Approximately 30 North Korean defectors have been arrested by Chinese public security officials in the city of Shenyang and are facing repatriation.
Three groups of defectors totaling approximately 30 individuals, including children under the age of five, were arrested while in transit from Shenyang (China) to Vietnam. They have been transported to the border city of Dandong, and are likely to be repatriated to North Korea soon, a source close to North Korean affairs in China reported to Daily NK on November 30.
“North Korea’s State Security Department [SSD] is exchanging gold produced at state-run mines in the border area to the Chinese authorities in return for the repatriation of defectors. For this reason, leaflets and placards have been posted in Chinese cities advertising rewards for reporting defectors to the police. This has made it more difficult for defectors to hide,” the source added.
“North Korea and China appear to have reached an agreement on active detection and repatriation of North Korean defectors. With the end of the year approaching, Chinese public security forces and North Korea’s SSD are planning a massive detection operation.”
In addition, the North Korean authorities have recently announced a domestic ‘reward system’ in order to prevent defection attempts before they occur.
A source in North Hamgyong Province added, “Recently, the atmosphere around the border regions has become tense, as Kim Jong Un issued orders to ‘prevent defections no matter the cost.’ Security agents have informed residents that the reward for reporting a planned defection is 5 million KPW (approx 600 USD).”
“Previously, the regime promised border guards time off and automatic admission to the Party if they apprehended and arrested defectors, but it didn’t have much effect. So the regime has turned to cash incentives to encourage residents to report on each other,” the source noted.
Due to this new policy, the number of residents attempting defection in North Korea has reportedly plummeted. Although the exact details are unknown, most of the defectors in the group recently arrested by Chinese police are assumed to have stayed in China for a lengthy period of time. This news comes in the wake of a recent incident in Namyang, North Hamgyong Province, in which two defectors were shot and killed by North Korean border guards while trying to escape across the river into China.
“With the severe crackdowns, no one is bold enough to attempt defection. The brokers that normally aid defectors are saying, “It is hard to make a living because no one wants to defect anymore,” the source concluded.
