The body of a North Korean woman in her 20s found in the Tumen River near Onsong County, North Hamgyong Province, was discovered by border guards and has been turned over to local police.
“Her body was discovered 25 km south of Onsong County in the Chongsong area. She was found with a bundle of cling-wrapped yuan on her body, leading the guards that found her to conclude the accident occurred as she was returning to North Korea following a trip to China to earn money,” a source in North Hamgyong Province reported to Daily NK.
Many North Koreans in border areas cross over into China for months at a time to look for work, often paying border guards to turn a blind eye in return for safe passage, unless they have special travel permits.
The source surmised that the victim attempted to cross the river by herself in order to save on bribes, especially given that guards will typically demand more after ascertaining that one has significant funds on them.
Regional variations notwithstanding, many parts of the Tumen River span 10 meters or more with deep waters and a swift current, making it difficult to cross on one’s own, particularly in the dark. In this case, the young victim would have likely looked for a more shallow, narrow area to cross but misjudged the power of the current in the dark and was swept away, a separate source in North Hamgyong Province familiar with the case reported to Daily NK.
“There are a lot households in Onsong County with one or more family members who travel to China for economic reasons, but as of yet, nobody has claimed the body as next of kin. Out of concern, people with daughters in China are asking about the situation to try to find out the victim’s identity,” she said.
