"To my late father and all the long-term prisoners who were jailed for their faith in reunification." "My anticommunist father would have been furious at my work." "The long-term prisoners might not be happy with it either." "Repatriation" "I first saw them in the spring of 1992." "Although the 'Age of Resistance' had already passed, the military dictatorship remained in power." "Those who'd committed their lives to revolution went their separate ways after the fall of the Eastern bloc." "I'd believed documentaries could change the world but now I had my own family, and faced mundane temptations." "One day, a priest I knew asked me to bring my car." "He said he was bringing unconverted long-term prisoners to our village." "DOWN WITH COMMUNISM" "They had been spies for North Korea, he added." "REPORT SPIES TO THE POLICE" "I hesitated." "Words like 'unconverted' and 'spies' terrified me." "Still, I was intrigued, and in the end I consented." "Out of habit, I had my camera ready." "They'd left prison a few months earlier, and were living in a nursing home." "They looked unexpectedly 'ordinary'." "But I glimpsed obstinacy in their words and expressions." "They never sat still in the home." "KIM Seok-hyoung (served 30 years in prison) They treat us differently from the converted." "From the converted." "We're the unconverted, so they think we're a bit more obstinate." "CHO Chang-son (served 30 years)" "The staff discriminated against some of us, so I protested until their treatment improved." "Somehow, I found myself seated between the two." "It made the shooting harder, but I had no choice." "I didn't want them to be conscious of the camera." " These are for you." " What?" "For us?" "Write to us, will you?" "You know our names?" "I'll write to you." "I feel like crying." "Please take care." "They looked out the window in wonder." "I thought they didn't know much about the outside world." "But I was mistaken." "The serial murders taking place in Hwaseong were the talk of the town back then." "They haven't caught the killer yet, right?" "Right." " I know who did it." " It's a Yankee." "That's right." "I solved the case from inside prison." "The murderer of more than 10 people had not yet been caught." "Bongchun-dong, Seoul" "Welcome to our community." "Now that we are here, we hope to live as true members of the Bongchun-dong community." "We will live and breathe with you." "And we hope for your support." "Our little shanty town was extremely inconvenient for the elderly." "But in those days, no other neighborhood would've accepted ex-North Korean spies." "The two men started living with a family at the top of the hill." "Seeing as they were from the North, at first I was concerned for them, worrying that people might hold some prejudice against them." "But they did everything themselves, even the laundry, never asking anyone for help." "They were independent." "For years I had swept the streets every morning as a service to my neighbors." "But ever since they arrived, they would do it at four in the morning." "They took away my job!" "At first, people regarded the two men as North Koreans." "But seeing the way they lived, we started to realize that they were no different from our own grandpas." "Kim Seok-hyoung had been a spy sent over in 1961 to win over South Korean intellectuals." "He'd been a top official in the North." "He was highly educated, and a good speaker." "But his inclination to 'enlighten' us sometimes put us off." "The South Korean national flag is a facade." "The U.S. flag rules over it." "It means we're not liberated." "You should understand that." "Gradually, let's develop a proper understanding of North Korea," "and through discussions, let's solve our problems." "Cho Chang-son was from a poor farming village." "He worked on the boat which transported agents." "He was quiet, kind, and hard working." "He never missed community meetings, and willingly worked for others." "People felt more comfortable with him than with Kim." "In a way, our town was ideal for the two of them." "There were relatively more community activities." "And many were prepared to accept the two men." "It was a poor area, but people helped one another." "The activities must have suited them." "Like a stepping stone to help them take part in South Korean society." "The resident movement became more lively after their arrival." "They didn't do anything special, but their presence itself encouraged community activities." "Cho was very good to our children." "Our children were early risers, and he used to come to baby sit while my wife and I were still in bed." "He doted on our second child, because he left behind a daughter her age back North." "Our children called him 'grandpa'." "And I found myself calling him 'grandpa' or 'sir'." "Outing to Yangpyung, long-term prisoner support group" "I often went out with the two men." "They needed to be shown around, and sometimes I offered to take them out." "Gradually, I met many long-term prisoners" "I served 30 years in prison." "From the time I came out..." "From that very moment," "my feelings and I'm sure that all of you, comrades, feel the same..." "When I left the prison," "I was prepared to start life anew, but..." "I'm sure you all agree." "I don't want to be a South Korean." "And I can't be one, either." "Still..." "It's impossible to live without a certificate of residence." "Today is a special occasion." "After decades in prison, still proudly unconverted, we're gathered today." "Let's spend this happy hour singing and having a good time." "Hwang Yong Gap Kim Yong seong (served 35 years) (served 36 years)" "CHOI Nam-ku (served 29 years)" "RYU Un-hyong (served 34 years)" "How glorious are his achievements!" "How beautiful his name in our ears!" "Oh, our great General!" "How glorious his name!" "General Kim Il-sung!" "I'd never heard this kind of songs." "I'd thought I was progressive, but I trembled at this song that openly praised North Korea." "But they sang those songs with such childlike innocence." "Because they'd lived in prison?" "They were pure and innocent." "I was quite drawn to them." "I wanted to film them." "But as it turned out, filming them wasn't easy." "Why were you imprisoned?" "Well..." "I can't tell you." "There are some busybodies, infiltrators who want to spy on us." "Quite a few." "I'm being honest with you because I trust you." "ARREST OF SPIES North Korean spies on a secret mission have been caught by the police..." "I first saw North Korean spies in a newsreel at the cinema." "I didn't understand what it was exactly about." "But I had an impression of them as being terrifying, like ghosts." "I can see now that when filming them, to make them look more hideous, special lighting effects were used." "INVESTIGATION HEADQUARTERS" "When homes started installing TV, we saw spies more often, in anti-communist dramas." "It was due to government policy, but I loved them." "Brave Southern investigators winning over evil Northern spies..." "Such stereotypes somehow gave us peace of mind." "The whole family gathered to watch these dramas." "Drop your weapons and surrender!" "If you are caught, the organization will collapse." "After the drama, Dad would tell us more about the evils of communism." "That story repeated over and over, made me feel so lucky that I'd been born in the South." "But as I grew older," "I learned the government invented spy incidents in order to maintain its grip on power." "I was shocked." "I stopped believing what the government told us, and grew skeptical of all facts related to the South and North." "I suspected spies were actors hired by our secret service, existing only in anti-communist films." "But it remains a fact that ever since the 38th parallel was drawn on the Korean Peninsula, both sides have sent over armed spies." "Both sides hatched secret plans to bring down the other's regime." "An invisible war was going on." "Many operations failed, and many people died." "Spying only brought about hatred and distrust, helping to strengthen the other's regime." "We don't know how many spies went back and forth." "Bu the number of missing or dead South Korean agents is reported to exceed 7, 700." "This figure implies the scale of the espionage." "However, both Koreas denied ever sending spies." "Spies who were caught were forsaken and forgotten." "In the spring of 1962," "Cho and five others were assigned to contact another agent on a shore near Ulsan." "But that agent had switched sides, and their contact point was exposed." "No sooner had we landed, than we heard a gunshot." "There were cops there, and soldiers from all over." "A huge group of them surrounded us, and concentrated their fire on our small boat." "You can imagine... the water, when the bullets hit the sea, went splash, splash all over!" "Their ship sank." "Cho and others managed to reach the shore in a lifeboat." "However, one of them was shot to death." "The