Four North Koreans Defect to Japan by Boat
by Richardson ~ June 2nd, 2007. Filed under: Defectors & Refugees. 
Update 2: The North Korean parents and two sons who defected boat want to live in South Korea and will be sent there. They avoided going directly to South Korea due to tight security and opted to head to, “Niigata, where the [NK ship] Man Gyong Bong-92 often visited.” As Peter Pan translates in comments, the younger son in his 20s caught octopus for a living and had a license to operate a boat, while the parents were unemployed. This answers the questions about access to a boat (yes) and elite status (no). The boat was also in rough condition – the photo to the right is the actual boat. They were at sea since 27 May, or four days.
On a side note, this is interesting:
“The state isn’t obliged to find accommodation for them,” a senior [Japanese justice] ministry official said. “But considering the situation they’re in, it would be too difficult for them to find a place to stay on their own.”
As Japan is a signatory of the 1951 United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and the 1967 protocol (PDF), they likely are in fact obligated to help these North Koreans in the short-term.
Update: Commenter Peter Pan left this update (I’ve abbreviated it), translated from Japanese:
The Japanese and South Korean governments have agreed in principal to send the 4 refugees to South Korea. . . they are in fact a family. The four say that they “had originally intended to go to South Korea but determined that it would be very well protected and difficult to get to. Although we have no friends or relatives in Japan, we decided to at least head for the port that Mangyongbong used to go back and forth to in Nigata.”
Original post: The four North Korean defectors were apparently well prepared, with poison for suicide if they should be caught by DPRK security, and a spare engine for their 26’ boat. As an example, the photo to the right shows a 26’ boat.
My primary question is why they went to Japan and not South Korea? The ended up at Fukaura port facing the Sea of Japan in Aomori prefecture, so perhaps they were simply shooting directly away from North Korea’s west coast and didn’t want to chance being detected by then heading south, where North Korea is apt to have more surveillance. We’ll see.
The four, a couple in their 60s and their two sons in their 20s and 30s, told police they left North Korea because life was so hard there, Japanese public broadcaster NHK said.
Japanese authorities had been questioning the four on the assumption they were seeking asylum, media reports said.
If they were refugees, it would be the first time that North Koreans had fled to Japan and sought asylum directly, and could further strain ties between Tokyo and Pyongyang if North Korea demanded their return.
[. . .]
Japan only grants refugee status to a limited number of people each year, but a 2006 “North Korean human rights” law stipulates that the Japanese government take measures to protect and support defectors from North Korea.
Kyodo said the four spoke Korean and told police they had left from near the North Korea-China border about six days ago.
They were carrying bottles that they said contained poison, suggesting they were ready to die if caught by North Korean authorities, NHK said.
[. . .]
The boat, 8 meters (26 ft) long and fitted with a modified engine and also carrying a spare engine, arrived in port soon after 4 a.m. on Saturday, NHK said.
[. . .]
North Korean defectors have in the past fled to Japanese institutions in China, but all sought asylum in third countries.
June 2nd, 2007 at 4:22 pm
Wow…. good for them.
They must have loaded a good amount of fuel on that small boat to travel that far.
Blessings to their new life.
June 2nd, 2007 at 6:46 pm
I used to go diving off of 20′ and 22′ Boston Whalers with twin 70 HP engines, and they took a good bit of gas for relatively not that many miles. I don’t imagine the engine (or spare) they had was very big(?), but it must have taken considerable resources for them to scrounge together a) the boat, b) the extra engine, and c) enough fuel. And the thought of being out in open ocean for long in a craft that small – not good.
Like you, glad they made it, and hope to hear more of the story soon.
June 3rd, 2007 at 12:41 am
How does anti-Japanese propaganda compare to anti-S. Korean propaganda compare in N. Korea? Perhaps they chose Japan as the lesser of two evils. A lot of refugees are found when they enter Japanese schools or embassies in China or various South East Asian countries; there must be some kind of draw to Japan. However I can’t imagine Japan’s record of not wanting anything to do with refugees can be all that attractive.
June 3rd, 2007 at 7:58 am
I have to say that this is one of the more amazing defections considering they were able to first get their hands on a boat, avoid security, and then go across the Sea of Japan which is no small feat. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.
June 3rd, 2007 at 8:00 am
“I have to say that this is one of the more amazing defections considering they were able to first get their hands on a boat, avoid security, and then go across the Sea of Japan which is no small feat. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.”
