Taeyoungho "Mass Forced Repatriation, Immediate Summoning of Chinese Ambassador Needed"

Government Acknowledges Large-Scale Repatriation of North Korean Defectors from China
"Foreign Ministry Summons Chinese Ambassador Immediately... Strong Protest"
"Will Visit Washington Next Week to Seek US Cooperation"

Rep. Taeyongho of the People Power Party urged the immediate summoning of Xing Haiming, the Chinese Ambassador to South Korea, to strongly protest the large-scale forced repatriation of North Korean defectors. The government has determined that the Chinese authorities forcibly repatriated hundreds of North Korean defectors immediately after the closing of the Asian Games.

On the 13th, Rep. Taeyongho held a press conference at the National Assembly Press Center, stating, "The Ministry of Unification has confirmed as fact that many North Korean residents detained in China were repatriated to North Korea from the three northeastern provinces of China," and urged, "(The Ministry of Foreign Affairs) must immediately summon the Chinese Ambassador to South Korea and strongly protest." Earlier, during a regular briefing that morning, the Ministry of Unification stated regarding reports of the repatriation of defectors residing in China, "It appears to be true," and added, "Our government has raised this issue sternly with the Chinese side."

On the 13th, Tae Young-ho, a member of the People Power Party, held a press conference at the National Assembly Press Hall, criticizing the issue of the forced repatriation of North Korean defectors in China and urging the government to summon the Chinese Ambassador to Korea and take action.
[Photo by Tae Young-ho's Office]

Rep. Tae said, "Under no circumstances should overseas North Korean defectors be forcibly repatriated against their free will, as this violates the international norm of 'non-refoulement,'" expressing concern that "North Korea commits crimes against humanity against defectors forcibly repatriated from China, including torture, rape and other sexual and gender-based violence, arbitrary detention, and even execution, forced abortion, and infanticide."

He further reminded that the Chinese government is a party to the UN Refugee Convention and the Convention Against Torture, which explicitly stipulate the principle of 'non-refoulement,' and criticized China for not recognizing North Korean defectors as refugees. China does not recognize defectors as refugees but considers them 'illegal immigrants' for economic reasons, viewing their border crossing as motivated by earning money rather than survival.

Rep. Tae criticized the effectiveness of the government's so-called "quiet diplomacy," pointing out that "the department created within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to support overseas defectors' travel to South Korea is ambiguously named the 'Overseas Cooperation Team for the National Community'," and added, "as confirmed in this year's National Assembly audit, the Ministry of Unification's work report contained no content related to protecting overseas defectors or preventing forced repatriation."

Tae Young-ho, a member of the People Power Party, announced that next week he will meet with various figures in Washington, USA, to appeal for their participation in efforts to prevent the forced repatriation of North Korean defectors in China.
[Photo by Tae Young-ho's office]

He continued, "At one time, our government maintained a firm stance that overseas defectors were not 'anybodies' but our citizens, but recently it has adopted a passive attitude," raising his voice that "the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), and even the current UN Secretary-General are holding back their words, mindful of China's position, despite their previous active stance on defectors residing in China."

Rep. Tae demanded that the Chinese government ▲ disclose information related to the forced repatriation of defectors ▲ halt forced repatriations and implement refugee procedures ▲ abolish the North Korea-China border agreement, and emphasized that the UN General Assembly and the UN Human Rights Council should call for the cessation of forced repatriation of defectors. In particular, he reiterated his call to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to "immediately summon the Chinese Ambassador to South Korea and strongly protest."

He also promised efforts at the National Assembly level. Referring to the "Resolution to Prevent Forced Repatriation of Defectors Residing in China" recently proposed by ruling party lawmakers, he said, "other countries' parliaments should also publicize the issue through related resolutions or discussions." He added, "As a South Korean lawmaker of defector origin, I will hold a picket in Washington next week and appeal to the U.S. President, Congress, and State Department to join efforts to stop forced repatriation."

A woman being dragged away by Chinese police outside the Korean Consulate in Beijing, China. [Image source=AP Yonhap News]

Meanwhile, missionary groups engaged in rescuing defectors reported that the Chinese government forcibly repatriated 500 to 600 defectors through border customs immediately after the closing of the Hangzhou Asian Games on the night of the 9th. Human Rights Watch (HRW), an international human rights organization monitoring human rights violations worldwide, previously stated in response to a request for comment from Asia Economy that it "considers this information credible."

Minister of Unification Kim Young-ho stated at the National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee's audit on the 11th, "We anticipated such an incident immediately after the Asian Games," but acknowledged that the government became aware of the facts through media reports. Two days later, the government declared it considers the large-scale repatriation incident factual, but the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not presented any measures beyond a general stance opposing and expressing concern about forced repatriation.

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