remaining five spent four days in the hills." "Hunger drove them to a village." "We thought the villagers would take pity on us and give us food, but they didn't." "We had to leave empty-handed." "As we were leaving, the captain cried out," ""Must we starve to death like this?"" "It was hard." "So I returned to the house and offered my watch for some food." "Then, the village mayor came and said," "Feed these poor men," "So, our captain went into the house and sat down on the floor." "But I sat on the doorstep with some doubt." "Then the village mayor got to me, pretending to take off his jacket, and made a grab for me, but I ducked." "I clutched at his legs..." "They barely escaped, but they were arrested a few days later." "I found an article about the incident in an old newspaper." "But its presentation of the facts differed considerably from Cho's story." "For example, they 'threatened' the villagers for food." "The five of them were sentenced to life imprisonment." "One died of illness in prison, and one is still in jail." "Two converted after being tortured in prison, and moved to the countryside after their release." "Cho is on his way to visit them." "Who are you?" "I came from Seoul to meet friends." "Captain JIN (converted in 1975)" "Mr. Jin Tae-yoon, the boat's captain, now leads a hard life on a dog farm." "In the mid-70s he was tortured in prison, and was forced to convert." "After his release, he also lived in a nursing home." "He moved here a while back." "Looking at his shabby room, you could see he lived a life of poverty." "The captain, once as ferocious as a tiger, now looked small next to his former subordinate Cho." "Five men took turns beating me," "I counted 600 times, then I fainted, so I don't know how many." "They almost killed me." "They hung me upside down." "My legs were broken." "Finally, they taped a pen to my hand." "They moved my hand to sign, and there I was, converted." "The next day, Cho met another comrade." "58 kilos." "That's all?" "You used to be so robust." "They went into a diner and talked about their health, but the conversation was awkward." "Probably due to my uninvited camera." "KIM Young-sik (converted in 1972)" "Cho and Kim started talking in a low voice." "I couldn't hear." "I thought about taking out my mike, but didn't." "It would've been rude, and Kim's face showed well enough the pain, hidden but indelible, of one who'd renounced his faith." "The Seodaemun prison now stands empty." "But Cho, Jin and Kim were imprisoned here after their arrest." "Here, spies and communist sympathizers were classified as 'converts' and 'converts-to-be'." "The expression 'converts-to-be' shows no other option was allowed." "It speaks of a violent will to convert the prisoners at all costs." "The converts-to-be were put into solitary cells, to battle hunger and loneliness." "They had no hope of shortened or suspended sentences." "Conversion meant you could go free, or even get married." "Not many could withstand the temptation." "But the real scheme to convert them began in earnest immediately after the North-South Joint Declaration of 1972." "The long-term prisoners were moved by the mood of reconciliation." "They dreamt of release and repatriation." "However it was the start of even greater suffering." "In a bid to show the South's superiority, the government decided to get rid of all communist prisoners." "Not by releasing them, but by forcing them to convert." "A special task force was formed in each prison to carry out a thorough conversion scheme." "It included traditional methods like beating and water torture, as well as methods that are hard to imagine." "Kim Il-Sung, Marx, and Mao Zedong" "LEE Kyung-chan (served 35 years) They wrote down these names and asked me which one I respected most." "Naturally, I'd say" "Kim Il-sung." "Then they'd start beating and kicking me." "It was like a trap." "If I didn't answer, they'd beat me all the same." "KO Kwang-in (served 34 years) They'd throw pictures into the cell." "They were full of obscene porn and sex." "At that time, we suffered from unendurable sexual urges." "We even suspected them of putting aphrodisiacs in our food." "I received a letter" "CHOI Sun-mook (served 38 years) in my own daughter's name." "It began," "I write filled with hope..." "Excuse me." "In short, the letter said, at last she'd found her missing father." "The letters came almost every day." "They never stopped." "And what that meant was, they had found something to use, to force us to convert." "In 1972, there were 500 long-term communist prisoners in the South." "About 350 of them were converted by the conversion scheme." "Names of 19 long term prisoners died due to the conversion scheme," "Names of 117 long term prisoners who died of illness in prison." "By the end of 1999, 102 had been released as unconverted." "In the total isolation of imprisonment, fighting against loneliness and fear, what made them go on?" "How could they withstand the cruel torture that ordinary people would succumb to in a few days, or even minutes?" "What were they trying to uphold?" "These were questions asked by many people, including myself." "Wouldn't it have been better just to sign the conversion pledge and then get out to do greater things?" "When asked, they usually answered," ""I couldn't abandon my political belief," or..." ""It was for the people and the nation."" "Even while they were in prison, they'd exchange encoded messages, study ideology, and encourage one another." "They didn't sit idle and whine, but were always active, as far as their ideology was concerned." "But what they were trying to uphold wasn't just national ism." "Nor did their strength come only from social ism." "Ideology is just part of the reason, which in turn is just one of many human attributes." "The most convincing answer I received was that the reason they held out or the reason they couldn't give in, lay in the very atrocity of the conversion scheme." "The pain inflicted on them justified their resistance and gave them strength." "Inhumane violence trampled their human dignity and pride." "To protect their human dignity, they had no choice but to fight." "SUH Joon-sik (served 17 years) Let's say that there is a hill." "Reason won't help you get over it." "It's not reason, it's your outrage at the unfair treatment," "at being beaten, that makes you grit your teeth." "This gives you strength to climb the hill." "SHIN Hyun-chil (served 25 years) Even if no one else acknowledges what I do, even still," "I have to believe in myself." "If even I don't have faith in myself, what's sadder than that?" "LEE Gong-soon (served 33 years) Those who try to change my mind by beating me with clubs are lower beings than me." "Why should I submit to such despicable people?" "As far as I know, they ultimately aren't special beings." "They are just people who held on to the passion we all once had in our youth." "Their ordinary but shining faces show that you can be special if you hold on to your passion without yielding to violence and temptation." "More than 70% of the communists were ultimately converted." "But it can hardly be called a success." "When I met those forced to convert," "I felt violence could hardly change a man's ideology and mind." "But the gap between a convert and non-convert was no small thing." "It was engraved on their faces and deep in their minds." "Sometimes, it drastically changed their fates." "I was to learn that later on." "Kim Young-sik, who lives now on a farm, was a wireless operator on Cho's ship." "In 1972, while in prison, he was tortured mercilessly." "He withstood the beatings by hired gangsters, but another kind of torture awaited him." "There was a tank of water." "They laid me out like this." "Fixing my hands and feet with bolts." "They stretched me out so I couldn't move at all." "They put a thin towel over my face, and poured water on me, I couldn't breathe." "They kept on pouring, and after a while... it was so awful I wanted to die." "Others might have stood it, but I couldn't." "I just couldn't take it." "Kim was a sincere man with a vulnerable heart." "While in prison, he must have had a harder time than the others." "I was easily spotted." "If I received anything from the others in prison, the guards would be at me, cursing and kicking." "I want to request all mothers in the world, if you have to give birth to sons," "only have people like Nightingale, otherwise just don't have children." "And to all shoemakers, please make soft-toed shoes." "It was shoes with hard toes that made my leg all ruined." "Those are my two requests." "But you have to go through it to understand." "I've never seen a more honest face than his." "Looking at his face makes you believe in the inherent goodness of all humans." "However, behind his smiling face, there was the deep, raw wound of having yielded." "I'm uneducated, a peasant's son." "My pride is only