SEOUL, February 10 (AJP) - U.S. President Donald Trump has responded to a letter calling for protection of North Korean prisoners of war held in Ukraine, a civic group that assists North Korean defectors said on Tuesday.
According to the Emergency Committee for the Free Repatriation of North Korean Soldiers, led by defector-turned-lawmaker Thae Yong-ho, its U.S.-based affiliated group, Free Joseon, sent a letter to Trump last month urging that the POWs' free will be respected and that they be protected under the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits forced repatriation.
Trump sent a reply last Sunday to Peter Oh, a defector-turned-reporter for Radio Free Asia who also leads Free Joseon, thanking him for "taking the time to share" the story.
"Your words are a powerful reminder of the strength, resilience, and spirit of the American people. It is because of proud, hardworking citizens like you that I will never stop fighting to protect our values, defend our freedoms and put America first," he added.
The committee said Trump's letter did not contain any specific plans or steps to resolve the issue of North Korean POWs.
Two wounded North Korean soldiers who were captured while fighting for Russia in its war against Ukraine in January last year remain held there, despite having expressed their wish to go to South Korea in interviews with South Korean media.
According to the Emergency Committee for the Free Repatriation of North Korean Soldiers, led by defector-turned-lawmaker Thae Yong-ho, its U.S.-based affiliated group, Free Joseon, sent a letter to Trump last month urging that the POWs' free will be respected and that they be protected under the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits forced repatriation.
Trump sent a reply last Sunday to Peter Oh, a defector-turned-reporter for Radio Free Asia who also leads Free Joseon, thanking him for "taking the time to share" the story.
"Your words are a powerful reminder of the strength, resilience, and spirit of the American people. It is because of proud, hardworking citizens like you that I will never stop fighting to protect our values, defend our freedoms and put America first," he added.
The committee said Trump's letter did not contain any specific plans or steps to resolve the issue of North Korean POWs.
Two wounded North Korean soldiers who were captured while fighting for Russia in its war against Ukraine in January last year remain held there, despite having expressed their wish to go to South Korea in interviews with South Korean media.
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