An old North Korean ex-soldier in South Korea wants to go back up North
In South Korea, a 95-year-old man stole the spotlight this week in an episode that surprised activists and military personnel alike. Ahn Hak-sop, a former North Korean soldier who spent over four decades in prison in the South, dedicated his life to seeking repatriation back to the North, much to the amazement of many.
## A symbolic march at the border
Ahn walked to the Unification Bridge in the border city of Paju with a North Korean flag in hand, accompanied by a group of activists. His goal was clear: to demand that Seoul authorities facilitate his return. However, he was stopped by soldiers at a checkpoint before reaching the Demilitarized Zone that separates the two Koreas.
The veteran, who complained of knee pain after the altercation, was taken to a hospital and is now recovering at his home in Gimpo, near the South Korean capital. His acquaintances claim that he plans to continue protesting in Seoul to insist on his wish to go back to the North.
## A life marked by the division of the peninsula
Ahn’s story is also the story of the Korean peninsula. Born in 1930 on the current South Korean island of Ganghwa, under Japanese colonial rule, he volunteered for the North Korean army in 1952. A year later, in 1953, he was captured by South Korean troops shortly before the armistice that ended the Korean War. His fate was tragic: 42 years of imprisonment in the South, until he was granted a presidential pardon in 1995.
In 2000, after the historic summit between South Korean President Kim Dae-jung and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, Seoul repatriated 63 long-term prisoners. Ahn then had the option to cross to the North, but he chose to stay, promising to continue his campaign until US troops withdrew from the South.
## Between hope and frozen diplomacy
The passage of time, the fragility of his health, and the sense that his life is nearing its end seem to have changed Ahn’s perspective. In July, the veteran expressed his wish to be repatriated as soon as possible, aware that he may not have much time left.
However, the political landscape is not in his favor. The South Korean government recently clarified that there are no immediate plans to send the few remaining prisoners who still wish to return to the North, while Pyongyang has also shown no willingness to accept them. Diplomacy between the two Koreas is at one of its lowest points since 2019, when nuclear talks with Washington collapsed, and North Korea suspended almost all forms of cooperation with the South.