one." "That I followed my heart and mind." "Living 26 years in prison, this was the one thing I had." "Just that one..." "But they broke it in prison," "Forcing you to renounce your beliefs, with such violent torture... can you really call that conversion?" "It's ridiculous!" "After his release from prison," "Kim was swindled twice." "One must be cunning to survive in this society." "It must have been hard for him to adapt." "I'd even scrimped on food for that money." "I don't drink or smoke." "I live alone and don't visit brothels." "I'd managed to save up that much, but they asked me," "if they could borrow it for a few months." "But they never gave it back." "That was a surprise." "During the Japanese occupation, I often cursed the world." "I stopped swearing when I lived in the North." "But since I started living here," "I've started cursing like crazy, ranting and raving at the world." "Because things don't go the way I want, everything is upside down." "Perhaps it's my fate," "I want to give things away, to all my neighbors." "I just like sharing things with others" "Here, take your pick." "Inauguration of 14th president Kim Young-sam" "No ideology, no drinking can bring you" " Thinking ...as your own rice." " Race" "Though he mispronounced some words," "President Kim's speech was refreshing." "He showed he was willing to reconcile with North Korea." "As soon as he came into office, he released some unconverted long-term prisoners." "After 40 years in prison, he spends his last night in the South." "Soon, Lee In-mo will be reunited with his family." "A few days later," "Lee In-mo, a prisoner-of-war, was repatriated to the North." "The Geneva protocols stipulate that prisoners of war must be returned soon after war, so the act was long overdue." "Still, the first-ever repatriation of a long-term prisoner aroused hopes for an improved inter-Korean relationship." "It also meant that more long-term prisoners might be sent home." "But the North took Lee's return as a victory over the South, and accused the South of having detained him illegally." "Public opinion in the South also labeled the repatriation as a diplomatic failure, chilling the newborn hope for reconciliation." "Then, the nuclear crisis and the sudden death of Kim Il-sung further alienated the two nations." "Cho was a sickly man." "He'd almost died of digestive ailments in prison." "By the time he was released, his health had hit bottom." "My feeling when I went out was as if I was jumping into a fire with a bomb strapped on my back." "Where was I going to eat or sleep?" "I kept thinking this." "What was I to do if I became ill?" "Who'd prepare my medicine?" "It all made my head spin." "So I didn't want to come out." "I even yelled at those who wanted my release." "You want me to die?" "Enough of your jokes!" "After his move, he started to exercise." "That helped him regain his health." "He also adapted to his new life very quickly." "Neighbors would bring him homemade cooking, but mostly, he did the daily chores himself." "But because he had no social security number, he didn't receive any welfare benefits or health insurance." "So he earned his living by working as a parking attendant, a security guard, or a meat factory worker." "In this way, he experienced the unfamiliar capital ism of the South." "I also worked as a guard at a villa." "I was curious about how the rich lived, so I tried it." "They were arrogant, just as I had expected." "Sometimes, even the little kids, didn't regard guards like me as human beings." "Outing organized by support groups" "In the meantime, the grandpas began going out." "The monthly outings organized by support groups served as an important bridge to the world at large." "My name is Cho Chang-son." "I am from North Korea." "My hometown is a beautiful place with a famous cape." "I have three family members living in the North." "Now, I live here alone." "I came to the South in 1962 to tell people the importance of reuniting our nation without foreign intervention, and for that I spent 30 years in prison." "I love the girl next door." "HAM See-hwan (served 34 years)" "She's so nice." "Haul in the net." "Blow, spring breeze, blow." "If we have a baby boy, he'll be a great man." "If we have a baby girl she'll be a great woman." "To the old men, the supporters were like grandchildren who brought them food, talked to them, and listened to their stories." "They were also comrades in the reunification movement, who campaigned on behalf of prisoners still in jail." "Many of the volunteers used to be student activists during the 1980s." "They seemed to regard the old men as mirrors to reflect on their past and revive their passion." "We were student activists in our youth." "Having a mentor is important." "Once you have a job and so on, it's easy to forget your past and just go with the flow." "It has helped a lot, meeting the grandpas, even if it's only a couple of times a month." "It's a time to recharge and push myself on." "Catholic Support Group for Long-Term Prisoners" "Other support groups were formed among religious circles." "Most members of the circles were pious believers, and their political ideas differed greatly from the grandpas." "But they formed a close bond that went beyond simple support." "Their ideological differences may have been obvious at times, but it didn't really matter." "They believe themselves only to be political people." "CHOI Hyeon-sook (circle leader) Especially when they act together, ...they put up a united front." "Still, if you get to know them personally, they show warmth, or even weakness." "They seem twisted at times, but I still feel human warmth." "HAN Gyeong-nam (circle member) It's like friendship." "It may be really difficult for two people to cross the line separating them." "But you don't always have to cross that line to understand and love each other." "As long as you basically think the same way ...you can take it from there." "It's like weaving a pattern." "It may take time, but you can weave a pattern out of mutual trust." "No need to worry about that line." "Cheers!" "Dear Mr. Cho, you're 67 years old now?" "No, 65!" "Are you sure?" "Okay then." "To celebrate Mr. Cho's 65th birthday, let's drink to his health, repatriation, and a reunited Korea!" "The long-term prisoners were no longer isolated figures." "They had become influential, a central presence in the 1990s social movement." "To some, they may have been powerless revolutionaries who'd spent long years in jail and failed in their missions." "They may have been old men with blind faith in outdated ideas." "Still, they were giving power and hope to the movement, not through their achievements or ideology, but through their very existence." "LEE Rae-seon (passed away in 1993)" "The long-term prisoners grew old." "Some of them died." "Although most had died of disease in prison, many spent their last days in loneliness, without receiving adequate treatment." "Those in nursing homes were particularly miserable." "Quite often, news of their passing came only long after they had died." "Comrade!" "This land is corrupt." "It is our motherland, but this society has corrupted it." "We've said many times, that it's not fit for people to live in." "Yes, corrupt it is." "But though your body is buried in this corrupt society, this land is our ancestral land." "It is our homeland." "Comrade!" "Your body is buried here, but if there is a soul," "I don't know if there is or not, but if there's a soul," "I know yours is free now to soar up into the sky, fly freely to the North and rest there..." "Those born in the South were often abandoned by their families, and old comrades officiated at their funerals." "Sometimes a cruel question occurred to me." "Did they ever regret devoting their lives to the revolution?" "Now the road ahead was blocked and they were too old and tired to go on, did they despair and feel regret?" "But as I filmed a man on his deathbed," "YOON Ki-nam (served 29 years) I realized how silly my question was." "I couldn't complete the mission my party and nation gave me." "And I am sorry about that." "I firmly believe... the youths of my homeland will be victorious." "Any message for your comrades?" "Until reunification is realized, keep believing, stay firm." "Until the day of reunification, to the very end," "I will do my utmost." "Your life has inspired us all, with the way you live." "Even when your body is gone, the ideas, spirit and tradition you've upheld will live on." "Thanks to my comrades." "Exactly." "Deceased 24 February 1995" "KWON Yang-seop, deceased Mar. 1997 Served 30 years" "WANG Young-ahn, deceased Oct. 1997 Served 34 years" "KUM Jae-sung, deceased Aug. 1998 Served 30 years" "CHOI Nam-ku, deceased Dec. 1999 Served 30 years" "In 1995, fifty years after liberation and division, the repatriation movement began to revive." "It was for three prisoners of war." "But public interest was