A group of North Korean defectors in China has been detained by police while attempting to escape to South Korea, Daily NK has learned.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a source in China told Daily NK on Monday that a group of about ten defectors were arrested while heading toward the border in Inner Mongolia in the hope of eventually reaching South Korea.
The arrest came after the Chinese husband of one of the defectors contacted police.
The woman had taken her child with her when she left for South Korea. But when the Chinese husband discovered that his wife and child were not at home, he informed the police that they were missing.
Police immediately began tracking the woman and eventually found not only her, but the rest of the defectors in the group. They were all arrested and are currently in detention.
The defectors’ misfortune has been shared with other defectors in China who sympathize with their plight. According to the source, some defectors who heard the news lamented that the defectors had tried to leave at such a dangerous and sensitive time. Others said the broker should not have tried to lead such a large group at once, and criticized him for putting profit ahead of the defectors’ safety.
“It is likely that the entire group of arrested defectors will be repatriated. The police keep telling the defectors that they will be fine as long as they keep a low profile, but if they commit a crime or try to reach South Korea, the police will have no way to prevent them from being automatically repatriated,” the source said.
Escaping to S. Korea is becoming riskier
Rumors have been circulating in China recently that any attempt to travel to South Korea is grounds for repatriation, no questions asked. According to the source, Chinese authorities have been repatriating all defectors caught trying to enter South Korea since the beginning of the year.