Seoul to Reconsider Question of MIA Soldiers

The Defense Ministry on Monday pledged to review its paperwork concerning South Korean soldiers who are listed as killed in action during the Korean War despite being alive in North Korea.

"In 18 rounds of family reunions since 2000, it has become apparent what happened to 32 South Korean prisoners of war, with 19 still alive and 13 dead," a ministry official said. "The surviving 19 had been deemed dead since 1957, and 17 of them met their South Korean families."  

The official said four former soldiers who had been deemed dead showed up at the latest family reunions. "We'll reconsider their legal status after listening to views of the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs and the Army," he added.

Military authorities have categorized missing soldiers during the Korean War as dead as far as their families' pension entitlements are concerned even after it emerged that they were alive in the North.