low." "I searched for ways to rouse public opinion." "I decided to film the grandpas, send tapes to the North, and to film their families in the North." "If this effort succeeded, it could turn public opinion in favor of repatriation." "Dear sister, I'm See-hwan, your youngest brother." "When I left you," "I couldn't even say good-bye." "I couldn't visit the North legally, so I asked a Japanese friend." "Ishimaru Jiro (video journalist) With his pro-North stance," "Ishimaru willingly agreed to help." "He contacted the North through pro-North Koreans living in Japan." "In 1995, Ishimaru left for Pyongyang via Beijing." "But at the last minute, the North refused to let him in." "They said it wasn't the right time, with no further explanation." "What do you think that means?" "I was refused further explanation." "So back in Japan," "I asked pro-North Korean underground sources." "And their theory was that at that time, in 1995, the North was already suffering from food shortages." "And the ex-prisoners' hometowns were all in the countryside." "Maybe they didn't want me to see how bad conditions were." "We still don't know why Ishimaru's entry was refused." "But it was true that around 1995," "North Korea's food shortage became quite obvious." "Not only natural disasters, but the collapse of the Eastern bloc brought a severe food shortage to the North." "All the while, the U.S. tightened its sanctions on North Korea." "In 1996, food rations ceased even in Pyongyang." "In order to get food, more refugees crossed the Sino-Korean border." "The ex-prisoners were chagrined by the news, and took part in the campaign to send aid to North Korea." "I didn't feel like eating." "I felt I had to do something." "I donated my hard-earned savings" "LEE Jong (28 years in prison) earnestly hoping to help." "The food shortage in the North was getting worse." "Reportedly, millions died." "Rumor had it that some even ate human flesh." "In a sensationalist manner, reports abounded in the South, crying that the collapse of North Korea was near." "The ex-prisoners were quite disgusted by the press." "LEE Gong-soon (served 33 years) I'm sure the situation must be bad." "Still, I can't believe that millions have actually starved to death." "In the North," "Kim Chang Won (served 33 Years) they eat human flesh because they're starving?" "Such nonsense makes me mad." "I stopped myself from losing my temper." "But honestly, that's not the real situation." "There may be some isolated cases, due to poor middle management." "If they mess up the ration system, such things can happen." "They say Pyongyang still eats while country people starve to death." "But that's just not possible in North Korean society." "If people starve in the country, people starve in Pyongyang, too." "That's the way that society works." "Actually, it's the U.S., imposing economic sanctions." "It won't allow other nations to aid the North, either." "I didn't swallow all the press either." "But their attitude too, ignoring reality and putting all blame on America, was just as hard to accept." "I supported North Korea for proudly standing up to the arrogant U.S." "But when I looked into the eyes of starving children," "I felt that their self-reliance was just an afforded luxury." "Should ideology come before life?" "How many restrictions can a nation put on its citizens' basic rights?" "While editing this film," "I met Ishimaru again." "After his mission had failed, his interest in the North grew." "He'd been filming North Korean escapees inside the Chinese border." "But it seemed that his thinking was no longer so pro-North." "There's not enough food or clothes." "It's a problem that has to be solved." "But simply meeting material needs is not enough, I'm convinced of it." "The North Korean system has many defects, which have piled up for so long, that it's become a place not fit for people to live in." "Its original socialist cause and ideals are long gone." "It's not a human-oriented society." "The Korean peninsula's problem is no longer inter-Korean confrontation." "North Korea itself is the problem." "His words discouraged me even more." "He was a conscientious journalist." "His words, coming from 7 years of close observation, were hard to deny." "I'm critical of the human rights condition in the North." "I'm also well aware that North Korea has as many inequities as the South." "Above all, I know a liberalist like me couldn't survive where I can't make films freely." "However, Ishimaru seems to downplay the fact that North Korea has been at war with America for the past 50 years." "Wars limit the human rights of North Koreans, and aggravates the food shortage." "By refusing to sign a nonaggression pact, the US must also share the blame." "The US's economic sanctions and threats of war against the North remind me of the conversion scheme against the prisoners." "Just as the scheme failed to break the prisoners," "American threats will fail to break the North." "Free Kim Sun-myong!" "Free Ahn Hak-seop!" "In 1995, human rights groups called actively for the release of long-term prisoners." "As the existence of long-term prisoners became known, overseas human-rights groups started pressing the government for their release." "On August 15, after 40 years in prison," "Ahn Hak-seop (served 44 years) Kim Sun-myong (served 45 years) Han Jang-ho (served 39 Years) three long-term prisoners were released." "Kim Sun-myong attracted much press coverage because he set the Guinness record for longest-serving political prisoner." "They pricked me with needles..." "It's too awful for words." "Kim was born in South Korea, but he joined the People's Army in the War." "His father and brothers were killed in retribution." "and his family was shattered." "For 45 years, his family never visited him in prison." "Even after his release, he couldn't go home." "The family register shows me as deceased." "My mother wouldn't know." "She would have been told that I'm dead." "If I suddenly turn up at home..." "She's 93 now." "I can't go home because" "I'm afraid the shock could kill her." "Mr. Kim longed to see his mother." "But his family was against it." "After much persuasion by rights groups, they finally allowed him to see his mother." "Are you Sun-myong?" "You're really Sun-myong?" "If only you'd listened to me..." "Then it wouldn't have come to this." "Kim Sun-myong broke down and asked his mother for forgiveness." "National division had turned patriots into disobedient children." "Do you remember my face?" "It's too dark to see." "Can you see it now?" "Touch my face." "When I'm alone at home," "I can see your face." "You can?" "In my mind..." "I see your face so clearly..." "...in my mind." "After 45 years apart, their reunion lasted less than 30 minutes." "They were never to meet in this life again." "That's enough, let's go home." "This talking will make you tired." "Kim's sister-in-law Will this be in the papers?" "We'll make sure it's not." "Your sister asked me over and over." "not to have Mom's photos in the press." "She's married, and doesn't want to destroy her marriage." "She pleaded with us." "Don't call us again." "You've seen her, so let's end it." "Even if she passes away, we won't call." "Don't think about coming." "About a month later his mother died." "His family informed him only after the funeral." "Kim wanted to visit her grave, but his family refused him even that." "Kim and Cho were good friends." "When Cho almost died of illness in prison," "Kim nursed him back to life." "He washed a sock, stuffed it with mashed rice and squeezed out some porridge." "If you saw it, you wouldn't eat it." "It smelled like glue, too." "So I took it, and begged the guards to warm it, but they wouldn't." "I tried to feed it to him, but he just wouldn't eat it." "You need to eat, I said." "I made him sit up, and forced him to eat." "Do you want to die?" "I whined that I didn't want to eat." "He hated it, but I had to make him eat." "I practically forced it down his throat." "I stuffed it in his mouth." "I had no choice but to eat." "My eyes were sunken with illness, with that one mouthful they came alive." "The cops turned up at my office and arrested me." "I'd had visits from the police concerning my films before." "But this time was more serious." "They confiscated everything, including equipment and film." "I was charged with producing and selling films without a license." "But they were after my relationship with the ex-prisoners." "'How and when did you meet them?" "'" "'Who paid you to film them?" "'" "'What do you think about North Korea?" "'" "They tried to charge me with violation of the National Security Act." "Later I learned that the cops were also hounding the ex-prisoners." "Two cops came and asked a lot of questions." "They seemed to know everything already." "I said, 'I don't know anything.'" "'He came once," "I think he wanted to film the private lives of us