95-Year-Old Former POW Seeks Final Return to North Korea

Fri Oct 17 2025 12:24:26 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Ahn Hak-sop, a 95-year-old former Korean prisoner of war, attempts to make one last journey to North Korea to be buried, expressing a deep-rooted belief in the nation's independence despite decades in South Korea.

Ahn Hak-sop, a 95-year-old former POW detained in South Korea for over four decades, sought to return to North Korea for his final resting place. However, he was denied entry by the South Korean government. Throughout his life, Ahn's convictions about North Korea and its struggles against imperialism have remained strong, as he continues to view the US and South Korea's relationship as a form of colonialism.

A blistering morning in Paju witnessed an unexpected gathering at Imjingang Station, the closest point to North Korea on Seoul's subway line. The crowd had gathered for one reason: to see 95-year-old Ahn Hak-sop, a former North Korean prisoner of war, who aimed to fulfill his final wish of returning to the North for burial. Ahn, having spent most of his life in South Korea, was turned away at the border—an outcome he anticipated following government statements about insufficient time to prepare for his crossing.

Weakened by health issues, Ahn managed to walk part of the way from the station to the Unification Bridge, flanked by supporters. At the site, he held a North Korean flag and voiced his desire: "I just want my body to rest in a truly independent land." His unwavering belief in North Korea's mission stemmed from a turbulent past; he was captured by South Korean forces during the Korean War at the age of 23, imprisoned for over 42 years due to his allegiance to the North.

Ahn's perspective began during his youth when he felt betrayed by geopolitical actions in Korea. Captured in the tumultuous years of the Korean conflict, he resisted pressure to abandon his beliefs. He reflected on years of humiliation and torture while imprisoned, professing a deep-seated conviction that the current issues plaguing North Korea were heavily influenced by US interventionism.

Having been born in 1930 during Japanese colonial rule, Ahn has seen many changes throughout his life. Despite opportunities to return to North Korea in the past, he refrained, fearing that doing so would merely serve American interests. Now, as he nears the end of his life, he continues to view the ongoing alliance between Washington and Seoul as a new form of colonial oppression.

Despite Ahn's return being thwarted, he remains resolute in his beliefs about his homeland. Defiantly, he chastised media portrayals of North Korea and insists it remains resilient and powerful, calling for an end to what he perceives as a new kind of colonialism that he refuses to accept even in death. As South Korea flourishes in a robust democracy, Ahn persists in his lifelong protest against perceived American dominance and the struggle for Korean self-determination.