their families. He assured that under the new Lee Jae Myung administration, the unification ministry will strive to reduce military tensions on the peninsula and establish lasting peace to prevent the recurrence of war.
Furthermore, Kim outlined plans to tackle the problems arising from national division by reopening communication channels with North Korea and resuming dialogue. The aim is to transition from confrontation to reconciliation and to mitigate the pain experienced by families of wartime abductees.
The Seoul government estimates that nearly 100,000 South Koreans have been kidnapped by the North since the war.