old people.'" "'He even filmed me naked taking a shower.'" "'I couldn't refuse, so I just let him.'" "They said," "'We're keeping our eyes on PURN Production.'" "'It's still under investigation, it's not finished.'" "I said, 'I'm not interested." "Why should I care?" "'" "'I don't know anything.'" "The issue intrigued the press." "Thanks to my friends' protests," "I was released a few days later." "Perhaps they realized nothing would come of interrogating me, or they were bullying me, trying to cut off my ties to the ex-prisoners." "ABOLISH THE NATIONAL SECURITY ACT The case just faded away." "It was just a few days of detention, but it ended up bringing me closer to the ex-prisoners." "With renewed energy and pride," "I started filming again." "But a certain distance still existed between us, and it was hard to get them to talk about politically sensitive matters." "May I film you talking about that?" "No." "What for?" "Don't make trouble." "Captain Jin's Funeral" "Captain Jin wrote out a will to his son in the North." "Though his son was over 40," "Jin still remembered him as a child." "My dear one and only son, whom I wouldn't exchange for anything in the world." "34 years have passed since we parted." "You must have thought of me, and worried about me." "When I think of you and your mother, my heart is torn to shreds..." "Captain Jin had saved up about 20 million won." "He wanted to send the money to the family he'd left behind..." "So we thought about how to send it..." "The ex-prisoners tried to find a method to send the money to Jin's son." "But there was no legal way." "The money is still in the South." "Amnesty for 17 long-term prisoners In 1998, President Kim Dae-jung launched his Sunshine Policy, and tried to improve the North-South relationship" "Upon his inauguration, the largest-ever group of the unconverted was released." "At that time, the Justice Minister made a noteworthy statement." "At this time, we're planning special measures for the ex-spies who have been released." "I can't give out details as yet, but it might involve more people in the future." "The press took his words to mean repatriation." "The North also demanded repatriation via the Red Cross." "Repatriation came into the limelight." "However, some demanded that the prisoners be exchanged with the abducted detained in the North." "Should converted-to-be prisoners be returned home?" "Is it a humanitarian and unconditional repatriation?" "They should be returned unconditionally." "Everyone has the right to live where they want." "I'm firmly against unconditional repatriation." "An exchange based on reciprocity?" "We could exchange them with those abducted or detained by the North." "If we insist on conditional repatriation," "North Korea may demand the return of all former North Korean POWs." "In a market economy, nothing's for free." "We must get something in return." "A market economy puts a price tag on everything." "People aren't commodities that can simply be exchanged." "Arguments against repatriation." "If we send them home, leftists will think, they can always go North and become heroes." "It'll pose a serious threat to our national security." "'Unconverted' is a term used by North Korea." "You should say 'converted-to-be.'" "Did I say 'unconverted?" "'" "Yes, at the beginning." "Oops!" "What about released former Northern spies?" "There we go." "Opening ceremony of Herbal Center" "Cho has found a new home and a new job." "In this house sponsored by a religious group, he'll live with other ex-prisoners making herbal medicinal brews." "Oh, gods of the universe!" "As these sirs' acupuncture and herbs open the clogged veins of their patients, and restore the healthy flow of energy, may the road to reunification open wide in the same way." "Mr. Yang Hwi-chul became head of the Herbal Center." "He'd healed himself in prison with secretly-made needles." "He'd also healed comrades and even prison guards." "His reputation attracted many patients, but he never accepted money." "I owe my life to this day" "Yang Hee Chul (served 37 years) to the kindness of many people." "I can't repay them directly, but I can at least help others." "I wanted to work in a poor area." "I thought about Sangdo-dong, but then decided on Bongcheon-dong." "It wasn't an easy task for the old to brew herbs." "They installed the equipment in a temporary tent on the roof." "But limited space and inadequate equipment sometimes kept them up all night." "AHN Hak-seop (served 44 years) We sometimes work past midnight." "If we had equipment, we'd brew them all at once." "But we have to do it one at a time on this machine." "It was hard to earn a living just by selling brews." "So the 'younger' among the grandpas took on public works jobs." "But it wasn't just to earn money." "I dedicated my whole life to reunification." "People are watching me." "I work because I'm broke." "But I work harder when others want to be let off." "The harder I work, the less work others will have to do." "Ahn was a stubborn and no-nonsense man." "Nothing escaped him." "His character stood out even at the beginning." "Having served one year less than Kim Sun-myong in prison, he wasn't treated equally." "He lost no time in protesting." "Even the garlands were different." "Kim's was proper and huge." "Mine was about two-thirds of his." "Han's isn't even worth mentioning." "That was making someone a star and commercializing us." "It was just commercialization." "So I criticized them," "'You don't have the right to judge or grade us.'" "'You're not qualified to do that.'" "'If the Party judges us, it's based on sufficient data, and I'll obey it.'" "'But I'm sure the Party would never judge us in the first place.'" "Ryu Han-ouk was the oldest among the ex-prisoners" "He had high blood pressure, and his left half was paralyzed." "In his youth," "RYU Han-ouk (served 37 years) he rubbed shoulders with the legendary gangster 'Lynx'." "How did you meet him?" "Back home," "I was a strong boy." "Even gangsters dared not take me on." "I met the Lynx around that time." "Before coming to the Herbal Center," "Ryu spent 10 years in a religious community." "Many attempts were made to move him to Seoul." "But the home refused to let him go." "'What's the reason for keeping him?" "'" "He said, 'Why take away a sheep from God's fold?" "'" "When I first visited him there in 1994," "I felt the place was detaining rather than protecting him." "Don't get too excited." "Don't get too excited." "Do you read books?" "I stopped reading after I came here." "I don't read anymore." "Even if I wanted to read, the books I want aren't welcome here." "Father OH Woong-jin If you like, I'll give you a Bible." "Just give me the Book of Proverbs." "Give me one of those." "No, you should start from Genesis." "I already know Genesis." "Just give me the Proverbs." "You should start from the Creation." "Frankly, the Old Testament is full of Israel is fighting and killing!" "You think I haven't read the Old Testament?" "We've all read the Bible several times." "So why don't you try reading Marx, Father?" "Ryu liked to get out of the home, so sometimes supporters took him out." "On such occasions, he was like a happy child." "Do you remember playing with 'the Lynx'?" "If 'the Lynx' were still alive," "I wouldn't be stuck here." "I wouldn't be here." "If he came here with his men, and acted like a gangster, they'd have to let me go." "So these fists used to be so strong?" " Why do you like drinking so much?" " Drinking?" "What good is life without it?" "SHIN In-young (served 32 years) Shin In Young joined the Herbal Center later than the others." "Having suffered from bone marrow cancer in prison, he was released in 1998." "His mother was well over 90." "Mom, thank you." "Thank you for coming." "Thank you, son." "Mom, I'll never ever leave you again." "You must live a long and healthy life." "We lived apart for 30 years, while I was in jail, so now you must live to be 100." "In 1999, in order to campaign for unconditional repatriation the Repatriation Promotion Committee was founded." "It was for all ex-prisoners who wanted to go home." "The ex-prisoners' hopes ran high." "Why should we still maintain..." "KWON Oh-heon (head of Repatriation Promotion Committee) ...the stance of the Cold War days?" "78% of the nation's people are in favor of repatriation." "The plans for this film started around that time." "I wanted to make a film to raise awareness for repatriation." "At that time, I thought a solution was still a long way off." "These people have spent over 40 years in jail." "Let's give these long-term prisoners a chance to go home, and improve the relationship between the two Koreas!" "Please write your names here on the petition!" "Your efforts will help to send aged ex-prisoners back to their own homeland!" "Signatures were collected to appeal to the people and the government for unconditional repatriation." "Send