Deputy Defense Minister Expresses Opposition to Forced Repatriation of Defectors at Korea-China Talks

Kim Sun-ho, Vice Minister of National Defense, who is visiting China to attend the 10th Beijing Xiangshan Forum, expressed opposition to the forced repatriation of North Korean defectors during talks with the Chinese side held in Beijing on the 29th.

The Ministry of National Defense stated that Vice Minister Kim held a defense vice ministerial meeting in the afternoon with Jing Jianfeng, Deputy Chief of the Joint Staff Department of China (Air Force Lieutenant General), and expressed the South Korean government's position regarding the issue of forced repatriation of North Korean defectors recently reported in the media. Our government opposes the forced repatriation of North Korean defectors in China on humanitarian grounds.

Vice Minister Kim mentioned that North Korea has recently incorporated its nuclear weapons policy into its constitution and intensified its threats through military exercises, thereby undermining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the region. He conveyed the concerns of the South Korean people and urged China, a permanent member of the United Nations (UN) Security Council, to play a constructive role in resolving the North Korean nuclear issue.

In particular, Vice Minister Kim expressed the South Korean government's position on the forced repatriation of North Korean defectors and conveyed concerns about the strengthening of military cooperation between Russia and North Korea.

The two vice ministers also evaluated the ongoing high-level communication in the defense sector and agreed to strengthen communication at all levels to resume cooperation such as personnel exchanges, which had been reduced or suspended due to COVID-19, and to enhance mutual trust.

Meanwhile, on the same day in the morning, Vice Minister Kim met with Yang Xuejun, President of the Academy of Military Sciences (Army General), who presides over the Beijing Xiangshan Forum, to discuss ways to develop military exchanges and cooperation between the two countries. He also conveyed the South Korean government's position on the North Korean issue and requested China's cooperation.