South Korean gov't ordered to compensate man kidnapped from North Korea 67 years ago

North Korea

Published: 16 Feb. 2023, 10:39 Updated: 16 Feb. 2023, 10:46

South Korean gov't ordered to compensate man kidnapped from North Korea 67 years ago

Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-dong, southern Seoul [NEWS1]

A Seoul court has ordered the government to compensate an 86-year-old man from North Korea who was abducted by a South Korean spy right after the 1950-53 Korean War, legal sources said Wednesday.

In 1956, Kim Ju-sam was abducted by the South Korean agent at his home in the North's Hwanghae. Kim then was detained at an Air Force base and worked without pay for four years.

Since his release in 1961, he has lived in South Korea for 67 years.

In 2020 he filed a lawsuit seeking 1.5 billion won ($1.16 million).

The Seoul Central District Court on Tuesday ruled partially in favor of the plaintiff, ordering the state must pay 1 billion won in damages.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the state truth panel, last year issued a recommendation that Kim be given the opportunity to meet his family in the North.

Yonhap