them home unconditionally!" "Many human rights groups joined hands for the campaign." "The public response was better than expected." "But some were still opposed to unconditional repatriation and we sometimes met with fierce objections." "Why are you so angry, sir?" "To hell with humanitarianism!" "Our government is a pack of fools!" "You think repatriation will bring reunification?" "Then why the hell are we still divided?" "I came here today..." "As a prisoner of war," "I should've been sent to a POW camp." "But I wasn't." "I was sent to an army prison instead, and served 35 years there." "It's a violation of international law." "It's against article 118 of the Geneva Conventions." "I want to go immediately, to my beloved home" "I'm sure, by returning," "I can contribute to peaceful reunification." "Signature-collecting campaign" "Look at them, all commies." "They couldn't do that before." "Back in the old days, people gave their lives for democracy, so we can finally speak out now." "It's conservatives like you who delay reunification!" "Fuck you." "What did you say?" "Watch your mouth!" "How old are you?" "You bastard, what did you say to me?" "Bastards like you stand in the way of reunification!" "At your age?" "Shame on you!" "The ex-prisoners met more often to plan for repatriation." "They had to confirm how many wanted to return home." "In the process, those who were from the South suffered an emotional conflict." "Having families both in the North and South," "Shin was particularly troubled." " Are you going or not?" " I'm not going." " So you're not going?" " Wait, I'm going." "Then you must write your name here." "We need a confirmed list!" "Don't sign if you won't go." "I can't write my name on either list." "I can't say I'm going, or I'm not, since there's no in-between list." "Please don't write either way whether I'm going or not." "After much thought, Shin decided to stay." "He was prompted by something more important than family." "My family in the North lead a stable life." "If I go, there'll be fresh separation here in the South." "I've thought about that, too." "But what matters here is..." "of course, it's good to go back." "This way we can reassure many people in the North?" "that we upheld the cause, even here in the South." "It will make a statement to people abroad." "And we must show the reactionaries in the South the superiority of Socialism." "In that sense, it's better to go." "But that's not for me." "I'm too old to do anything myself, but I can still work with others here in the South, raising my voice, no matter how small, in shouting for justice." "and that's the real reason I'm staying." "I took a trip with Cho and the other grandpas." "Going home was no longer a distant dream." "They now seemed to collect some good memories of the South." "Seeing another side of the grandpas was also fun." "Please let Kim find someone who'll accept him as her husband." "There are scenes we've seen very often, which still thrill us." "But if asked to choose just one," "I'd choose this one anytime." "The leaders of two enemy states meeting to shake hands was a dream that seemed even more unattainable than Korea making the World Cup semi-finals." "Actually, this handshake touched not only Korea but also the whole world." "Foreign correspondents rejoicing together is a rare sight to see." "Some say it was a handshake bought with money." "Even if that's true, it doesn't make the handshake any less valuable." "It is far less expensive than weapons in creating peace." "As for the ex-prisoners, repatriation had become a reality, just a matter of time." "But they took this historical event more calmly than expected." "That day, Cho quietly watched TV, and went about working as usual." "Yes, I watched the news, but I wasn't really overwhelmed." "Why not?" "I don't know." "Maybe I've been waiting too long." "Also, I tell myself to stay cool." " You're worn out by waiting." " I guess so." "I'd waited every moment to go back." "But today when I saw the two leaders meet, and the welcome in Pyongyang," "I felt I could go back." "I hope it is soon." "South and North Korea on this coming August 15, shall exchange visits of separated families and try to solve such humanitarian issues as repatriation of unconverted long-term prisoners." "South and North Korea shall develop their national economies through economic cooperation..." "It's 12:20." "They signed the declaration at 11:20." "In terms of economic cooperation, each side will carry out exchanges..." "Hello?" "Yes." "What congratulations?" "Really?" "Yes, August 15." "I was sleeping." "I was asleep, but there's a cameraman here." "And he woke me." "They're dealing with it now." "So I'm watching the news." "Yes, what matters is not just going back... but being free to come and go in order to promote reunification." "That's the real challenge." "Chairman Kim Jong-il finished his champagne in one shot." " White shirt?" " No, one shot." "...in 52 years..." " Wait." "It's 55 years." "Please do it again." "From when they come in?" "Stand up again." "Just a moment." "Congratulations, sirs." "It's the most wonderful news in 55 years of division..." "You've suffered so much all these years." "The conservative press who'd ignored or criticized the ex-prisoners were forced to act friendly for once." "During the summit," "Chairman Kim Jong-il called our country South Korea instead of 'the enemy' and addressed our leader as President Kim." "We're still young cub reporters." "I don't know about my paper's official position, but personally I believe we should open our hearts." "What is the Chosun Daily?" "Conservative papers can only exist with the support if its members." "To be honest, it's high time for all you employees... to repent and make amends?" "for what you've done." "It's a time of reconciliation, so the Chosun Daily should also answer the call of the times and contribute to reunification and the advancement of the people." "I'm sure you mean well, but your methods were wrong." "From our point of view, the Chosun Daily was forever picking on us." "Back in college, we had our share of suffering, and studied all the ideologies." "That's how we mature, right?" "They say you're a fool not to be a communist when young, but equally a fool to remain one till you're old, right?" "All young people want reform." "You said you're from the southern part?" "So am I." "Say hello to Mr. Lee for me, your paper's columnist." "He was my senior in elementary school." "I used to call him Big Brother, but now I don't." "While in prison, I sent him" "New Year's cards several times." "But he never replied even if I heard he'd asked about me." "I was hurt by his refusal to acknowledge me." "So you're an oriental physician?" "Nah, just a quack." "The inter-Korean declaration of June 15 thawed the 50-year Cold War." "Authorities overlooked universities that hung out the North Korean flag." "Knickknacks that would've once been banned by the National Security Act were openly marketed." "Even the conservative press refrained from articles slandering the North," "Unconverted and no longer used the term 'converts-to-be.'" "With repatriation now at hand, the Repatriation Committee was happy but a bit deflated." "Everything was now in the government's hands." "The signature-collecting drive was now unnecessary." "My film also lost its original purpose, and I had to reorient myself." "I had a feeling" "I could now make a more frank, controversial film." "There was some trouble at the Herbal Center." "Ahn had suddenly announced that he was getting married." "It was happy news, but with repatriation so close, some were against his plans." " Who's officiating?" " No one." "Proclaiming our marriage is more important." "But everything needs to have certain formalities." "I was shocked yesterday." "They're your comrades, that's why they talked like that." "All the more they shouldn't." "I didn't ask for their help." "But they said first 'We won't help you at all.'" "We're not all against it." "Come on, listen to me." "One comrade insisted that repatriation is a summons, so his implication was, that I mustn't marry." "But I'd already made up my mind." "I'll take responsibility." "I've always made my own decisions and I can take care of myself." "It was a splendid wedding." "But there was no one officiating." "One, two, three!" "I'm happy for him, finally getting married after living so long as a bachelor." "Are you jealous?" "Of course!" "Some people have all the luck." "Then why don't you get married, too?" "When I get back home, then I will." "Hurry up and go." "All dressed up like this." "No matter how desperate, wait until you go home." "If I were free to go back and forth," "I'd want to get married here." "Anyone in mind?" "Actually, yes." "More than one." "It's hard to choose!" "Now you're getting married." "Both of you swear to love each other forever?" "Yes." "Answer, bridegroom!" "Yes!" "Before