Seoul: Ham Jin-woo, a North Korean defector-turned-journalist who disappeared in 2017 in the border areas between North Korea and China, has been officially recognized by the government as one of seven South Koreans detained in North Korea, officials announced Wednesday.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the unification ministry has included Ham in the list of South Koreans held in North Korea after consultations with relevant government agencies. This update marks a significant development in the ongoing concerns over South Korean nationals detained by the North.

The unification ministry's website lists seven South Koreans currently detained in North Korea. These include three missionaries-Kim Jung-wook, Kim Kook-kie, and Choi Chun-gil-as well as four North Korean defectors who later acquired South Korean citizenship. However, the names of the four defectors have not been disclosed on the website.

Ham Jin-woo is believed to have been apprehended by North Korean authorities while reporting in the North-China border areas in May 2017, working as a journalist for a North Korea-focused media outlet. His addition to the list follows a press conference in December last year, where Unification Minister Chung Dong-young announced the intention to include Ham among the recognized South Korean detainees in the North.

The three missionaries have been held in North Korea since 2014, charged with anti-state activities and accused by Pyongyang of espionage for South Korea's intelligence agency. The current status of the three other North Korean defectors remains unknown since their captivity in 2016.