ID :
188695
Wed, 06/15/2011 - 09:23
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/188695
The shortlink copeid
Gov't says 9 N. Koreans defected by boat in Yellow Sea
(ATTN: UPDATES with questioning of North Koreans; ADDS background)
SEOUL, June 15 (Yonhap) -- A group of nine North Koreans defected to South Korea across the tense western sea border by boat last week, a government source said Wednesday.
The group crossed the Yellow Sea border aboard an engineless boat last Saturday and expressed their wish to defect, the source said on condition of anonymity.
The nine North Koreans, including a reportedly unspecified number of family members, are being questioned by South Korean officials about their motives and their defection route, the source said.
The latest defection came four months after a group of 31 North Korean fishermen drifted aboard a troubled wooden vessel across the tense western sea border.
Seoul has since repatriated 27 of them to the North while allowing the other four to remain in accordance with their wishes.
However, the North claimed that South Korea kidnapped the 31 North Koreans and called for talks with South Korea to discuss the repatriation of the four North Koreans.
The two Koreas, however, did not hold talks to discuss the fate of the four defectors.
More than 21,000 North Koreans have defected to the South to avoid chronic hunger and political oppression since the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a cease-fire.
SEOUL, June 15 (Yonhap) -- A group of nine North Koreans defected to South Korea across the tense western sea border by boat last week, a government source said Wednesday.
The group crossed the Yellow Sea border aboard an engineless boat last Saturday and expressed their wish to defect, the source said on condition of anonymity.
The nine North Koreans, including a reportedly unspecified number of family members, are being questioned by South Korean officials about their motives and their defection route, the source said.
The latest defection came four months after a group of 31 North Korean fishermen drifted aboard a troubled wooden vessel across the tense western sea border.
Seoul has since repatriated 27 of them to the North while allowing the other four to remain in accordance with their wishes.
However, the North claimed that South Korea kidnapped the 31 North Koreans and called for talks with South Korea to discuss the repatriation of the four North Koreans.
The two Koreas, however, did not hold talks to discuss the fate of the four defectors.
More than 21,000 North Koreans have defected to the South to avoid chronic hunger and political oppression since the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a cease-fire.