repatriation, Kim Sun-myong wanted to pay respects at his mother's grave." "But his family wouldn't tell him where it was." "He visited his hometown, but he couldn't find the grave." "But at least his younger sister contacted him." "She called me." "It seems she had a hard time because of me." "Even now, I guess." "She said she wasn't sure how things would turn out." "So she doesn't dare to meet me." "She implied Mom's grave is quite near where she lives." " In Yangpyong?" " No, not there." "It's in Paju." "But she won't say exactly where." "She said if she tells me, and I visit the grave," "people will start asking questions." "She's afraid of that." "She doesn't hate me, she's just scared." "Did she wish you well?" "Yes." "She said, 'Take care of yourself.'" "'Let's meet after reunification.'" "Kim and his family may never meet again." "The division left a deep rift between them." "Even the celebratory mood of the upcoming repatriation couldn't heal the rift." "While filming ex-prisoners who were born in the South," "I saw how victimized their families felt." "Thank you for coming." "Fill up your cups." "Here, Uncle." "To your health, and the health of the whole family!" "Cheers!" "Take care of yourself when you are in the North." "I hope we'll meet again." "To that hope, lets toast again!" "Kim Yong soo (served 27 years) I know you've had hard times because of me." "There may be some hard feelings, but please forget everything." "I wish that you all may live in harmony, treasuring friendship and love." "Then I'll be able to live the rest of my life in peace in the North." "In our current situation, the keyword is... reunification." "Social ism, democracy, or liberalism..." "From a Cold-War perspective, we're divided by ideas." "But now we should transcend ideology and reunite as a people." "The federal state that the North advocates means that the South can keep its democracy while the North maintains social ism, and the two Koreas can co-exist, living this way in peace..." "At his drawn-out speech, the festive mood turned tense." "Suddenly, one of the relatives took issue with my camera." "I'm glad to have you here on this happy occasion." "But you are making me uneasy, with your camera and filming." "And what's with that speech?" "Send the kids to bed." "They shouldn't be hearing this." "You've lived for so long as captives of anti-North sentiments, tied down by Cold War rationale." "You were its biggest victims." "You still are." "And now you can't shake off your victim mentality." "No, you listen!" "I know your situation." "That's why I planned this get-together, to set you free." "To show that you are no longer victims, to talk to you about the significance of my going back to the North, about what the future holds, that's what I wanted." "Presidents don't stay in office forever." "When a new administration comes around, what'll happen?" "It's all rosy now, but who knows what'll happen?" "I couldn't stand the awkwardness, so I left early." "After a while, one of the relatives came to my inn and asked me to sign a pledge." " Why do I have to sign?" " I told you." "Just in case." "We've had enough bad things happen to us." "We're afraid that it might happen again..." "We want to know the purpose" "and contents of your film." "The film must be shown to the family for permission prior to completion." "I'm sorry." "I hope you understand." "Do you have any fruit?" "Yes..." "Captain Jin's grave" "Hey, can you hear me?" "This is frustrating as hell." "Your dying away like that." "You're dead, and it's all over!" "If you want to say something, come out and say it!" "If Captain Jin was alive, he'd be so happy and things would be all right." "He died so suddenly." "Pouring wine over his grave just makes me mad." "No reply, not a word of welcome..." "Bowing to the ground, the pines... saying useless things..." "It was so heart-breaking." "Farewell dinner with Bongcheon residents Cho presents necklaces and rings to some neighbors" "I told my husband," "Mr. Cho gave me a necklace." "But he didn't believe me." "Finally, I showed it to him, and he was speechless." "He's better than a husband, I said." "When Mr. Cho gave me this ring, it really made me cry to think we might never meet again." "How many did you buy?" "Six necklaces..." " And the rings?" " Two rings." "Take care till reunification." "Thank you." "At first," "I wasn't excited" "Then when I learned I was really going home, it made me somewhat nervous." "When you return to North Korea, who is the first person you want to meet?" "I have a son, and a daughter, so I'll meet my children first." "Then I'll meet my wife." "Don't let him see you cry." "I'm fighting back my tears, too." "You don't have to break the dam..." "He's not going tomorrow, you know." "There's still time." "Stop it, you're breaking the mood." "When I was ill, she brought me food and everything." "At times, she even gave me pocket money." "She's been so good to me." "Dear Chairman Kim of North Korea," "Mr. Cho and the others suffered a lot while in the South." "Still there are people here who love them." "We're afraid that once they're in the North, we'll lose contact and never meet again." "We couldn't bear that." "Please give us hope for a happy reunion." "Mr. Cho had such a hard time here." "I hope he'll have the best of everything including good medical care." "I also hope I'll see him again." "Please at least allow us to write to each other." "Of course." "There was another place Cho wanted to visit." "The shore on the east coast where 38 years ago, he landed, lost his comrade, and was arrested." "WARNING No Photography or Entry Permitted" "This is where I landed." "Over there..." "See that round rock there." "We anchored behind it." "He's telling us to stop and get out." "We were boating here, when a friend fell overboard and drowned." "I came here to remember him." "Filming is not allowed." "Turn it off, please." "Where's your platoon leader from?" "The ROTC." "I'm from the 16th class." "Really?" "I'm from the 38th, sir." "I'm a documentary filmmaker..." "Luckily, the officer was my junior in rank." "Stretching the truth a bit," "I managed to continue to shoot." "It's me, old friend," "Cho Chang-son." "There were times I envied you for being dead." "But I came through, and have survived to this day." "Now I'm going home soon." "I'll make sure to report how bravely you fought." "Comrade...!" "If only you could come with me..." "Are you taking it with you?" "Of course." "It may be only a bit of soil, but I want to give it to his family." "People's Farewell Ceremony for Unconverted Prisoners" "Those leaving for the North spent a total of 2, 045 years in prison." "Add the years served by those staying here, and the total is 2, 875 years." "Add the years served by the dead, and it exceeds 10, 000." "This most horrible and cruel record remains a fact in our midst." "And this most proud and sacred history lives on in our brothers." "One church held a farewell service for the grandpas." "There, families of people abducted by the North turned up." "As the ex-prisoners didn't acknowledge the abductions, they were clearly offended." "Towards the end of their service, they tried to introduce families of the so-called abducted." "I raised my hand, got permission to speak," "and said, 'Let's finish the service first.'" "But they insisted..." "To ease their suffering, we wish to support the families of the abducted, and help them to achieve reunion." "I immediately walked out." "I don't know what happened afterwards." "But later I heard that a few others as well stood up and walked out." "The abducted?" "There's no such thing!" "I didn't intend to cause any trouble by coming here." "More than anything else, we wanted to congratulate these long term prisoners before they return home on September 2." "There are no abducted prisoners, you're making a political issue out of nothing!" "In South Korea, we use the expression 'abducted.'" "I'm sure some of the unconverted ex-prisoners would rather not meet us." "I understand it's a wound afflicted on us all by the Cold War." "The commotion ended with the ex-prisoners accepting the families' letters to the North." "However, when the press reported the incident, they were accused of having flatly refused to meet the families." "I myself felt the ex-prisoners had been too rigid, and asked why he couldn't hear them out for a while." "Have you thought it over?" "My mind hasn't changed." "A few days before repatriation," "Cho was hospitalized with a mild case of pneumonia." "The almost daily celebrations must have taken their toll." "Yet more people visited him." "The hospitalization and the many visitors ended up ruining my plans, for I needed a long interview for my film before his repatriation." "I gave him copies of the tapes I had shot so far." "I hoped they'd be mementos of his life here and me." "Let's do a rehearsal." "Imagine