Five North Korean Defectors Including Teenagers and Pregnant Women Face Forced Repatriation Threat in China

Detained and Held in China... Korean Government and UN Convey Diplomatic Efforts and Concerns to Prevent Forced Repatriation

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] It has been confirmed that five North Korean defectors, who were arrested by Chinese public security officers and are at risk of being forcibly repatriated to North Korea, are currently the subject of efforts by the government and the United Nations to prevent this.

According to the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on the 30th, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention under the Human Rights Council and the UN Special Rapporteurs on North Korean human rights received information that five North Korean defectors were arrested in China. Subsequently, including the Working Group, Special Rapporteur Thomas Ojea Quintana and UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Nils Melzer expressed their concerns to the Chinese government in a letter dated October 27.

These defectors chose to go to South Korea and departed from Shenyang, China, on September 12, but were arrested in Huangdao, China, just one day later on September 13. They have since been detained at the Qingdao police station and are at risk of being forcibly repatriated to North Korea. The defectors are reported to include a 49-year-old woman, a 48-year-old man, a six-month pregnant woman, and a 14-year-old girl.

In response, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, "Details related to the defectors cannot be disclosed considering their personal safety and diplomatic relations with the relevant countries." However, the government is making diplomatic efforts to ensure that the defectors arrested in China are not forcibly repatriated against their will. It is believed that the government has conveyed its basic stance opposing the forced repatriation of defectors against their will to the Chinese government through diplomatic channels.

The United Nations has also continuously conveyed concerns about forced repatriation to the Chinese side. In particular, the Working Group and the Special Rapporteurs pointed out that the principle of non-refoulement, as stipulated in Article 3 of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, prohibits the return of asylum seekers to regions where they face persecution. Given that the defectors include women, children, and a pregnant woman, they strongly emphasized the need for special protection and health care. They also requested permission for the defectors to be contacted by international organizations such as the UN and the International Red Cross while consultations with the UN are ongoing.

Meanwhile, it is reported that the five defectors have not been immediately forcibly repatriated due to the North Korean government's strengthened quarantine measures against the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) and remain detained.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.