18 N. Koreans attempt mass defection on New Year’s Day
Daily NK sources reported on Jan. 7 that 18 North Koreans were arrested and are currently under investigation for attempting to defect across the border into China on New Year’s Day.
The would-be defectors ostensibly believed that security at the border would be more lax than usual on New Year’s Day, Daily NK sources reported.
Ten people managed to cross over into China while eight were immediately captured by North Korean border guards. Even those who crossed into China ended up being arrested and sent back to North Korea by Chinese authorities cooperating with North Korean security officials.
Most of those who tried to defect were either related to each other or were friends, sources said.
The defection case was immediately reported to the central government because of the sheer number of people involved in the defection, sources told Daily NK.
The Ministry of People’s Security (MPS), North Korea’s law enforcement agency, has even sent an investigation team from Pyongyang to interrogate the North Koreans involved, sources said. ......
[Source: Daily NK]
