Minister presses China over N.K. defectors

Number of defectors here drops in January


South Korea’s Unification Minister Yu Woo-ik on Thursday urged China to show an “improved position” on the issue of North Korean defectors.

He also stressed close bilateral consultation to diplomatically resolve the issue of the defectors who could face harsh punishment such as torture and execution should they be sent back to their impoverished, repressive state.

“(I) hope this issue would not undermine the enhancement of the South Korea-China relations,” Yu said during a policy forum concerning North Korea in Seoul.

“We should resolve this issue through close diplomatic consultation between South Korea and China. At the same time, we should also urge China to respond to this issue in accordance with universal international rules.”

Underscoring that North Korea should be held responsible for the issue, he called on Pyongyang to refrain from harshly punishing its people.

“The defectors crossed the border as the North Korean authorities failed to feed them and politically persecuted them. Thus, the first responsibility lies on the North,” said Yu.

China maintains North Korean defectors are not refugees protected by international humanitarian conventions, but “economic migrants” who illegally cross the border because of hunger.

Seoul, which had pursued “mute” diplomacy in preventing China from returning North Korean defectors, has recently raised its diplomatic voice as public calls have mounted for it to take more action to protect defectors from the “inhumane” repatriation.

Touching on Pyongyang’s increasingly provocative rhetoric against Seoul, Yu said that the North has employed its “traditional governing tactic” to deal with internal situations that have become unstable following the death of its longtime strongman Kim Jong-il in December.

“When things are noisy inside, a traditional governing tactic is to get them straightened up while deflecting the focus of attention to the outside,” he said.

“I don’t think that the internal power relations have been completely settled yet (after the new leader Kim Jong-un took power) ... When they are firmly stabilized, there is no reason to cause tension inside and outside.”

Yu also cautioned against any “rash” moves to achieve a visible improvement in inter-Korean relations ahead of major elections this year.

“Regardless of elections or the incumbent government’s term, we will steadfastly carry out our duty,” he said.

Meanwhile, the ministry’s data showed that the number of North Korean defectors who made it to the South in January dropped compared to a year ago. Some observers interpret this as a temporary drop, as the North has recently tightened border security.

The total number of defectors who arrived here in January was 160, a drop from 179 recorded in January last year. The five-year January average was 210. Last year’s monthly average was 228 while the five-year monthly average was 223.

Presently, more than 50,000 North Korean refugees are estimated to be holed up in parts of China. Over the last five years, more than 2,500 defectors made it to South Korea each year, with last year’s figure at 2,737.

By Song Sang-ho (sshluck@heraldcorp.com)