Rep. Rangel to submit resolution on Korean War prisoners

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By Lee Chi-dong
WASHINGTON, July 21 (Yonhap) -- A U.S. congressman is pushing for the adoption by Congress of a resolution on Korean War prisoners held in North Korea and civilian abductees taken during the 1950-53 conflict.
Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY) plans to submit the resolution on Capitol Hill on Monday on the occasion of the July 27 Korean War Armistice Day, according to his office. Rangel participated in the war himself as a U.S. soldier.
The move comes in cooperation with Park Sun-young, a visiting lawmaker from South Korea's Liberty Forward Party (LFP), it added.
After meeting with the representative, Park also told Yonhap News Agency, "Rep. Rangel wants the resolution to be adopted on the Korean War Armistice Day."
Hundreds of South Korean soldiers were captured during the war and around 350 of them still reside in the North, data show.
In addition, more than 100,000 abducted civilians are estimated to remain in the North.
North Korea claims there are no prisoners of war (POWs) or civilians held there against their will and refuses to talk about the issue in any official inter-Korean dialogue.
Park, who has long campaigned for their repatriation, emphasized that it is urgent to bring them back to the South because many are in their 80s or 90s.
"At least, we need to open the way for their (temporary) reunion with families in the South," she said.