Press Release (September 14, 2010)
Enacting an enforcement decree of the act on Korean War abductees was considered by cabinet members
A bill to enact an enforcement decree of the act for investigating abduction by North Korea during the Korean War and restoring honor to the victims was deliberated at a cabinet meeting on September 14 and is going to take effect from September 27.
l According to Article 3, Section 4 of the act which was promulgated on March 26 this year, the decree specifies the composition of the national committee dealing with the matter and its work.
- Chaired by the prime minister, the committee consists of 15 members: ministers of foreign affairs, unification, defense and public administration; the chief of the Korean National Police Agency; 3 representatives from the bereaved families and 6 experts with profound knowledge and various experiences.
- The decree provides legal grounds for establishing a subcommittee to bring efficiency to the committee s work.
- The secretariat with one secretary-general and several staff members will exist for 3 months after the fact-finding work starts officially.
l The decree also includes how to report, review and confirm damage from abduction by North Korea.
- Registration: Victims can be registered at 16 municipal working committees, 151 diplomatic offices abroad and 228 offices in local areas.
- Investigation: Investigation starts within 60 days after a case is reported. Working committees will refer investigation results to the national committee.
- Review & Confirmation: Findings will be reviewed and confirmed by the national committee within 90 days after an investigation is completed.
l To restore honor to the abductees and their families, the decree states plans on memorial projects such as building memorial halls and monuments.
The enactment of the decree will contribute to strengthening national unity by finding the truth about abduction by North Korea and restoring honor to the victims.
l Anyone who wants to report damage from abduction is required to submit documents to offices mentioned above.
- Reports will be collected from next January and the national committee will officially identify the abducted by North Korea after going through the fact-finding procedures.
l The decree allows people to extract their DNA and reserve it in case that their close relatives are found to be alive and repatriated to South Korea.
Ministry of Unification
