January 06, 2015 10:27
Chinese police late last month shot a North Korean deserter who had killed four people in a Chinese village near the border, according to a source on Monday.
The gun-wielding man sneaked into a village in Helong, Jilin Province around Dec. 27. He robbed homes and ran away after killing four residents. Another local was seriously wounded, the source said.
He was shot and arrested by Chinese troopers and police after a manhunt and taken to hospital but later died of his injuries.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said, "We've lodged a protest with the North and Chinese authorities are dealing with the issue according to the law."
Since food shortage worsened in the North, several North Korean soldiers and civilians have crossed the border to steal food or valuables from Chinese farms, sometimes committing violent crimes.
In a bid to keep locals safe from North Korean deserters, Chinese authorities in 2012 supplied rural residents with some 600 mobile phones with a pre-set emergency speed-dial to report crimes.
- Copyright © Chosunilbo & Chosun.com