I am also wondering how they got thier hands on an extra engine and fuel… that amazes me.
Either way, I am happy they had the guts to do something that extrreme, but then again, the DPRK is all about extremes.
Extreme poverty, dictatorship, famine, gulags…
June 3rd, 2007 at 8:08 am
[…] can read more over at DPRK Studies where a map of the approximate route of the defectors is posted. Just by […]
June 3rd, 2007 at 8:43 am
The surprise you folks pointed out makes me wonder about what position were these defectors hodling back home. Hope we’ll soon know more!
June 3rd, 2007 at 8:56 am
I think the defectors made the right choice and wish them well in their new lives.
June 3rd, 2007 at 11:18 am
Peter Pan;
Anti-Japanese propaganda and sentiment has always been more virulent than that reserved for South Korea; Japan enslaved the entire country and proceeded to rape both its resources and later its women, while the ROK is merely the capitalist lackey of the U.S. imperialists. The U.S., like in much of the ME, is the Great(est) Satan in the official view of North Korea.
Gregor Samsa;
Good point, it could be that the family was of an elite status and therefore was able to use those resources to obtain what they needed to escape. On the other hand, they could be fishermen along the coast that had access to the state owned boats and fuel and simply took them at an opportune time.
I’ve been checking the wires but nothing new on this yet. It’s possible that these defectors, at least the couple in their 60s, had lived in Japan and emigrated to North Korea, as many ethnic Koreans did in the 1960s and 1970s, and therefore knew that the propaganda was false.
June 3rd, 2007 at 11:37 am
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/politics/news/20070603it12.htm?from=top
In summarized translation…
—–
The Japanese and South Korean governments have agreed in principal to send the 4 refugees to South Korea.
Abe said, “Japan is a country that protects freedoms, and respects human rights. We will protect and act with respect to their human rights” expressing that Japan will not be sending these 4 back to North Korea.
The Japanese government is going to grant them ‘Special Protection’ status which will allow for them to stay in Japan for 6 months. It usually takes about 1-2 weeks to process the applications for such status. After that is completed, the formal process of sending them to South Korea will be started as soon as possible.
The local Aomori police investigated the four and determined that they are in fact a family. The four say that they “had originally intended to go to South Korea but determined that it would be very well protected and difficult to get to. Although we have no friends or relatives in Japan, we decided to at least head for the port that Mangyongbong used to go back and forth to in Nigata.”
—–
Since they don’t know anyone in Japan, it’s probably safe to say that they aren’t former Zainichi. Anyways, that article is there for what it’s worth.
June 3rd, 2007 at 11:43 am
…..
http://www.asahi.com/international/update/0603/TKY200706030064.html
It’s kind of interesting that the Asahi article on the topic dedicates half the article to topics such as:
1) There as been no progress in the talks with getting North Korea to actually follow through with it’s promises.
2) Japan and S. Korea are meeting to talk about their EZZ issues
3) Japan and S. Korea will be having the second joint history research meeting.
Not really sure that’s relevant, but Asahi is the second largest paper in Japan, so I figured I’d share what both are saying about the 4 defectors.
June 3rd, 2007 at 1:54 pm
Well, somebody is going to take them because if they do send them back especially with this level of press, it will look pretty bad in the international community. Yes, North Koreans are sent back on a regular basis, but perhaps these defectors will pave the way to figure something out before the big collapse and there is a refugee crisis. And as well know, that’s what’s going to happen if other countries are not prepared for such an event.
June 3rd, 2007 at 2:03 pm
I think there is a zero percent chance of Japan sending back defectors that don’t want to go back. If it’d been some drunk guys in a boat who accidentally went to Japan and wanted to go back, I’m sure they’d let them, but in this case, no one will force the 4 to go back.
June 3rd, 2007 at 2:43 pm
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/national/news/20070603icw5.htm
The father in his late 50’s and mother in her early 60’s were both unemployed. The older son in his 30’s was a student at a technical school. The only source of income was the younger son in his late 20’s who worked catching octopus. [The would probably explain their access to the boat, and fuel to get it all the way to Japan.]
“I had a license to operate a boat, so I worked hard and purchased one.” The boat was only 7 meters long, and was in such bad shape that although it had no paint, it did have holes.
There life in N. K was very difficult. They left on May 27th.
Shorty after leaving in for with almost zero viability, there were caught up in rough waters for 4 days to the point that they couldn’t eat, or even talk to each other.