I'm your wife." " Darling, welcome home." " Who Are you?" "I don't know you." "Come on, she'll think you've gone cuckoo." "Tell her 'My wife as I know was very young.'" "'I don't have an old wife.'" "Your wife also may say 'Who's this old man?" "'" "May you live another 15 years, and not a day more." "Thanks a lot." "There's no friend like you." "Telling you to live longer than that would be a curse." "So live just 15 more years." "Promise me to live." "The day before the departure, the ex-prisoners were to meet at a hotel with their luggage." "There was a rigorous luggage inspection." "Notebooks, photos, even letters were confiscated." "Finally, it caused trouble." "Why can't we take addresses?" "Are they military secrets?" "Am I supposed to memorize all these addresses?" "I just want to show those nice letters to my folks." "Confiscating them runs counter to the mood of reconciliation between North and South." "They don't do that to tourists or foreigners." "Why can't Koreans bring home addresses to promote reunification?" "It's ridiculous!" "Let's walk out!" "We'll boycott!" "You bastards!" "Unconditional repatriation my foot!" "They refused the baggage inspection and left." "The government was embarrassed." "The Repatriation Committee stepped in to mediate, and the men held a press conference condemning the government." "What could have been a beautiful gesture of reconciliation turned into an inhumane process unheard of even in prison." "So the ex-prisoners unfortunately chose to walk out." "The inspection which could have taken all day ended up taking just an hour." "Full of emotions, I call out to you." "Let's meet again." "Parents and brothers call each other's names." "Let reunification come soon," "How many years has it been?" "Take care, let's meet again." "Have a safe trip, let's meet again." "Full of emotions I call out to you." "Farewell." "Please take care." "Please take care." "Let's meet again within a year." "Goodbye!" "They were to be handed over at the Joint Security Area." "But families of the abducted and right-wing groups blocked the way, demonstrating against repatriation." "Who says non-converts are patriots?" "Are the police servants of commies?" "Which side are you on?" "How come we send spies?" "What about Korean war captives?" "Let's go to North Korea!" "I'd rather go to the North myself!" "You're dirty commies, right?" "I saw a group seeing off their 'comrades'." "Did you see?" "With farewell banners and all." "It's so absurd!" "'Comrades,' really..." "Gate of Reunification" "In the year following the inter-Korean summit," "The North-South relationship went through many changes." "Soon after the repatriation, the reconstruction of the old inter-Korean railway began." "At the Sydney Olympics, athletes from the two Koreas marched hand in hand." "Over 3, 500 separated family members were reunited." "North Korean products began to be sold, and we had commercials featuring North Korean soldiers." "TV stations competed to cover scenes from the North." "The image of the North was friendlier than ever." "Full of emotions I call out to you." "Farewell, Let's meet again." "Let's meet again and rejoice over reunification!" "I heard news of the grandpas from Pyongyang once in a while." "I got hold of leaf lets and videotapes from the North." "As expected, they received a grand hero's welcome." "They went through hell, but now they're back in the arms of our Great General and songs of praise ring out." "'GLORY TO THE UNCONVERTED!" "'" "They spent their darkest hour in tiny murderous cells." "But now they live in mansions a hundred times larger, thanks to our sun," "General Kim Jong-il." "Each and every room, the front room and the kitchen, are filled with the rays of the benevolent sun." "I was glad to see them even if it was on video." "But all sleeked up with medals, they looked like strangers." "It was sad to think I might feel awkward if I met them again." "The unconverted prisoners are children of the Sun," "Loyal warriors of our Great Leader and General." "The North used them to beef up its propaganda." "The dear men must have been embarrassed to pose for this photo." "But they'd have obliged willingly." "From the darkest hell, up they rose towards the sun." "Eternal soldiers of the Great General, children of the Sun." "I found a photo of Mr. Cho with his family." "His wife looked nice." "His son looked younger than me." "Surrounded by grandchildren my own kids' age, they seemed to be celebrating something." "I wanted to go to the North." "I wanted to visit Mr. Cho and his family and experience the North, and finally complete this film." "But it was still a difficult path, and I could do nothing but wait." "Then an opportunity came." "I was granted permission to go to a festival in Pyongyang." "I couldn't have been more excited." "But the day before departure, I was told I couldn't go." "I was still under investigation for violating the National Security Act." "I'd forgotten all about it." "I protested and appealed in vain." "Anyway, I went to the airport to see the others off." "When I was handed my plane ticket," "I almost cried at the unfairness of it all." "NAM Gyu-seon" "Can you do me a favor?" "I asked a friend who had a camera to do some shooting for me." "Please give my regards to Mr. Cho." "Why don't you film your greeting?" " No, that's okay." " I'll show him the video." "Mr. Cho, I would have loved to see you." "But I can't go this time." "I miss you." "I promise to visit very soon." "How do you feel?" "This is the biggest milestone in the history of Korea." "I'm the happiest man on earth." "Seoul to Pyongyang..." "What do you want to do?" "I'll drink with North Korean writers." "Have a nice trip." "The road leading into the city was lined with white birches." "It was unlike Seoul or any other city." "I felt I was really in the North." "In Pyongyang, billboards are really hard to find." "The city is a little different from what we see on TV." "When the ceremony was over, on my way back to the hotel in the parking lot" "I saw some old men." "I wondered if it could be them, so I ran over, and it really did seem like them." "And so it was." "They looked so stylish and radiant." "They looked healthier and younger." "They looked so good that they seemed like different people." "I would like to thank all those who helped me in many ways." "In particular Mr. Cho, compared with last time, appeared in much better health, although he was still pale." "He asked me to give his regards to so many people in Seoul." "He listed them all by name, so as not to forget anyone." "He went on and on, asking" "'How's so-and-so doing?" "'" "I heard Kim Dong-won was coming but couldn't at the last minute." "I miss him very much." "I never told him while I was over there." "But to me, he was like a son." "He was really good to me." "I really wish I could have seen him." "Tell him for me, if there's an opportunity we must meet next time." "Tell him to take good care of his children, and that I wish his family all the best." "It's been almost a year." "In a nutshell, every day has been a happy dream." "All of us," "we'll never forget the support group ladies." "We've left behind some comrades, but we're well-treated and truly happy." "Sorry my friend, for having such a good time without you." "In Seoul, they didn't even have their own rooms." "They had to do menial labor, and endure poverty." "Naturally, they live a better life here." "But, perhaps, more than anything, they looked so happy..." "Because they were back home, reunited with their families, reacquainted with old friends." "After all, coming home is like... the ultimate completion in a person's life." "They were singing in a restaurant." "It sounded like a war tune from their youth." "They'd overcome total failure and prolonged suffering, and were now singing, with strength and dignity." "Their lives have yet to reach a happy ending." "Still the endless road of revolution and struggle lies before them." "The road they must travel on might be even rougher." "They no longer have visible enemies." "And it's time for their soul-searching to begin." "I was still curious about how they lived." "Yet I gave up my trip to Pyongyang and started editing." "It was so hard to get there, and I'd heard that even if I made it to Pyongyang," "I might not be allowed to film them." "'I already know them well enough,'" "I told myself." "Mr. Cho said I was like a son to him." "I was ashamed for not being much of a son." "That shame spurred me on to complete this film." "I really miss him." "Kim Sun-myong and 7 other bachelors got married." "2001-Apr LEE Jong-hwan passed away" "2001-June YOON Yong-gi passed away" "Late 2001 SHIN In-young died in Pyongyang" "Early 2002 SHIN In-young's mother died in Seoul" "Kim Young-sik and 30 converted ex-prisoners declared their conversion null and void, and are campaigning for a second round of repatriation."