DATE=12/7/1999
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=KOREA-REFUGEES (L-O)
NUMBER=2-256912
BYLINE=STEPHANIE HO
DATELINE=BEIJING
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: North and South Korea have differing accounts of the
situation on the North's border with China. V-O-A's
Stephanie Ho reports from Beijing, North Korea denies
reports its citizens are flooding into China to escape
famine.
TEXT: At a rare news conference Tuesday, Pyongyang's
ambassador to China, Chu Chang Jun, said no North Korean
refugees have illegally fled into China.
// CHU KOREAN AND INTERPRETER ACT //
There is no person who came over the borders.
// END ACT //
In the last few days, ambassadors from both Korea's have
talked to foreign journalists in Beijing about the refugee
question. The South Korean ambassador to China, Kwon Byong-
Hyun, told reporters Friday he believes tens of thousands of
starving North Koreans have fled across the border. But Mr.
Chu takes issue with that statement.
// CHU KOREAN AND INTERPRETER ACT //
I'm not clear about the words which were said by the South
Korean ambassador, but he said only the slandering words
towards our country.
// END ACT //
North Korea has suffered from severe famine the past several
years.
South Korea estimates up to 30-thousand North Koreans have
fled widespread food shortages back home and illegally
crossed the border into China. But Seoul's ambassador Kwon
says he thinks the peak outflow of refugees from the famine-
stricken North is now past.
// KWON ACT //
When the famine situation in North Korea culminated back in
1997, the number has been the most. But the last year, we
have the information that the North Korea has had some
better harvest and that, naturally, makes less people to
cross the border.
// END ACT //
The South Korean official says Chinese authorities treat
most starving North Koreans in a humanitarian way. But he
adds that many are still deported because of border
agreements between Beijing and Pyongyang.
// KWON ACT //
(Because of )Some situations which they (Chinese government)
cannot control, they have to repatriate some of them to the
country they originated from.
// END ACT //
Some international aid groups estimate that even more than
30-thousand people have made the harrowing escape across
North Korea's river border with China. Aid workers quote
these people as saying say they must lie low or risk being
sent back to North Korea to face possible execution.
China has quietly been shipping corn and other food aid to
help North Korea cope with years of grain shortages, but
officially denies any influx of refugees from its old
communist ally. (signed)
NEB/HO/FC
07-Dec-1999 05:20 AM EDT (07-Dec-1999 1020 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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