South Korean Unification Ministry said on Friday that a large number of North Koreans seem to have been repatriated from China. The comment comes following a report that around 600 North Koreans were sent back to their country by force.
"It appears to be true that many North Korean residents in three northeastern Chinese provinces have been repatriated. We cannot accurately confirm how many defectors, patients and criminals were included among them," ministry spokesperson Koo Byoung-sam shared during a press briefing.
He underscored that under no circumstances should North Korean defectors living abroad be repatriated against their own wishes, as there is always a possibility that they could fall victim to the regime.
