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| China-Japan-Koreas | |
| Beijing Asked Seoul to Stop Help for N.Korean Defectors | |
| 2012-08-02 | |
| China asked Seoul to make sure that South Koreans stop engaging in "organized activities" there to help North Koreans escape if South Korean activist Kim Young-hwan was to be released. Kim was tortured during his 114 days in Chinese detention for helping North Korean refugees. A senior diplomatic source here on Wednesday said China attempted to make Kim's release contingent on South Korea putting a stop to activists' help for North Korean defectors in the three northeastern Chinese provinces. "China threatened not to release Kim unless Seoul promises to stop organized assistance for North Korean defectors, but the South Korean government declined," the source added. A senior South Korean government official confirmed the story. China is worried about the activities of South Korean NGOs helping North Koreans in the provinces adjacent to North Korea. Chinese police fear that North Koreans could escape en masse if organized assistance increases.
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| Posted by:Steve White |