[imText1]Chun Wook Pyo (68), a crew member on one of two vessels seized simultaneously 41 years ago by North Korea in the West Sea, defected across the Yalu River at the beginning of this month and is set to arrive in South Korea very soon, it has been revealed.
The Odaeyang 61 and Odaeyang 62 boats were taken by the North in the Yellow Sea on December 28th, 1972, and their 25 crew members abducted. Chun is the only one to defect so far. His escape comes four years after Yoon Jong Soo, a crew member on the Cheonwang, returned home in 2009.
“Chun made good his escape on August 10th and is currently in a third world country under the protection of government officials,” Abductees’ Family Union head Choi Sung Yong explained.
On the 11th, the day after his escape, Chun sent a petition to President Park Geun Hye saying, “I am 68 now, and I escaped because I want to live out the rest of my days in my hometown. President Park, I hope that you will help me.” The South Korean government subsequently requested his safe return.
