Title: Forgotten Heroes: Korean War POWs’ Struggle for Recognition and Reunification
Subtitle: 70 years after the armistice, South Korean prisoners of war continue to fight for justice and reunification
By Jean Mackenzie, BBC Seoul correspondent
July 27, 2023
After enduring half a century as a prisoner of war in North Korea, Li Dafeng bravely escaped his captors and fled to China by wading through a river. His remarkable journey is a testament to the suffering endured by countless South Korean prisoners of war during the Korean War.
Lee Dae-bong, a 92-year-old former South Korean soldier, carries physical injuries that serve as a constant reminder of the 54 years he spent toiling as a coolie in a North Korean coal mine. Captured by Chinese troops during the Battle of Arrowhead Mountain in 1953, Lee, along with tens of thousands of others, was never returned to his homeland after the war.
The Korean War ended with an armistice in 1953, leaving the peninsula divided between North and South Korea. Between 50,000 and 80,000 South Korean soldiers became prisoners of war in North Korea, with only 80 managing to return home. Despite being the longest truce in history, the absence of a peace treaty has made life difficult for former POWs like Lee Dae-bong and their families.
During his captivity, Lee was subjected to grueling work in the coal mine, alternating between mining and studying North Korean ideology. Stripped of their military ranks in 1956, the prisoners were forced to marry and integrate into North Korean society. However, they remained marginalized and treated as second-class citizens, bearing the brunt of North Korea’s harsh social class system.
Lee Dae-bong and others like him endured backbreaking labor and witnessed the deaths of friends in mine accidents and gas explosions. Longing for their families and freedom, many prisoners of war blamed both North and South Korea for their suffering.
Efforts by South Korean presidents to retrieve the prisoners of war have been met with little success, with North Korea refusing to acknowledge their existence. Even during a summit between South Korean President Kim Dae-jung and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il in 2000, the issue was not addressed.
It was at this point that Li Dafeng, feeling that hope was lost, realized his only chance of returning home lay in escape. Still grieving the loss of his wife and son, who was killed in a mine accident, Li clandestinely made his way to China, wading across a river when he was 77 years old. His escape was the exception, with only 80 prisoners of war managing to return to South Korea, leaving tens of thousands trapped.
The children of these prisoners of war also faced hardships in North Korea, with many enduring abuse, bullying, and discrimination. Only upon their escape to South Korea did they discover the truth about their fathers, who were considered war heroes. However, the South Korean government has not recognized them or their families.
Today, the children of prisoners of war, including Chae Ah-in and Son Myeong-hwa, tirelessly advocate for recognition and justice. They seek equal treatment and acknowledgement for the sacrifices made by their fathers and families.
As both North and South Korea commemorate the peace that remains on the peninsula, the stories of these forgotten heroes serve as a reminder that the Korean War is far from over. The dream of reunification and lasting peace remains elusive, but the determination of Lee Dae-bong, Li Dafeng, and their fellow prisoners of war to keep fighting for justice inspires hope for a better future.
With no peace treaty in place, the families of prisoners of war continue to face obstacles in finding closure and peace. The 70th anniversary of the armistice should serve as a poignant reminder that the sacrifices made by these individuals must not be forgotten, and that efforts toward reunification and justice should remain a priority.