By Jung Sung-ki
South Korea's military plans to construct refugee camps should internal turmoil in North Korea result in a massive influx of North Koreans here, a lawmaker revealed Tuesday.
The plan is part of comprehensive contingency measures drawn up by the Ministry of National Defense, said Rep. Kim Ock-lee of the ruling Grand National Party, citing a report from the ministry.
“If a massive exodus of North Korean refugees takes place, a systematic response will be carried out under the control of South Korean government organizations,” Kim said, quoting the report. “For a scenario where a large number of North Korean refugees flee toward the South, the military is preparing a plan to set up temporary camps to accommodate, protect and safely hand them over to government organizations.”
Without offering details, the ministry's report also said it is ready for "all possible" contingencies on North Korea.
About 215,000 North Koreans would flee to the South by sea or land if there was instability in the North, the lawmaker claimed, citing estimates given by some scholars.
Since the 1950-53 Korean War, some 20,000 North Koreans have defected to South Korea mostly via China. There were 2,018 in 2006, 2,544 in 2007, 2,809 in 2008 and 2,927 in 2009, according to government data.
South Korean and U.S. officials have warned of possible instability as North Korea's ailing leader Kim Jong-il is apparently taking steps to transfer authority to his youngest son, Kim Jong-un.
The junior Kim, who is believed to be no older than 28, became a four-star general at a rare conference of the regime’s ruling Workers’ Party last month. He was also given a high-ranking position on the Central Military Commission led by his father.
He was put under the international media spotlight Sunday when he reviewed a massive military parade in Pyongyang with his 68-year-old father to mark the 65th anniversary of the Workers' Party.