There were first sighted by a fisherman. They repeatedly said to him, “nigata, nigata”. He responded, “no, this is Aomori” but they didn’t seam to understand.
Doctors have been keeping an eye on them and they seem to be free of health problems.
June 4th, 2007 at 1:30 am
Dear Richardson,
“Japan enslaved the entire country and proceeded to rape both its resources and later its women,”
I think you are just advocating North/South propaganda right there. History is not black and white as you portray if you really study.
June 4th, 2007 at 1:54 am
Dear Richardson,
Please allow me to share some thoughts.
According to yesterday’s article from Chosun Ilbo,
http://www.chosunonline.com/article/20070603000014
http://www.chosunonline.com/article/20070603000015
http://www.chosunonline.com/article/20070603000016
Korean professor 이영훈 thinks your claim “enslaved the entire country” entirely baseless and shows nothing but arrogance. He claim those view became a commercialized nationalism in South Korea. Are you sticking to the ol’ Korean commercialized nationalism?
June 4th, 2007 at 6:59 am
Toru;
My comment in #8 was in response to the question in #3. If you will read that as well as from the beginning of what I wrote in #8:
You will see that you have taken me out of the obvious context; I was in fact describing anti-Japanese propaganda in North Korea.
Also, I don’t read Japanese so posting links to those sites w/o translating – as commenter Peter Pan has done above – is not a good way to communicate a point here, generally.
Having said that, I do believe what Japan did to Korea during the colonial period was wrong, but that is not something I normally blog about or care to.
June 4th, 2007 at 7:34 am
More news
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/national/news/20070604i103.htm
The late-20’s younger son had a minute stash of drugs on him. He claims, “it was for my own use.”
The police do not suspect that he was intending to deal the drugs, and do not suspect he will try and run, so they have opted not to have a forced inspection and are discussing charging him with possession.
The police are more concerned with what their position in society was where they were able to get such drugs. This is compounded with concerns about how he got his hands on an engine, something that is said to be very difficult to get in North Korea [after the last person drifted into SK, wasn’t there are order limiting all NK boats to be only man powered??]
Japan has long been suspicious of NK producing drugs to sell in Japan for funds, and just this March it was announced that there are suspected to be at least 3 secret drug factories in North Korea.
—
Japan has very strict laws on drugs. This could be problematic. I think just possession alone carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. Japanese laws are harder to get around based on special circumstances than American laws because in Japan they use a 成文法主義 like France and Germany instead of 不文法主義 like England and America. (I don’t have much legal experience in English and can’t think of the English translations of those words right now. Perhaps someone else will know better than me — the point is if it’s written down, that’s the way it is end of discussion in Japan — so if he has drugs, he’s got to face the courts for possession.)
June 4th, 2007 at 1:47 pm
On the drug issue, via Kyodo:
http://home.kyodo.co.jp/modules/fstStory/index.php?storyid=318496
June 5th, 2007 at 2:46 pm
[…] Richardson, Anton, bodhi • The Two Year Mark 5 bodhi, Richardson, Sonagi […] • Four North Koreans Defect to Japan by Boat 18 Richardson, Peter Pan, Richardson […] • 27 Years ago today: Kwangju […]
June 6th, 2007 at 5:33 am
Hey,
I’ve recently started visiting this site and thought I’d let you all know who I am since you seem to be a tight group.
I’m an American studying for my MA in Tokyo in Peace and Conflict writing my thesis on…you guessed it…North Korea.
I’d like to participate more in your website and talk with and learn more from you guys. Good work.
June 6th, 2007 at 5:37 am
BTW
What Peter Pan mentioned earlier, what he couldn’t remember the English for, I’d like to translate:
成文法主義 - guilty unless proven otherwise
不文法主義 - innocent until proven guilty
June 6th, 2007 at 7:57 am
okonomiyaki
No, that’s not what they mean.
成文法主義 means all laws are written and decided in advance and then applied in the courts
不文法主義 means laws are decided based on past court decisions; when a court decides something it becomes a law
The question is how do you say that in one simple word in English without having to explain it. Other than German/French system vs British/American system.
June 6th, 2007 at 8:25 am
I believe the first is “Civil Law,” while the second is “Common Law.”
June 6th, 2007 at 8:55 am
Yea, that’s the one, thanks. The English wiki entry for those takes me to a Japanese entry that has the right Japanese in it, but if I just go to the Japanese wiki entries for those words there is no English article.
Thanks…
But either way, it looks as though they plan on somehow making an ‘exception’.