Rumors have recently been circulating among North Korean defectors in China claiming that South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has ordered authorities to “no longer accept North Korean defectors.” Combined with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s visit to China, these false claims are heightening defectors’ concerns about forced repatriation.
A Daily NK source in China said Sept. 5: “Recently, rumors have been spreading rapidly among defectors here that South Korea’s new Lee Jae Myung administration will no longer accept North Korean defectors. This is increasing anxiety among defectors in China who dream of going to South Korea.”
According to the source, these rumors are spreading like wildfire in areas with large defector populations, including Shenyang in Liaoning province and Changbai county in Jilin province.
As a result, some defectors who had been living with hopes of eventually reaching South Korea are expressing despair, asking: “Have our chances of going to South Korea now disappeared forever?”
North Korean defectors in China live under constant anxiety about potential forced repatriation because they are classified as illegal residents. This is why they choose to go to South Korea — to obtain legal status and live more freely.
However, since COVID-19, surveillance and control of defectors in China has intensified. Cases have emerged of defectors being detained by public security or repatriated after attempting to reach South Korea, leading more defectors to hesitate or abandon their plans.
Against this backdrop, the recent spread of rumors that “the South Korean government will no longer accept defectors on presidential orders” has heightened defectors’ psychological anxiety.
The source said: “Since late last month, strange rumors have suddenly spread, and defectors here have fallen into despair, saying things like ‘If the path to South Korea is blocked, how are we supposed to live now?’ Some are determined to leave China as quickly as possible, but recent intensified street crackdowns have left them completely unable to move.”
Heightened security amid Victory Day celebrations
China significantly strengthened street patrols starting Aug. 20 in preparation for the major national holiday marking the 80th anniversary of Victory Day, preventing undocumented defectors from venturing outside their homes.
A defector in his 30s living in Shenyang, Liaoning province, said: “I want to leave for South Korea, but I was hesitating because I’m afraid of being caught by public security. But when I recently heard that South Korea won’t accept us anymore, I was so shocked my legs started shaking.”
He continued: “They said the president himself gave direct orders, so even though I didn’t want to believe it, it seemed true and I was anxious. But when I contacted acquaintances in South Korea, they said no such thing had happened, and only then did I feel a little relieved.”
Another defector in his 40s living in Shenyang said: “I was imprisoned twice while trying to reach South Korea and was barely released. I can’t continue living in China, so I was somehow looking for another chance to go to South Korea. When I suddenly heard that South Korea wouldn’t accept us anymore, I was heartbroken.”
Some defectors have confirmed through South Korean contacts that these claims are false, but they remain uneasy.
The source said: “Several defectors know these rumors aren’t true, but they’re still anxious, thinking that someday South Korea might really stop accepting defectors.”
He added: “Kim Jong Un’s visit to China in particular has pushed defectors into even greater fear. The better relations become between China and North Korea, the higher the possibility of defector repatriation becomes, and this translates into real terror that torments defectors.”
