The 95-Year-Old Korean POW's Final Journey Home

Ahn Hak-sop's poignant quest to return to North Korea highlights his enduring beliefs surrounding imperialism and identity, as he faces barriers from the South Korean government during what he sees as his last journey.

On a sweltering day earlier this week, Imjingang Station, the final stop on Seoul's subway line closest to North Korea, buzzed with an unusual crowd of activists, police, and concerned citizens. At the center was Ahn Hak-sop, a 95-year-old former North Korean prisoner of war, who sought to cross the border for the last time, hoping to be buried in the North after spending decades in the South against his will. However, despite his dreams, the South Korean government turned Mr. Ahn away, citing insufficient time to arrange his passage.

With a frail frame burdened by pulmonary edema, Mr. Ahn managed to walk the final 200 meters toward the Unification Bridge, aided by two supporters. In a poignant moment, he clutched a North Korean flag—an image rarely witnessed in South Korea—and addressed the crowd. "I just want my body to rest in a truly independent land," he proclaimed. Mr. Ahn's unwavering belief in this ideal stems from his initial conscription into the North Korean People's Army, after being captured during the Korean War in 1953.

Captured at the age of 23, Ahn had previously believed fervently in North Korean values and the ideology of reunification without foreign interference. After enduring years in prison, he was released in 1995 but struggled with the stigma attached to his past. Despite being offered a chance to return to the North in 2000, he declined, fearing it would be perceived as capitulation to American influence in the region.

Having lived through significant historical traumas, Ahn's childhood in a tumultuous Korea instilled a sense of strong patriotism. His grandfather's belief in resisting Japanese influence formed his identity. He witnessed the transformation of Korea post-World War II from colonial rule to new forms of governance, constantly under the shadow of international military commitments.

Ahn's experience highlights systemic injustices faced by those from his background during periods of political turmoil, with allegations of torture and forced ideological conversions during his imprisonment raising troubling questions about human rights in South Korea. While acknowledging the changed dynamics of both North and South Korea over decades, Ahn still sees his homeland through a lens of nostalgia and patriotism, attributing the persistent separation of the two Koreas to foreign powers rather than internal divisions.

Today, as South Korea has transitioned into a thriving democracy, Mr. Ahn continues to advocate for what he sees as true independence from perceived colonial powers. He argues passionately that his physical remains should rest in a land reflecting those beliefs, showing that his struggle for identity and dignity endures to the very end of his life.