[Exclusive] About 40 North Korean defectors in China are forcibly repatriated to North Korea… “Most women”

It was later revealed that the Chinese authorities had forcibly repatriated about 40 North Korean defectors who were imprisoned in Jilin Prison in Jilin Province.

According to local Chinese sources from NK Times on the 25th, Chinese public security forcibly repatriated about 40 North Korean defectors to North Korea through Tumen Customs in Jilin Province around 8 p.m. on the 11th. This source said, “The majority of North Korean defectors repatriated to North Korea are women. They left home to go to South Korea, but were arrested by public security and detained in Jilin Prison in Changchun City since November of last year.” They added, “They were transported to Taomen on a truck from Jilin Prison in Jilin Province on the 4th. “Afterwards, he was repatriated to North Korea after a one-week waiting period.”

As China has received strong protests and criticism from North Korean human rights groups and the international community regarding the repatriation of North Korean defectors, it appears that this repatriation process was carried out under more secret and thorough security measures to prevent information leaks to the outside world.

Another Chinese local source said, “The people repatriated to North Korea this time were all from North Hamgyong Province. In particular, the public security authorities had them wait at Tumen for a week before repatriating them to prevent the fact that North Korean defectors were being repatriated to North Korea from being exposed to the outside world.” A source said, “In the past, when North Korean defectors were arrested, their families or brokers would negotiate with the relevant public security agency to find a certain solution. However, last year, the (Chinese) government said, ‘Anyone who is arrested while trying to go to South Korea must be sent to North Korea.’ “If you are arrested by public security while trying to go to South Korea under the order, you should be considered to be de facto repatriated to North Korea,” he said.

In addition, the source said, “When North Korean defectors are arrested by public security, they are repatriated to Dandong, Changbai, and Tumen, depending on which region they are from,” adding, “Hundreds of North Korean defectors were repatriated to North Korea through Changbai and Dandong, China, between the 10th and 15th.” insisted.

Currently, this source’s claim has not been specifically confirmed, but considering the case in which the Chinese authorities forcibly repatriated about 600 North Korean defectors to North Korea in early October last year, the possibility that North Korean defectors were forcibly repatriated to North Korea through various regions and routes cannot be ruled out.

***This article was translated by Google and may differ from our article.