Collective Strike of North Korea Escapees

Informed sources reported that seven escapees from North Korea, including Park Il-man (38) and Kang Eun-hee (25), were arrested by the Chinese Foreign Ministry after attempting to enter Vietnam illegally through Nanning City of the Chang-jok district in Kwangxi Province, China. They were transported to the Ahnsan concentration camp in Tumen, Jirin district, a neighboring city near the Tuman River, on March 22.

According to sources, these seven escapes protested their capture by going on a hunger strike following their arrest and continued to fast after being transferred to the Ahnsan camp, with six of them currently in critical condition.

An official of a domestic civil organization that helped their escapes on March 24 stated, “The seven escapees from North Korea are on a hunger strike, saying they would rather die than return to North Korea,” and added, “I believe this is inciting the other hundred or so escapees imprisoned in the Ahnsan camp.”

The official continued, “The authorities of the concentration camp are also extremely perplexed as they have never experienced this kind of collective strike before.”

On the other hand, the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade announced that they are “in the process of confirming the facts” surrounding this incident.

Jung-Ahn Kim credo@donga.com