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Three Defectors Arrive in Seoul

Posted May. 15, 2002 09:03,   

한국어

Three defectors, aliases Song Yong-Bum (38-year-old), Chung Bum-Chul (36-year-okd), and Choi Kwang-Chul (20-year-old), who entered the compound of the United States Consulate General in Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China and stayed there on May 8 and 9, have arrived in Seoul in the afternoon of May 14.

The three defectors arrived at Incheon Airport via SQ016 of the Singapore Airlines after being transferred to Singapore from Beijing in the morning of the day. They will go through a combined questioning session of related authorities on the circumstances of defection and other matters and take steps for settling here after being admitted in Hanawon, a support facility for settlement of North Korean defectors managed by the Ministry of Unification (MOU). They have originally sought asylum in the United States, but it is known that the United States refused their request.

Two persons who entered the Canadian Embassy in Beijing are likely to come to South Korea via a third country sooner than later. Spokesperson of the Canadian Embassy Jennifer May said, `As a result of consultation with Chinese side, we have agreed on to sending them to a third country, but we have still some procedures to discuss.`

However, the departure of five relatives of Gil-Su family arrested on May 8 by the armed Chinese police when they tried to enter the Japanese Consulate General in Shenyang is delayed due to the continued diplomatic row between China and Japan on forcible seizure of the defectors and illegal entrance of the armed police into the premise of the consulate general

Chinese diplomatic sources said, `The problem of the relatives of Gil-Soo family may take time to solve as the diplomatic negotiations are continuing between China and Japan,` and added, `However, as both countries recognize the urgency of the matter, the problem might be separated from the diplomatic dispute between both countries.

In relation to this, the Japanese Mainichi Shimbun reported on May 14 quoting the foreign ministry of the Philippines that Chinese government has contacted immediately after the incident with the embassy of the Philippines in Beijing to send the five relatives of Gil-Soo family to South Korea via the Philippines.

According to the Japanese paper, Korean government also relayed a message similar to the request of Chinese government to the government of the Philippines. The Philippines is known to accept the requests of the two countries and to prepare specific measures to accommodate the defectors.

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi also remarked, `I hope a good result may come out of this incident after consulting with China,` which indicated he also has an interest in sending these five people to a third country.



Young-Sik Kim ksshim@donga.com spear@donga.com