ROK Embassy in Bejing Halts Consular Service
2003-10-07
The South Korean Embassy in Beijing on Monday (Oct. 6) announced a temporary halt to all civil service activities such as visa issuance from Tuesday except for emergency cases due to a recent flood of North Korean defectors who have taken refuge at the embassy compound.
The embassy posted a letter at the entrance gate at 2 p.m. on Monday announcing the unprecedented decision to halt consular activities. Staff said the Korean consulate-generals in Shanghai, Qingdao and Shenyang will continue to operate normally.
The emergency measure was decided on after the embassy found it impossible to operate normally as some 100 North Korean defectors, twice the capacity of the consular section housing them, have taken up residence since September.
“The Chinese government has loosened up its guard outside the embassy since September, so the number doubled the normal,” a South Korean diplomat said.
Beijing is also slowing the interrogation process for the North Korean defectors, who usually waited one month before getting consent to leave the country for South Korea, he added.
“It's more like two to three months now,” the official said, adding that the South Korean government is consulting with China to find a solution.
“The South Korean consulate section is not capable of controlling the flood of North Koreans who enter the embassy grounds,” he added. “We have warned the Chinese side via diplomatic channels of the seriousness of the situation, but they paid no attention to it, forcing us to take the emergency move.”
On average one North Korean defector penetrates the heavily-guarded South Korean Embassy in Beijing per day to be given a way out to South Korea. Since May 23 last year, there have been more than 200 cases of such break-ins.
Source : www.korea.net
