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South Korean prisoner of war Jeon Yong-il will be able to spend the New Years with his family, after the about three weeks of questioning. Jeon was held in North Korea since being captured during the Korean War, but returned to the South on Wednesday.
The National Intelligence Service and the Ministry of National Defense are questioning Jeon about his motive for coming home and about his life in North Korea. The authorities are also questioning the woman who came back with Jeon, 67-year old Choi Eung-hui.
Government official said Thursday that they are not sure whether Choi is a North Korean defector or an ethnic Korean living in China. If the authorities find out that Choi is a defector from North Korea, they would have to notify the Ministry of Unification. The ministry would then provide funds and take appropriate measures for resettlement, official said. If Choi is an ethnic Korean from China, then Ministry of Justice would review the case.
Choi said at the airport on Wednesday that she met Jeon in China on October and that they decided to live together in South Korea. Reportedly, JeonĄŻs former wife in North Korea died in 1992.
(Yu Yong-won, kysu@chosun.com )
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