Economic plight is major motivation for N. Korean defectors: survey

By Hwang Doo-hyong
WASHINGTON, Feb. 5 (Yonhap) -- A majority of North Korean defectors fled their
homeland due to economic woes rather than seeking political freedom, a survey
said Thursday.

The survey of 300 North Korean defectors who took shelter in South Korea also
showed that almost all believed food aid from outside went to government
officials and the military.
Conducted in November by Marcus Noland, senior fellow of the Peterson Institute
for International Economics, the survey showed that 56.7 percent defected to the
South due to economic problems, while 27 percent fled seeking political freedom.
Most North Korean defectors end up in South Korea via China and Southeast Asian
countries as the Beijing government does not recognize North Korean defectors as
refugees and sends them back to the North under a sub rosa agreement.
In announcing the survey result at a forum here, Noland urged the Obama
administration to cooperate closely with South Korea and other countries to
pressure China to abstain from repatriating North Koreans. Such repatriation is a
violation of international human rights covenants to which China is a signatory,
he said.
The U.S. government should "pressure China to uphold commitments, work with South
Korea and others and emphasize integrity of humanitarian aid program," the
scholar said, calling for access to prison camps in North Korea by the United
Nations and the International Red Cross.
North Korean defectors are said to be imprisoned or even executed in the event of
repatriation.
He also demanded that the Obama government develop "Sullivan-type principles" to
apply to North Korea, referring to restrictions in American business activities
in South Africa due to Pretoria's apartheid policy in the 1970s and 80s. Those
were called for by the Rev. Leon Sullivan.
As many as 67.4 percent of those questioned said that food aid from the outside
world went to the army, while 28.7 percent believed that the aid went to
officials of the government and the ruling Workers' Party.
Other findings:
-- About one-third of the respondents (33 percent) witnessed deaths of family
members during famine in the North.
-- A slight majority (53.4 percent) said they had never been detained by security
officials while living in North Korea.
-- As many as 64 percent favored South Korea as their final destination, while 19
percent liked the U.S. and 14 percent indicated China.
hdh@yna.co.kr
(END)