Foreign Affairs Committee Hearing on 'Dispute Over Responsibility for Forced Repatriation of Defectors'

Female "Responsibility Lies with China" VS Male "Issues in Korea-China Diplomacy"

The ruling and opposition parties clashed over responsibility regarding China's recent mass forced repatriation of North Korean defectors detained in China.

At the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee's audit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 27th, Jeong Jin-seok of the People Power Party stated, "It is excessive to point out that the forced repatriation of North Korean defectors is due to the South Korean government's lack of diplomacy toward China," and asserted, "Ultimately, the responsibility for the repatriation lies with China." Jeong also pointed out the need for an approach that raises international awareness of North Korean human rights issues, urging the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to specify the forced repatriation of defectors in the UN North Korea Human Rights Resolution and to strive to convey this message at the upcoming US-China summit expected next month.

North Korean defector-turned-lawmaker Tae Yong-ho evaluated, "I think it was very good that the Yoon Seok-yeol administration has been publicly addressing the forced repatriation issue and that the Ministry of Unification issued a protest statement." He added, addressing lawmakers from both parties, "As a defector, I sincerely thank you for raising the forced repatriation issue as an agenda item," and said, "Although there may be differences in views between the ruling and opposition parties, I hope this audit becomes an opportunity to find feasible solutions."

On the other hand, Yoon Ho-jung of the Democratic Party argued, "The Chinese government's position is that it has listened to and considered the South Korean government's stance on North Korean issues for over 30 years," but claimed, "However, under the current administration, there has been no prior consultation or even discreet dialogue with the South Korean government." Yoon criticized, "One cannot help but question whether South Korea-China relations are on the brink of collapse," and asked, "Is this not a disaster caused by President Yoon Seok-yeol's so-called ideological diplomacy?"

From the same party, Lee Won-wook cited a North Korean human rights activist's expression that "quiet diplomatic negotiations have failed," and pointed out, "There should have been strong measures after China's repatriation of defectors, but since there were none, there is suspicion that the government is lukewarm about the forced repatriation issue." Lee noted, "There have been achievements in South Korea-US-Japan relations, but the side effect is the close alliance of North Korea, China, and Russia," and criticized, "There is no possibility of the UN North Korea Human Rights Resolution passing, and it is unlikely that China and Russia will respond positively."

Foreign Minister Park Jin emphasized at the audit, "We have conveyed our concerns through diplomatic channels and made it clear that North Korean defectors should not be forcibly repatriated," adding, "We will make our best efforts with a more proactive attitude to prevent forced repatriation of defectors."

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