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Two North Korean defectors who were on their way to apply for asylum in the U.S. have been arrested and are now under surveillance in a third country. Kim Yong, a former North Korean defector, had said that 35-year-old Chung Sung-il and 42-year-old Chang Sun-young would arrive in Los Angeles and apply for political asylum. In a phone call with the Yonhap news agency on Thursday night (local time), however, Kim said that Chung and Chang had been arrested at Ulaan Baatar Airport on Friday morning.
Kim added that although their plan to fly to Los Angeles had failed, they still had forged South Korean passports and the South Korean Embassy had requested that the pair be allowed to fly to Korea. There is a possibility that the North Koreans might end up going to Seoul.
Kim, who himself fled to the U.S. while working as a lieutenant in the North's intelligence agency, had previously said that the two planned to arrive at the Los Angeles International Airport via Japan and Germany.
Chung is a doctor who worked at a mining clinic in South Hamgyeong Province, North Korea and Chang is the sister of celebrated North Korean actress Chang Sun-hee and wife of a senior official working for a state-run trading firm. Chang is believed to know a lot about the family of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.
The two defectors had planned to arrive at Incheon Airport on Friday at 4:00 and leave for the U.S. at 8:00 on Korean Air to arrive at Los Angeles Tom Bradley International Terminal at 3:30 (local time).
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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