The abduction of South Korean nationals to the North inflicted tremendous mental and physical damages on their family members as well as on the abductees themselves, and caused a significant social cost. Up until 1990, South Korean society as a whole showed little interest in easing their suffering or consoling them. Thus, no political or social consensus was formed to support the victims. Instead, various disadvantages were inflicted on the victims of abduction to the North, including the restriction of fishing rights, overseas travel, employment with government or public agencies, and discrimination in their military service.

However, the family members in South Korea of the abductees to the North raised their voice, requesting the checking and repatriation of the abductees when South-North summit talks were held in 2000, and 63 “unconverted long-term political prisoners” were released by the South to the North. From that moment on, South Korean society showed more interest in the issues concerning the repatriation of abductees and the provision of support to the victims.

Due to social demand, the South Korea government and the National Assembly initiated efforts to settle the abductee issue and help the victims. In 2004, the National Human Rights Commission of Korea made a formal recommendation to the Prime Minister and the Chairperson of the National Assembly that a special act should be enacted to compel the government to survey the true circumstances and status of the abductees to the North, restore the reputation of the victims, and make the appropriate compensation.

In response to this recommendation, the government decided to have a special act enacted to compensate and support the victims of abduction to the North before and after the war in January 2006. It then started preparing the legislation. From March to September, the Ministry of Unification and various related agencies jointly surveyed the conditions of the family members of the abductees to the North before and after the war, and examined the records of previous investigations of abduction cases. These records have since been used as base data in deliberating on the payment of compensation to the victims and ascertaining the damages suffered.

On 10 October 2006, the government cabinet adopted a bill for enacting the Act on Compensation and Assistance for Post-war Abductees after the Conclusion of the Military Armistice Agreement, which was approved by the National Assembly plenary session on 2 April 2007 and promulgated on 27 April 2007. The Act includes such key provisions as those on the duty of the state to settle the issue concerning abductees to the North before and after the Korean War, and the provision of reparation and compensation for damages suffered by the victims of abduction before and after the war. The government developed specific, detailed plans as the Enforcement Decree was enacted on 16 October. The Deliberation Committee on Compensation and Support for Abduction Victims was formed as the agency with the task of deliberating on the survey of abduction cases, compensation and support.

Key details of the Act on Support for Abductees to the North before and after the Korean War