Korean-Chinese activist recognized as refugee in Korea

A Seoul court has granted refugee status to a Korean-Chinese woman who fled China after helping North Korean defectors, citing the high possibility of persecution in her home country, court officials said Wednesday,

Reversing an earlier decision by Seoul's Justice Ministry to reject an application for refugee status, the Seoul Administrative Court has ruled in favor of the refugee seeker, identified only by her surname Lee.

The landmark ruling came as local courts rarely grant refugee status to ethnic Koreans with Chinese nationality, apparently fearing potential diplomatic tensions with China.

"It is highly likely that Lee will be politically opposed to the Chinese government's North Korea defector policy, which would constitute persecution for political opinion," the court said.

China, which does not acknowledge North Korean defectors within its borders, imposes punishment as severe as life imprisonment for those who assist North Koreans fleeing from their country.

Lee, who lived in a town near the North Korean-Chinese border, crossed over the Aprok River linking the two communist countries several times to help some 20 North Koreans defect between October 2010 and February 2011.

Last year, Chinese police raided Lee's house and she was fortunate enough to escape with her daughter. Lee, along with other defectors, attempted to enter South Korea through the West Sea before being caught by the local police.

Facing deportation, Lee applied for refugee status with the Ministry of Justice, arguing that she could not return to China for fear of political persecution.

But the ministry dismissed the request, citing that Lee's argument lacks credibility and she is not in immediate danger of facing harsh punishment.

"The court deemed that the Chinese government's 'legal' punishment against Korean-Chinese helping N. Korean defectors is too excessive," a judge at the court said. (Yonhap)