Cho Tae-yeol Criticizes Forced Repatriation of Defectors: "Please Send Them Where They Want"

King Raises Issues at Meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister

Cho Tae-yul, Minister of Foreign Affairs, who visited China, pointed out the issue of forced repatriation of North Korean defectors and requested, "Please cooperate so that North Korean defectors can go to the places they hope for."

On the 13th (local time), Minister Cho Tae-yul held talks with Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs, at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during the four-hour meeting, Minister Cho conveyed domestic and international concerns about the forced repatriation of North Korean defectors to the Chinese side and requested China’s special attention and cooperation to ensure that North Korean defectors residing in China are not forcibly repatriated and can go to the places they wish.

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yeol held talks with Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister of China, on the 13th (local time) at Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China.
[Photo by Ministry of Foreign Affairs]

Earlier, China forcibly repatriated about 500 North Korean defectors immediately after the closing of the Hangzhou Asian Games in October last year. The repatriation operations have continued since then, and on the 26th of last month, news emerged that an additional 200 North Korean defectors detained in Baishan detention centers in Jilin Province were repatriated, raising concerns. The international human rights organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) also confirmed on the 8th that the Chinese government recently repatriated about 60 North Korean defectors.

The reason for the concerns is the human rights violations that North Korean residents face after repatriation. The United Nations Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (COI) has repeatedly warned that repatriated North Korean defectors are exposed to risks such as forced labor in political prison camps, arbitrary detention, torture, and even execution.

Our government confirmed that "it is true that a large number of North Korean defectors were recently sent back to North Korea," but only issued a general stance that "under no circumstances should overseas North Korean defectors be forcibly repatriated against their free will." Unlike last year, no separate expression of regret was made. The general assessment was that the government refrained from making strong statements to avoid diplomatic setbacks ahead of the upcoming Korea-China-Japan summit scheduled for the end of this month. Given this situation, some pointed out that China might have calculated that South Korea would find it difficult to lodge a 'high-level' protest.

However, the fact that Minister Cho raised the issue of forced repatriation during his meeting with Foreign Minister Wang Yi can be seen as encouraging. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has so far maintained a policy of 'quiet diplomacy,' emphasizing behind-the-scenes negotiations, but this time it publicly raised the issue with China.

Minister Cho also responded to reporters at Gimpo International Airport earlier that morning when asked if he would raise the issue of China’s large-scale resumption of forced repatriation of North Korean defectors, saying, "It is an important concern of our government," and "Of course, we will raise the issue and listen to the Chinese side’s opinions."

In addition, Minister Cho conveyed concerns to China regarding North Korea’s actions that escalate regional tensions and continue illegal military cooperation with Russia. He also urged China to play a 'constructive role' for peace on the Korean Peninsula and the denuclearization of North Korea.