China is the Victim of North Korean Defectors

Hwangu Shibo, a Chinese newspaper specializing in international affairs, wrote June 17 that China was a victim of the intrusion of North Korean defectors into foreign embassies, and urged the related nations, including South and North Korea, to take measures to prevent the occurrence of such incidents in the future.

Inmin Ilbo, a Chinese Communist Party newspaper published twice a week, wrote, “The intrusions of unidentified persons into foreign consular offices have been causing much trouble to the Chinese police and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as complicating relationship between China and the related nations”. The newspaper asserted that China was a victim in this case and that such incidents were disturbing social order and threatening national security.

The newspaper ostensibly hinted that the illegal entry of defectors into China should be banned and the related nations should collaborate in solving such issues.

Hwangu Shibo wrote that the South Korean government had been stimulating defectors to intrude into foreign consular offices by having provided financial support to defectors who were allowed entry into South Korea, and suggested that South Korea should change its policy by handing the defectors over to China in order to let China deal with them in accordance with the Chinese law.

The newspaper went on asserting that South Korea, Europe and America who have been concocting illegal entries into foreign consular offices shall be held accountable for failure to abide by Chinese laws, warning that otherwise the Chinese government will severely punish defectors in accordance with its laws.

yshwang@donga.com