The North Korean International Documentation Project (NKIDP) based at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars recently released a report entitled, ‘Explaining North Korean Migration to China.’ The report gives a brief overview of the history of Chinese/North Korean migration before providing documentation from between 1957 and 1970 obtained from Chinese archives which shows the internal discussion between Chinese figures and ministries over what should be done with the North Korean migrants. The 11 documents obtained also show internal dialogue on what should be done with Chinese citizens migrating to North Korea.
Document 1 dates to the 17th of December, 1957. The document, sent from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the Chinese Embassy in North Korea as well as to Public Security Offices in three provinces, lays out exactly how to handle illegal border crossers from North Korea and from China. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs decided that legal border crossers on both sides of the border should be treated with leniency. It shows that the Chinese side would allow some to stay if they did not want to be repatriated.
Document 2 focuses on marriages between Chinese and Koreans. Published in 1958, the document outlines Chinese plans to work with the North Korean regime in order to strictly monitor Chinese/Korean marriages. It also states the need for military personnel and government cadres to receive education on the subject. Dissuasion of international marriage is a key Chinese policy and all military personnel are banned from marrying foreigners according to the document. All in all, the policies are designed to put barriers in the way of international marriage.
Document 3 is a telegram to the Chinese embassy in North Korea. Its focus is on ethnic Koreans illegally crossing into North Korea. The telegram is from May 1961. Earlier that year, 4,701 people attempted to cross the border between January and April. 3,381 were successful. Most of the people crossing were doing so because of the economic hardships facing China at that time. The telegram states this is because the border-crossers do not understand the hardships and that ideological education programs have been unsuccessful. The North Koreans have not repatriated the border-crossers despite the agreement with the Chinese to do so. Instead, the regime is allowing them to settle with payments of money and grain to help them settle. It instructs the recipients at the embassy to work with the North Korean regime and with the individual border-crosses to resolve the problem.
Document 4 comes from the Ministry of Public Security. It dates from May 1961. It urges police divisions in border regions to pay attention to the issue of Chinese people moving to North Korea. It resolves to work with border-crossers to resolve their hardships in order to encourage them to return to China. The document includes an attachment of a report conducted into the reasons why Chinese citizens are crossing to North Korea. Most of the reasons center on a lack of food and the harsh living conditions in China. It states all the attempts to educate the Chinese citizens with ideological retraining.
The Ministry of Public Security is the creator of document 5. This document, from the 10th of May, 1961, focuses on the ethnic Korean border-crossers. The document is just a summary of document 3.
23rd of March, 1962 is the date on the 6th document. The document was published by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and of Public Security. The document is instructions on the issue of ethnic Korean border-crossers. The North Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs informed with the Chinese Ambassador. He informed him that the Chinese border-crossers were unwilling to return. Therefore, the regime would work on settling the border-crossers. However, most of them were having difficulties in settling. The Minister of Foreign Affairs stated that he would work with the Chinese authorities to come to an agreement. Some families left behind in China had been permitted by the Chinese authorities to join their family members in North Korea. The report outlines the scale of the number of Chinese border-crossers and what happened with them. It concludes with how the Chinese will deal with the relevant North Korean ministries.
Document 7 is a response from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and of Public Security to the Chinese Embassy in North Korea. Dated the 24th of March, 1962, it states that the Chinese government has still been unable to resolve the issues that led to Chinese citizens moving to North Korea. It outlines the three ways it will tackle the problem: completing their work, increasing production, and improving the lives of ethnic Koreans. The Chinese government state that if Chinese citizens are settled in North Korea that the North Koreans do not have to repatriate them if they want to stay. The document concludes with the idea that the Chinese can cooperate with the North Koreans to make border crossing legal.
Document 8 comes straight from the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Committee. Published in 1963, the document begins by affirming the strong relationship between the CCP and the Korean Worker’s Party. The CCP state that if North Koreans want to live in China and Chinese want to live in North Korea then there should be allowances if those people are contributing to the development of the country or have special relations with the country.
Document 9 from 1963 is a situation report on the Sino-Korean border region and permits for border-crossers. The issuance of one kind of border permit that is valid only within border regions is the focus of the document. Chinese applicants for the permit must be invited by North Korean residents or Chinese commune members. North Koreans will have to provide letters of introduction from relevant departments.
Document 10 is concerned with national security and social order in border regions. Members of the Chinese Ministry of Public Security met with the North Korean Social Safety Ministry to discuss mutual cooperation on border issues. The document featured is a resultant written agreement between both countries. Both sides agreed to cooperate to help prevent social unrest and assist in environmental disasters. They will also work together to stop theft and disease as well as to notify the other if corpses are found in border regions. The second article dictates that both sides will cooperate in the building of border guard posts along the border area. They agree to notify each other of any related problems. The rest of the document lays out how the border crossings will operate and at what times as well as the respective tasks of each government.
Document 11 comes from the State Council. It focuses on how to deal with the Korean nationals’ issue. It is related to the discrimination and victimization experience by the Korean-Chinese. Although the document states that the Koreans should not be discriminated against and should be treated fairly, it goes on to state that Koreans should not be allowed to participate in political activity. The key point relating to future treatment of border crossers is when the document states that all Korean nationals are to be denied the right to travel to capitalistic countries.
