05/27(Mon) 16:10

Fate of Three North Koreans in Limbo

The handling of three North Koreans, who sought asylum in the South Korean consulate in Beijing last week, is proving to be a difficult diplomatic task for China and South Korea. In what marked the first confirmed case of North Koreans making asylum bids in the South Korean mission; one by a man last Thursday, and then another by a married couple the next day; a resolution appears to be elusive as South Korean and Chinese officials remain locked in a debate over their fate.

Seoul is calling on Beijing to deal with the issue on a humanitarian basis and have them sent directly to South Korea without having to pass through a third country. However, that's becoming a sensitive issue for the two countries in light of Beijing's concerns over possible deterioration in its relations with North Korea, as Seoul attempts to balance its human rights concerns amid a delicate diplomacy agenda with Pyeongyang.

(Arirang TV)