The Ministry of Unification says Seoul is seeking the repatriation of South Koreans taken prisoners by the communist North during the Korean War and of other citizens abducted in the years following the war's end.

The ministry said Monday that some 500 South Korean soldiers were taken prisoner during the war and that 486 others were kidnapped to the North in the wake of the armistice that ended the Korean conflict.

The ministry said the government is continuously working towards a resolution of the POW and abductee issue through various channels, including ministerial-level talks.

North Korea continues to deny the existence of the POWs and abductees. The South Korean ministry said it would take a realistic approach to the issue by including the names of POWs and abductees in a list of separated family members to arrange for eventual reunions with their relatives in the South.