[imText1]An affiliate of the Chinese Public Security in Yenji who has been searching for a 35-year old defector from North Korea, Kim Sang Hyuk, said today “We have received an intelligence report that Mr. Kim sneaked into Yenji.” He added that there is a high possibility that Mr. Kim is hiding in a rural village there.
The National Security Agency of North Korea asked the Chinese Public Security to conduct a search because Mr. Kim was suspected of touching base with his relatives in South Korea and leaking confidential information about North Korea to the outside.
Mr. Kim was arrested before in Hyesan of Yangkang Province on the spot while making a phone call to South Korea. He soon escaped from the Security Agency complex while being detained for interrogation with another detainee. They fled to Changbai County in China.
The affiliate said, “the man who is on the run with Kim Sang Hyuk speaks proficient Chinese and knows many people around this area, since he had lived in China for many years before he was deported back to North Korea.”
He added, “Because Kim Sang Hyuk is together with this man, we are having difficulty arresting him. He must be hiding in a remote rural area.”
“Right now, the North Korean authorities strongly demand the repatriation of Kim Sang Hyuk as soon as he is arrested. It is possible that he can commit another crime against the locals for fear of arrest. Therefore, we need to arrest him for the sake of our people’s safety,” said the affiliate. He anticipated that it would take only few days for the Chinese authorities to arrest Kim Sang Hyuk.
Meanwhile, a source familiar with this incident said, “As far as I know, Kim Sang Hyuk called a lot of his acquaintances in Yenji asking for help. But all of them were unwilling to do so.”
The city of Yenji has increased its security presence. Nonetheless, it has not yet released information on the fugitive to the public. The Chinese government is currently trying to restrict the release of such information to the public after having received criticism from the international community for violating the human rights of North Korean defectors. However, the government continues to release information on defectors bearing arms.
It is known that Kim Sang Hyuk’s family members who came to South Korea in advance are refusing to talk about Mr. Kim’s situation. In a phone conversation with DailyNK, Kim Sang Hyuk’s brother said briefly, “We know he defected.”
