China Executed a Korean Drug Trafficker

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade announced on 27th that the Chinese government executed a South Korean Mr. Shin (41), who was sentenced to death for drug trafficking, on Sep. 25th.

A Ministry official said, ``The Chinese government informed on Oct. 26th that Mr. Shin, who was arrested on the charge of manufacturing, smuggling, and selling methamphetamine by the Heilongjiang Provincial authorities in 1997, was executed on Sep. 25th. It is the first time that a Korean has been sentenced and executed in a foreign country.``

Shin was sentenced to death at the Middle Court in Harbin City in August 1999, and the sentence was finally confirmed by the People`s High Court in the following August. However, the Korean Embassy in Beijing and the Korean Consulate in Shenyang had been ignorant of any trial process, and it shows the problem of the governmental function for protecting overseas Koreans.

One of the other three compatriot accomplices, Mr. Chung (62), died of a liver disease in a prison in last November. The other two accomplices, Mr. Park (71) and Mr. Chung (59), were sentenced to imprisonment for life and 10-year prison term.

The Ministry said, ``We sent an official document to Beijing in order to get the information on the Korean convicts. But, China did not provide any specific answer and just notified the execution of a South Korean man. The Ministry will summon the Consulate General of the Chinese Embassy to express a strong complaint against the neglect of diplomatic practices.``

lihzip@donga.com