After the Korean War (1950–1953), East Germany, aligned with the Soviet Union and much of the Eastern Bloc, sought to establish stronger ties with North Korea.
As part of this effort, East Germany offered scholarships and educational opportunities to students, particularly in fields like medicine, engineering, and the arts.
Some South Koreans, studying abroad primarily in West Germany, also migrated to East Berlin for its academic opportunities and its position as a gateway between the two ideological blocs of the Cold War.
The operation, carried out in multiple European countries such as West Germany and France, led to the abduction and forced extradition of more than 200 individuals to South Korea.
Among those targeted was renowned composer Isang Yun, who was detained in Germany and secretly transported to South Korea without proper legal procedures.
[2][4] The French government conducted an investigation into the matter, though was far more passive in its attempt to secure Koreans abducted on their soil than West Germany.