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Seoul Blocks 95-Year-Old Ex–North Korean Prisoner’s Border Attempt as Six Seek Repatriation

Officials say any transfer requires consultations with Pyongyang, with no decision yet.

Ahn Hak-sop was denied permission to try and cross into North Korea, where he says he wants to be buried with his comrades
Ahn Hak-sop
Ahn Hak-sop
This file photo shows Ahn Hak-sop, 95, a former North Korean spy agent, ahead of a press conference in Seoul on Aug. 8, 2025, calling on the government to repatriate him to North Korea. (Yonhap)

Overview

  • Ahn Hak-sop, 95, was stopped by South Korean soldiers at the Unification Bridge as he tried to head toward North Korea and was later taken to a hospital.
  • Six surviving “unconverted” former North Korean soldiers and spies, including Ahn and Yang Won-jin, have filed formal repatriation requests with the Unification Ministry.
  • The ministry confirmed receipt of the request and said it is reviewing options from a humanitarian perspective, noting that immediate repatriation is not feasible without agreed procedures.
  • Unauthorized civilian crossings into the Demilitarized Zone are barred under national security law, and limited inter-Korean communication complicates coordination.
  • South Korea previously repatriated 63 unconverted prisoners via Panmunjom in 2000 during a period of engagement, and no similar transfers have occurred since.