Beijing urged to cooperate to repatriate POW to S. Korea

BEIJING, Nov. 3 (Yonhap) -- The secretary general of South Korea's ruling Grand
National Party (GNP) on Monday asked China to cooperate to repatriate a South
Korean prisoner of war who has been detained in China since he escaped North
Korea in August.
Rep. Chang Kwang-keun (GNP) made the call during his hour-long meeting with Wang
Jiarui, head of the Chinese Communist Party's international liaison department,
South Korean officials who attended the meeting in Beijing said.
The officials quoted Wang as saying he would convey the request to the
authorities concerned.
Chang confirmed he raised the issue of the POW in his meeting with the Chinese
official.
The South Korean POW, identified by only by his surname, Chung, had been held in
North Korea since the 1950-53 Korean War before fleeing the North to China
recently. Chung, who is in his 70s, was arrested by Chinese police and has been
detained in a Chinese hospital since August, according to earlier reports.
(END)