At 95, ex-soldier yearns to be in N. Korea but is torn over leaving family in South

His last wish is to die on North soil, not in what he calls the 'US colony state' of S. Korea

- Wendy Teo South Korea Correspondent

Former North Korean soldier Ahn Hak-sop, 95, is living out his last days in a small church in South Korea, located just about 2km from the North.

The Mintongseon Peace Church in Yonggang village is a short drive from barbed wire fences demarcating the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ), which has separated the two Koreas since the war ended in an armistice in 1953. The two Koreas are technically still at war today.

This is the closest Mr Ahn can get to what he considers the true sovereign Korea, free from the “imperialist control of the United States”, which he says South Korea is under.

Despite being born in 1930 on Ganghwa Island, which is part of the Incheon metropolitan city and falls south of the 38th parallel separating the two Koreas, Mr Ahn chooses to identify as North Korean.

Along with five other “unconverted” North Korean loyalists aged between 80 and 96, Mr Ahn submitted a request to the Seoul government in July seeking repatriation to North Korea. It is his last wish to die on North Korean soil, not in what he calls the “US colony state” of South Korea.

The group — five men and one woman - had spent decades in prison for their communist leanings. Among them, Mr Ahn served the longest sentence, spending more than 42 years in jail on espionage charges before he was finally pardoned in 1995.

On Aug 22, the nonagenarian even attempted to totter over to North Korea on foot, supported by friends and a walking cane. Despite his courage, the effort was futile, as he was turned away by South Korean guards.

South Korea’s Unification Ministry said it is reviewing the loyalists’ request, but told The Sunday Times that the process is difficult as “consultations with North Korea and cooperation among relevant agencies are necessary”.