Why No Reports on NK Refugee Rescue Activities
Last month, the United Nations announced the appointment of Elizabeth Salmon as the new UN special rapporteur for North Korean human rights. This signifies official recognition that the North Korean human rights issue has not yet been resolved. Further, many of those familiar with the situation feel that conditions have actually worsened for the people of North Korea.
According to an article in JB Press (Japan Business Press) dated Nov. 30 2021, information from the ROK Ministry of Unification indicates that only 49 North Korean defectors had entered South Korea as of September last year. This marks a dramatic reduction in numbers, and it stands in stark contrast to the peak of about 3,000 defectors who earlier reached South Korea in a single year.
This reduction appears to be primarily a result of North Korea’s complete border closure, since January 23, 2020, as a quarantine measure to combat the corona pandemic. Kim Jong-un ordered barbed wire and concrete walls to be set up blocking access to the Tumen River and the Yalu River. These two rivers flow along the China-North Korean border. Also installed were 5G communications network monitors in response to the current corona emergency quarantine martial law period. The stated goal is “zero defectors.”
Thus, there is now virtually no opportunity for North Koreans to escape to free countries, such as South Korea or Japan.
In addition to the fences and walls blocking the border, the North Korean government has enacted severe internal restrictions on the movement of residents.
Also according to the JB Press article, most of the 49 people mentioned above, who successfully reached safety in South Korea are refugees, defectors who had escaped earlier and had been living in hiding in China for an extended time. A few cases were individuals who had married and established families with Chinese citizens.
Even if the occasional very lucky North Korean manages to escape from the prison-like country, they will inevitably face at least four major hurdles. First, they would have to clear the barbed wire fence and monitors on the North Korean side. Then there is another barbed wire fence on China’s side, which allegedly carries high-voltage current. And of course, both fences are watched by armed border guards. If that is not enough, there is also surveillance by the Chinese public security forces.
In addition, even if they should manage to find their way through all the above, there is the final difficulty of escaping the clutches of human trafficking gangs before they can cross the border from China into a neighboring country, such as Vietnam or Laos.
The above helps explain why it has been almost two years since LFNKR has received a request for rescue from any North Korean defector.
LFNKR’s activities now are centering primarily around domestic public awareness activities, including the screening of NK refugee films and seminars. They help us focus the public’s attention on the difficulties North Koreans face.