A South Korean court has denied an arrest warrant for Chinese dissident Dong Guangping, who was apprehended after entering South Korean waters by rubber boat.
According to Yonhap News, Judge Seok Ji-sung of the Daejeon District Court's Seosan branch conducted a pre-arrest interrogation on May 28 and stated, "It is difficult to recognize the reasons and necessity for detention." The court concluded that there was no significant risk of flight or evidence tampering.
Upon arriving at the court for the hearing, Dong expressed his desire to seek asylum in Canada. He told reporters in Chinese, "I want to go to Canada for a family gathering," adding, "I hope the Canadian government will help me."
The Taean Coast Guard is expected to transfer Dong's custody to the Daejeon Immigration Office soon, after which he is likely to be sent to a foreigner protection facility.
If he applies for refugee status, his departure from South Korea will be temporarily suspended. If recognized as a refugee, he will gain the right to stay in the country.
Yonhap reported that Dong was discovered on May 25 at approximately 9:36 PM, about 10 nautical miles (18 km) northwest of Seogeukbido, Taean County, while aboard a 3.3-meter rubber boat with a 9.9-horsepower engine.
The coast guard responded to the report and urgently arrested him, transporting him to Sinjin Port for questioning regarding the circumstances of his arrival in South Korean waters.
According to The New York Times, Dong previously served as a police officer and soldier in China and was dismissed from the police force in 1999 for signing a letter related to the Tiananmen Square protests. He has reportedly attempted to escape and been repatriated multiple times, including being detained by Chinese authorities after participating in a Tiananmen memorial event in 2014.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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