2023-10-24 08:53:12
South Korea’s military has intercepted a wooden boat with four suspected refugees from the neighboring country on the heavily guarded maritime border with North Korea. The military discovered and tracked the boat off the east coast with the coast guard, the General Staff in Seoul announced on Tuesday. The four occupants are probably North Koreans. Details were not initially given.
The South Korean news agency Yonhap reported, citing government circles, that those picked up had expressed their wish to be accepted into South Korea. They would be questioned by the military authorities and the secret service.
Attempts to escape by sea are rare
Before the corona pandemic and the subsequent border closure by North Korea, numerous North Koreans left their impoverished and authoritarian country every year in search of a better life. However, attempts to escape by sea were rare. Most fled across the border into China. Many of them later came to South Korea via detours.
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Last year, North Korea began to gradually reopen its borders. The number of North Korean refugees arriving in South Korea has also increased again since the beginning of the year. According to Defense Ministry figures, 139 North Koreans reached South Korea between January and September, Yonhap reported. The number has more than tripled compared to the previous year.
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