The Chosun Ilbo reported Monday that the Ministry of Unification is apparently planning to crack down on “planned defections” from North Korea:
The Unification Ministry said in material on North Korea policy that was distributed to participants in a unification advisory council meeting Monday morning that the government was devising measures to remove vital links in the chain facilitating planned defections.
The ministry delved into specifics by mentioning plans to strengthen entry screenings for defectors who reside overseas, reducing re-settlement funds for defectors and cracking down on “defection brokers,” including slapping travel bans on them.
The government has been saying that it opposed planned defections and had absolutely no intention of undermining the North Korean system by encouraging them, but this is the first time it has revealed concrete measures aimed at blocking them.
The government is concerned about people using defections to make “political statements,” apparently:
Commenting on this, a government official said there had been no changes in the government’s principle of accepting defectors, but premeditated defections carried out with political objectives rather than because of human rights abuses were on the rise, and there was also concern that such defections would cause diplomatic friction.
Now, let me state right away that it could very well be argued that given China’s attitude toward defections, making defections high-profile affairs might very well provoke a hardline Chinese response — as the Chinese Embassy here in Seoul apparently tried to convey to one Korean lawmaker, much to the chagrin of the Foreign Ministry — and, accordingly, hurt the cause of defectors in the end. Like I said, it could be argued. Unfortunately, that’s not what the Unification Ministry is thinking in this case. Actually, the ministry would prefer that North Koreans rot in Hell, as Joshua put it. Or to quote Unification Minister Chung Dong-young:
To speak once again of the defector issue, the government clearly opposes organized defections. For the people in the North to live their lives in the North with their families is necessary both for individuals and for co-existence and co-prosperity. The policies of reconciliation and cooperation call for humanitarian aid to the North along with strengthening of economic cooperation, and continuous pursuit of North Korea’s participation in the international community.
This policy is clearly diametrically opposed to any intention to absorb the North or make it collapse. To stress this clearly one more time, we don’t want North Korea to collapse. With this in mind, it is not desirable for anyone to organize defections, intentionally bringing people out of North Korea. In particular, this runs counter to the government’s policy of co-existence and co-prosperity.
Well, there you have it. At least he’s honest about it.
15 Comments
Allow me to be the first.
The shameful and strangely unnecessary asskissing carried this far.
Seoul has now agreed to persecute the ‘enemies’ of Pyongyang. Insane. We thought not supporting them was bad, lets watch Seoul persecute fellow Koreans who refuse to kiss Pig Jong-Il’s ass, as Ass-Kissing President Roh does every morning.
“For the people in the North to live their lives in the North with their families is necessary both for individuals and for co-existence and co-prosperity…
it is not desirable for anyone to organize defections, intentionally bringing people out of North Korea. In particular, this runs counter to the government?€™s policy of co-existence and co-prosperity.”
You appear to have a taste for irony, M; from what I’ve seen in reading these Korea oriented blogs, ROK is a rich mine for it. The particular language of this quote (your translation?) reminded me of the “Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere”, the common English-language translation of whatever the original Imperial Japanese term was for their proposed “area of influence” as a result of imperial foreign policy in the 1930’s & early 40’s.
Here’s a link with an English language translation of the imperial Japanese policy statement on the subject, dated 1 Aug 1940. http://www.worldfuturefund.org.....n-1940.htm
I’ve no idea who or what the “World Future Fund” (located in Alexandria VA) is; maybe the ROK should consider joining though, in the interest of further promotion of “co-prosperity”.
It would be interesting to know if the original Japanese term, compared to the current Korean term, has a similar root. (But I know nothing of oriental languages so maybe this is a pointless exercise). Maybe the written “characters” are the same (?)
This has SO little to do with “a grand unification strategy” and SO much more to do with Chung Dong Youngs bid for the next presidency. For the last few weeks his mug has been plastered ALL over the news. While others are working (or even suffering) he is grinning ear to ear in every shot.
This blows my mind the kind of crud coming out of the MoU. Basically to ask people “not to make waves” so that they can acheive some greater good (which has yet to truely been proven they can) while people are dying is really obsene.
Can we start calling this the Ministry of Anything-But-Unification yet? This clown has finally come clean and admitted it.
W and Condi please take note: South Korea is no longer an ally.
What is next for the South Korean govenment. The North Korean Fugitive (slave) law?
So, the Unification Ministry’s policy is that family reunions are OK, as long as they’re temporary.
Protest Against China’s Repatriation of North Korean Refugees
Tomorrow is the day. Eleven a.m. is the time (2:30 p.m. in L.A.). China’s repatriation of North Korean refugees, a shameless violation of the 1951 U.N. Convention on Refugees, is the issue, and the deportations have only accelerated in…
I laugh at your puny attempts at wit.
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