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The Korean embassy in China said that six North Korean defectors broke into a German school in Beijing at about 5:20 Tuesday morning, but one of them was ousted from the school premises because the German embassy was unable to confirm his identity.
The ousted defector was Yoon Woong-ju (34, pseudonym), who once entered the school last February and was refused entry into South Korea as a defector when his identity could not be confirmed by the South Korean consul during an interview.
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North Korean refugees who broke into a German school in Beijing, are seen seeking asylum after scaling the wall early on Tuesday./AP
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According to an official with an NGO that helps North Korean defectors, Yoon returned to his North Korean home after being ousted from the German school last February and prepared identification cards and photos to prove his identity before he tried to made his way into the school again Tuesday.
The South Korean Embassy said, ¡°When he broke into the school last time, it was impossible to confirm his identity because his statements were unclear. But if he was forced to leave by the German Embassy this time as he claims, we will have to ask the German Embassy to explain the details.¡± Yoon made his way into the German school, which is five minutes away from the Korean embassy by car, with five other defectors Tuesday morning, but at around 8 a.m. -- about three hours after his entrance -- he was driven out by the German embassy. It is learned that he is now hiding from Chinese police.
The German school in Beijing houses the official residence for embassy workers, so it customarily has authority to grant refugees the right to diplomatic protection. For that reason, North Korean defectors have tried to seek refuge there more than 10 times so far, and some of them, upon the confirmation of their identity, could head to Seoul via a third country.
Meanwhile, a government official said Tuesday that Lee Jong-hyuk, vice-chairman of Pyongyang¡¯s Asia Pacific Peace Committee, will visit Seoul with another 10 scholars to attend an international conference held jointly by the Institute for Korea Unification Studies at Yonsei University and Kim Dae-jung Library to celebrate the 4th anniversary of the June 15 Joint Declaration.
Lee, a son of novelist Lee Ki-young, who defected to the North during the Korean War, is involved in economic, social and cultural cooperation at the private level between North and South.
(Yeo Si-dong, sdyeo@chosun.com )
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