After 53 years, three Daeyeongho crew members recognized as abductees; families to receive consolation payments

[Financial News] The government has decided to recognize three crew members of the Daeyeongho, who were taken to North Korea from the sea 53 years ago, as abductees and pay consolation money to their families. As a result, the number of South Korean nationals abducted and not returned has risen by three to 519.
According to the Ministry of Unification on the 2nd, a meeting of the Deliberation Committee on Compensation and Support for Abduction Victims was held, and Cho Min-cheol (75; registered name Cho Gi-won), Kim Yang-hun (estimated age 73) and Kim Dong-ho (estimated age 70) were additionally recognized as postwar abductees. The three were crew members of the Daeyeongho, abducted near Yeonpyeong Island in the West Sea on Nov. 24, 1973.
Because there were almost no records of the vessel or its fishing operations at the time, the Daeyeongho was not officially counted as an abducted vessel. The abduction was confirmed when crew member Kim Byeong-do, who died in 2023, returned in 2003.
After returning, Kim said that six Daeyeongho crew members had been abducted. But only three, including Kim, were recognized, while the other three, including Cho, were not counted as abductees due to a lack of supporting evidence.
However, last year the Association of Families of Postwar Abductees obtained additional materials about three of the five people who had not returned, including Cho. After review by its deliberation committee, the Ministry of Unification officially recognized the three as abductees this time.
The Ministry of Unification recognized them as “abduction victims” under the Act on Compensation and Support for Abduction Victims after the Conclusion of the Korean War Armistice Agreement, and decided to pay them 81 million won in consolation money under the law.
Among those abducted, fishermen like Cho make up the largest group, with 460 people; the rest include military and police personnel and people abducted from KAL flights, among others. Of the 3,838 people abducted after the armistice, 3,310 were repatriated and nine returned by defecting from North Korea.
Meanwhile, President Lee Jae Myung came under controversy shortly after taking office because he lacked information about South Korean nationals detained in North Korea. During a press conference with foreign media at the Yeongbingwan State Guest House on Dec. 3 last year, Lee was asked about efforts to secure the release of detained missionaries Kim Jeong-uk and Choi Chun-gil, among others. He replied, “This is the first I’ve heard of it.”
Lee then looked toward Wi Sung-lac, chief of the Office of National Security (ONS), who was seated beside him, and asked again. Wi replied, “It happened a very long time ago, so we have insufficient information on individual cases,” and added, “We will look into the situation further before making a judgment.”
After the remarks were reported, groups representing families of abductees and detainees, including the Korean War Abductees' Family Association, said, “We feel anger at seeing the president look bewildered in front of victims who have waited 75 years for their family members,” and strongly criticized and expressed regret over the government’s complacent attitude.
[email protected] Kim Kyung-soo Reporter