The resolution passed is a definite step up from last week after South Korean officials only asked officials in Beijing to reconsider the policy of immediate expulsion of North Korean refugees.
Tensions also mounted at the UN after Korean officials also called on the United Nations and other bodies to put pressure on Beijing to follow international law. It is estimated that more than 20,000 North Koreans have fled to the South since the 1950s. The majority of them escape via China.
China says that the North Koreans are “illegal economic migrants” who must be returned home. Its stand on the North Koreans is not a new policy - it has been sending back those it finds within its borders for many years. However, there is increased concern over the issue since the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.
Reports from inside North Korea say the country’s new leader has issued a decree pledging to exterminate the families of anyone caught trying to flee.
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak spoke out on the issue last week. “When it comes to the North Korean defectors, it is right for the Chinese government to handle them in line with international rules as long as they are not criminals,” he said.
South Korea reiterated its message at a meeting of the UN‘s refugee agency this week, urging all countries to refrain from exposing those in desperate situations to the risk of dire consequences, says our correspondent.
Unconfirmed reports last Friday said at least nine North Koreans had been deported from China. The South Korean foreign ministry, however, has not confirmed the repatriation reports. There was no word from China.
(아주경제 앤드류 이 기자)
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com