Courtesy of the Ministry of Unification

The Ministry of Unification created a symbol to encourage public participation in the efforts to resolve the abductee, detainee and prisoner-of-war issue. The ministry is currently conducting a campaign to spread awareness of the issue. (Courtesy of Yonhap News)

According to the Ministry of Unification, there are around 100,000 wartime abductees, 516 post-war abductees, six detainees and around 60,000 prisoners of war still in North Korea. The Republic of Korea began active efforts to address this issue following the trilateral ROK-U.S.-Japan summit at Camp David last August. As part of these efforts, the Ministry of Unification created an abductees response team and began various initiatives to find solutions. 

A major project associated with these initiatives focuses on the use of a special symbol: three forget-me-nots that represent the abductees, detainees and prisoners of war. The symbol’s blue petals, golden stamens and silver edges are intended to show a sincere desire to bring these groups home in the face of difficulties and hardships. The three forget-me-nots are intended to encourage Koreans to actively support the return of the prisoners and to cultivate greater empathy for the suffering of the families affected by their absence.

Upcycling fashion house Ulkin incorporated the symbolic forget-me-nots into designs presented at a recent runway show. (Courtesy of the Ministry of Unification)

The forget-me-not symbol made an appearance on a Dongdaemun Design Plaza runway recently. A designer for fashion house Ulkin, Lee Seongdong, chose to prominently feature the three forget-me-nots in a line of clothing exhibited in early February at the 2024 F/W Seoul Fashion Week. As his grandfather was born in North Korea, he is from the third generation of a displaced family. Lee’s aim was to produce pieces that embody the hope that the abductees, detainees and prisoners of war are returned promptly and reunited with their loved ones.

Lee’s pieces with the forget-me-not symbol took center stage at the grand finale of the fashion show and can be purchased from the brand’s website or its boutique in the Yongsan-gu District. The event was attended by Vice Minister of Unification Moon Seung-hyun and Ambassador for International Cooperation on North Korean Human Rights Lee Shin-wha, along with officials from the embassies of Japan, Sweden, Indonesia and Romania. Overall, the initiative aimed to promote intergenerational and international empathy by harnessing the influence of youth culture and the latest trends.

Along with the fashion show, the Ministry of Unification launched an online initiative called “Blossom the Forget-Me-Nots” that encourages people to show their support.

In addition, the design of the forget-me-not symbol was officially registered as a copyrighted public work. This registration will permit the symbol to appear in various forms and settings for free and is intended to encourage its widespread use and dissemination. Having the forget-me-not symbol appear in everyday life is expected to evoke empathy and support for abductees, detainees and prisoners of war, as well as their families, thus promoting support for their return home.

“The Ministry of Unification plans to continue and expand the campaign to resolve the abductee, detainee and prisoner-of-war issue,” said Choi Sun Young, Policy Advisor to the Minister. Choi added that the ministry will strengthen international solidarity by working closely with the United States, Japan, Canada, Thailand and other nations with victims. “In particular, we will work to ensure that calls for the resolution of the abductee, detainee and prisoner-of-war issue are actively reflected throughout the international human rights mechanisms, including the U.N. Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of North Korea (in November), the follow-up report on the 2014 Commission of Inquiry (COI) at the 60th session of the U.N.’s Human Rights Council (September 2025) and through expanded mutual dialogue. The ‘Three Forget-Me-Nots’ campaign is not just for the people of the Republic of Korea, but for the people of many other countries who are suffering the same pain as we are, and the goal is to prevent such misfortune from happening again. We hope that the international community will also take an interest in the campaign.”