Two North Koreans requesting return remain in South, marking longest stay
Published: 08 May. 2025, 10:43
![Eocheong Island in Gunsan, North Jeolla [JOONGANG ILBO]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/05/08/e4632e6b-5c76-44d4-8b80-0215ae3e9401.jpg)
Eocheong Island in Gunsan, North Jeolla [JOONGANG ILBO]
Two North Korean residents who drifted near the South Korean island of Eocheong in the Yellow Sea on March 7 and said they wanted to return to the North remain in the South as of Wednesday, marking the longest such stay on record. Pyongyang has not responded to the South’s request to repatriate them.
The South Korean military notified the North of the incident through the United Nations Command's "pink phone" direct line, according to multiple government sources. Despite confirming the North Koreans’ presence and their stated wish to return, North Korea has not replied regarding the method or timing of repatriation.
Since 2010, North Koreans who drifted south by sea and did not intend to defect typically returned home within six to seven days, either via maritime routes or through Panmunjom, according to the Ministry of Unification. The previous longest stay occurred in February 2011, when 31 North Koreans were held in the South for 51 days before returning.
The two individuals currently in the South occupy a legally ambiguous status. Under South Korean law, protection and resettlement support only apply to North Koreans who seek to be under the care of the Republic of Korea. Because the two individuals have expressed a desire to return home, they fall outside the scope of the law.
Observers believe Pyongyang’s silence may stem from its current posture toward Seoul. Under a directive from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, the regime has labeled South Korea an “enemy state” and severed all formal communication, which may be a factor in the delay.
Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY CHUNG YEONG-GYO, LEE YU-JUNG [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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