"Three North Korean Workers in Russia Successfully Travel to Korea"

Russian Local Media Report

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyemin] According to local media, three North Koreans who had been imprisoned in Russia for nearly two years have succeeded in going to South Korea.

On the 5th, the Russian Far East regional media 'Baikal Daily' reported that three North Koreans working in Amur Province in the Russian Far East succeeded in going to South Korea with the help of local human rights activists.

Alexandra Myakhanova, a well-known local social activist and lawyer, said, "Fortunately, they have gone to South Korea and are safe," adding that one of the older defectors expressed a desire to "die freely." The media explained that although the route to South Korea is unknown, it appears they received assistance from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

They were caught by the Russian border guards in March 2019 while attempting to defect via Mongolia, sentenced to 1 year and 8 months in prison, and recently released after serving their sentence. Human rights activists in the Republic of Buryatia in the Russian Far East have been conducting a petition campaign requesting political asylum, warning that if they are repatriated to North Korea, persecution is certain.

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