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The South Korean government dispatched an embassy consular on Saturday to Tumen, a border city between China and North Korea, where the Chinese police are currently holding Korean War POW Jeon Yong-il and his wife in custody. The South¡¯s government is trying to convince the Chinese to free the couple and let them go to South Korea, but Jeon¡¯s release depends on the Chinese answer, which has been slow in coming.
A South Korean government official said Sunday that the South had requested that an interview be held this week between the Jeons and an embassy consular, but China has not yet certified the whereabouts of the two or what it plans to do with the couple. The official was optimistic, however, saying, "As we have already confirmed to the Chinese government the fact that Jeon is a South Korean prisoner of war, we expect that China will report their plans on dealing with the issue as early as this week to the South Korean government."
The official also said that even if China said it would let the Jeons go free, other matters could delay Jeon's entry into South Korea, such as an investigation into Jeon and his wife, and possible legal measures for the broker who arranged Jeon's escape.
¡°Although it might take some time for Jeon and his wife to arrive in Korea, it seems that there will be no problem in giving them entry,¡± the official said.
(Kwon Kyung-bok, kkb@chosun.com )
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