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CNN Live Today

Group of North Koreans Find Asylum in Seoul

Aired March 18, 2002 - 14:42   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Twenty-five North Korean asylum-seekers are now safely in Seoul, South Korea. That arrival comes four days after they stormed the Spanish embassy in Beijing, China. Some amazing videotape as seen exclusively here on CNN last week. Sohn Jie-Ae now has more on what's happening with this group from South Korea.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SOHN JIE-AE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was a joyous arrival for the 25 North Korean asylum-seekers, having reached their long-awaited destination, South Korea.

LEE SUNG, NORTH KOREAN DEFECTOR (through translator): We heard about how well-off South Korea was compared to North Korea.

JIE-AE: "I want to make my dreams come true and live in freedom," said 16-year-old Kim Yang, sounding like an average teenager.

After storming into the Spanish embassy in Beijing, the group of six families and two orphans were expelled to the Philippines, where they spent the weekend before heading to Seoul. Seoul authorities said the group would be given a medical check-up, then taken to a safe house for lengthy questioning on how and why they fled North Korea.

"Let's recognize these North Koreans as refugees," demanded a human rights group that held a small protest outside the airport where the North Korean group arrived. A German doctor, who took part in getting the North Koreans out of China, was at one time chased around by Seoul police as he tried to meet the arriving group and criticized the Seoul government's approach.

NORBERT VOLLERSTEN, DOCTOR (through translator): The more media there is, the more they are secure, in China and in North Korea. But when the international media, like today, is not allowed to cover it, they are unsecure. So I can accuse the South Korean government, with their reluctant message to keep away the foreign journalists, they are a life risk.

JIE-AE: The Seoul government has come under fire for taking an overly low-keyed approach to getting China to recognize the North Koreans as refugees. Thousands, possibly tens of thousands of North Koreans, are said to be in China, fleeing economic hardship. (on camera): The plight of these North Koreans is over and they are now safely in the south. But a more fundamental solution to the many more who are expected to try to follow their footsteps is still far off. Sohn Jie-Ae, CNN, Incheon, South Korea.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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