[News Today] “15 NK DEFECTORS DETAINED IN CHINA”

[LEAD]
Fifteen North Korean defectors, en route to South Korea from a border area between China and Southeast Asia, were detained by Chinese public security. The government is verifying the facts and stresses that forced repatriation is unacceptable.

[REPORT]
A group of people walk in shallow water late at night.

This footage was released by the North Korea human rights group North Korean People's Liberation Front.
It says the video shows North Korean defectors in China walking toward a border with Southeast Asia, and their final destination is South Korea.

The group says 15 defectors including those in the footage were detained by the Chinese authorities on Aug. 21 in Kunming, Yunnan Province, located near the border between China and Southeast Asia.

The North Korean People's Liberation Front says the detained defectors include 13 women and two teenagers.
Sometime on Aug. 10 they split into two groups before their journey for safety reasons.

They reunited in Kunming on the evening of Aug. 21 to board a speedboat bound for a third country in Southeast Asia.

A broker helping North Korean defectors sent a video showing them arrive safely at the riverside, but since then they've been out of reach.

Jang Se-yul / Head, North Korean People's Liberation Front
We were told they crossed the country and reached Kunming, where they reunited and walked to the riverside. But they were detained by public security officers.

Sources say the defectors were detained by public security authorities and sent forcibly to Jilin Province by train.

The South Korean government says it's trying to confirm facts and that it will take necessary measures if the defectors are found to have been repatriated by force.

Lee Jae-woong / Spokesperson, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The government believes North Korean defectors overseas must not be repatriated to the North against their will

As more and more North Koreans have been trying to defect since COVID-19 quarantine was lifted, China is ramping up defector detentions and repatriations.

Back in April, dozens of North Korean defectors in China were repatriated to the North.

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