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Three teenage North Korean refugees held by Lao authorities were released and arrived in South Korea on Thursday morning, diplomatic sources said. Choi Hyang, Choi Hyuk and Choi Hyang-mi, who crossed the North Korean border into China about five or six years ago, were caught by Lao border patrols in November 2006 while attempting to cross the Mekong River into Thailand. They were sentenced to three months in prison.
Their story made headlines when it emerged early this month that the North Korean embassy in Laos demanded they be sent back to the Stalinist country and the three lived in fear of deportation. At the time, they were still in the detention center despite serving their time.
They reportedly wanted to go to the U.S. in the first place.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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