On July 18, the Committee for the Repatriation to Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DROK) of An Hak-sup held a press conference in front of the Seoul Government Complex, calling for the repatriation of An Hak-sup, a 96-year-old anti-U.S. fighter and reunification activist who has endured 43 years of imprisonment without recanting his beliefs.
The moderator introduced An as “a man of our time who has lived with the scars of Korea’s division and war etched into his body.” Despite enduring over four decades behind bars, An “never abandoned his convictions—convictions rooted in a profound love for his homeland, people, and nation.”
She emphasized, “Even though one of his homelands imprisoned and tortured him, he never turned his back on either Korea. Now, it is time for his country to answer with repatriation. The Lee Jae-myung administration, bearing an immense historic responsibility for peace and reunification, must make every effort to ensure his swift repatriation.”
Lee Jeok, pastor and head of the Peace Church in Civilian Control Line and An’s son-in-law, reflected, “It’s been over ten years since I welcomed An into my care. His 42 years and six months of imprisonment were a harrowing ordeal few in the world could endure. After Kim Sun-myung passed, who had been imprisoned 43 years, An became the longest-living unconverted political prisoner alive.”
Lee recalled a time when An had the opportunity to move to the North, but declined, saying, “This land is still occupied by U.S. military forces. I cannot return home for personal comfort while the South remains under occupation.” Lee continued, “He chose to stay, to resist, to raise his voice, and to live a life of struggle.”
Despite this, Lee pointed out that the South subjected An to intense surveillance and repression, “During military exercises, police would be stationed outside his home. He lived under the National Security Law, was coerced to sign statements, and essentially remained imprisoned without bars. Holding onto the desire to be close to his homeland, he would look across the river toward the North from the Demilitarized Zone, moved to tears.”
Lee further noted, “He may pass away at any moment. It is time to send him. According to Article 118 of the Geneva Convention’s Prisoner of War Agreement, he should have been repatriated at the end of the war. But the government in the ‘Republic of Korea (ROK)’ neither recognized him as a prisoner of war nor repatriated him—instead, they imprisoned and tortured him, demanding he recant his beliefs. Yet this man of conviction never relented, maintaining his principles until the end. To this day, he stands firm and says, ‘My wish is a country without occupying forces. My homeland is one.'”
Lee appealed to both Koreas “The Lee Jae-myung administration is the government we established. It must abolish the National Security Law, demand U.S. troop withdrawal, and hold the United States accountable. That is what defines a sovereign government. An never begged to be repatriated—he vowed to return with dignity, even if he cannot walk. He has expressed his will to cross Panmunjom on foot. We call on the South to send him, and on the North to receive him.”
Yeom Seong-tae, advisor to the Citizens’ Action Committee to Abolish the Chosun Ilbo, expressed concern over An’s health, “I was heartbroken to hear he is hospitalized again. The Lee Jae-myung government, which claims popular sovereignty, has a clear responsibility to repatriate An. There is no room for excuses. Our wish is for him to recover and return to his homeland, to live out his final days in peace.”
Yeom added, “When I protested for three months with Kang Hui-nam for the withdrawal of U.S. troops, I witnessed how deeply he longed for his homeland. He passed away without ever seeing it again. Let us at least ensure that An Hak-sup returns to his place, in the name of peace and sovereignty.”
Han Myeong-hui, former representative of the People’s Democracy Party, also spoke, stating, “We demand the swift repatriation of An Hak-sup, the world’s longest-held surviving unconverted political prisoner. The government in the ‘ROK’ must take active steps. His lifelong struggle was for independence and reunification of this land. When he realized at age 12 that his nation was a colony, the fire for liberation was lit in his heart.”
Han continued, “Though his body was destroyed by decades of brutal attempts to force him to recant, An stayed true to his beliefs. His 43 years in cold prison cells were a lifelong path of national liberation. Even in old age, he faithfully attended the meetings of the Peace Church in Civilian Control Line and PDP rallies—fulfilling his role in the struggle for independence and reunification.”
She added, “Until the day U.S. troops leave, he vowed to fight. Despite serious illness, he always wanted to be present at protests. He once said dying while struggling would be an honor—but we don’t want that to be his fate. We hope he can spend his final days in the land of his dreams, where the spirit of his comrades lives.”
The event concluded with participants reading a press conference statement titled, “We Demand the Repatriation of An Hak-sup, the World’s Longest-Held Surviving Unconverted Political Prisoner.” They chanted slogans including “Repatriate An Hak-sup!” “Send Home the Anti-U.S. Fighter and Reunification Activist!” “Respect the Geneva Convention and Return An Hak-sup!” and sang the revolutionary song “Comrade.”
After the press conference, the delegation submitted a formal request for a meeting with the Lee Jae-myung administration regarding An’s repatriation, and marched around the government complex urging swift action.
