A Group of 400 North Korean Defectors to Enter Korea in the Coming Week

On July 23, it was reported that around 400 North Korean defectors currently staying at a southeastern Asian country will be disembarking in Korea next week.

From a couple up to dozens of North Korean defectors who went through China to a southeastern Asian country made their entry into Korea before but never in the hundreds.

The authorities and other support groups for the North Korean defectors say that the Korean government has been working hard at finding ways to bring every one of the defectors in to Korea since the end of May and convinced the high officials of the corresponding country to have all of the defectors transferred to Korea after three meetings.

A government official said, “It is the government’s policy to admit any defectors from any other countries if they wish to enter Korea and to provide help for those wishing to stay in a third country,” and added, “The government has been actively pursuing a ‘silent diplomacy’ under these principles to have these 400 people brought to Korea.”

These 400 or so defectors are currently staying at several accommodations that are supported by relief groups for North Korean refugees in that country.

The Korean government has begun taking preparatory measures for the defectors’ entry into the country by setting up a special team to take care of their basic needs such as housing in cooperation with a number of groups, including the Korean Intelligence Agency, the Ministry of Unification, the Ministry of Defense, and the police.

More and more North Korean defectors are entering Korea every year, increasing steadily from 60 people back in 1999, 297 people in 2000, 572 in 2001, 1,111 in 2002, and 1,175 in 2003. Seven hundred-sixty defectors have already made it to Korea in just the first half of this year, a 28 percent increase from the record of same period last year.

Currently, North Korean defectors living in Korea amount to around 4,900.

Hyong-gwon Pu bookum90@donga.com