N. Koreans in China estimated at 100,000

According to the U.N. High Commission on Refugees, the current number of North Koreans residing in China stands at around 100,000 as of August.

Although civilian agencies, including the Movement for Helping Our Own, have pegged the number of escapees in China at around 300,000, it is the first time for a formal international agency dealing exclusively with refugee issues such as the UNHCR to reveal its estimate of the number of North Koreans to have escaped across the border.

The revelation by the UNHCR`s estimate came about through the dialogue between the officials of the UNHCR, including the U.N. deputy secretary-general and the members of the Hannara Party such as Reps Jung Jae-Mon and Cho Woong-Kyu, who had visited the U.N. on July 29.

The U.N. deputy secretary-general in a response to the question concerning the North Koreans in China revealed that the satellite office of the UNHCR in China is in close observation of the movements of the escapees in China and currently estimates the number at 100,000.

Kong Jong-Sik kong@donga.com