9 North Koreans Stormed S. Korean Consulate In Beijing

As Cup fever sweeps across the world, nine North Korean defectors, including a 5-member family, whisked themselves into S. Korean Consulate in Beijing, China on June 11 in the latest of a string of asylum-seeking attempts.

Tuesday`s bid brought the total number of North Koreans holed up in the diplomatic compound to 17, and this could strain the Korean-Sino relationship over handling of North defectors. "We will soon start negotiations with Beijing so that those asylum seekers depart for South Korea as they wish," said a government official.

The Chinese government, however, is known to strongly demand the defectors be handed over to the local authorities. "The Chinese government now believes that international non-governmental organizations are behind the spate of asylum attempts," a diplomatic source said, "therefore, the negotiations could be prolonged, damaging the relationship between the two countries."

S. Korean Embassy to China said on the day that a group of North Korean asylum seekers, 6 men and 3 women including 5 members of the Kohs, jumped the consulate gates and entered the building at 8.35 a.m. in the morning.

They are known to be a man identified as Koh, his wife (54), daughter (17), son (14) and niece (22), along with Hwang (48), Choi (39), Kim (37) and another Kim (34).

Earlier on the 8th, two North Korean men stormed into Canadian Embassy in Beijing to take refuge. Now, total 19 North Korean defectors are taking refuge at foreign diplomatic missions. Meanwhile, according to Canadian diplomatic sources, China is "delaying negotiations to prevent a large number of North Korean defectors dashing into foreign compounds during the soccer World Cup."

Young-Sik Kim yshwang@donga.com spear@donga.com