By Kang Hyun-kyung
President Lee Myung-bak urged China Wednesday to handle North Korean defectors, who were caught by the authorities there after crossing the border, in accordance with international norms.
“If they are not criminals, it’s fair for China to deal with the defector issue based on international norms,” Lee said during a news conference held in Cheong Wa Dae to mark the fourth year of his presidency.
Lee said Seoul will keep working together with Beijing to resolve the issue.
President Lee’s call for China to act according to international rules on the North Korean defector issue is likely to further intensify tension in Seoul-Beijing relations.
South Korea and China showed sharp differences over the status of North Koreans having crossed the border for freedom.
China characterized the defectors as criminals who illegally crossed the border, arguing that they should be sent back to their home country.
But South Korea claimed North Korean defectors should not be repatriated to the communist country against their will.
About 80 North Korean defectors are reportedly being held in China after being caught there. They are at risk of being sent back to their home country where they are expected to suffer inhumane treatment and punishment.
On Tuesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said Seoul would address the defector issue at a meeting of the United Nations Human Rights Council slated for next week in Switzerland.
This is the first time for South Korea to raise the issue at the international meeting, an apparent move to pressure China.
Beijing is resistant to the move. Its foreign ministry said the defector issue is not something that can be discussed in the United Nations, reiterating its stance that the North Koreans are not refugees but criminals who illegally crossed the border.
China’s interpretation of these North Koreans’ status matters because if these people are characterized as refugees under international law, it is not supposed to send them back to the North against their will.
North Korea and China have a treaty to repatriate defectors. China’s repatriation of North Korean defectors created a stir internationally as witnesses speak up about the North’s inhumane treatment of them.
Touching on domestic issues, President Lee assailed the main opposition Democratic United Party (DUP) for its switch in positions on such major issues as the plan to construct a naval base on Jeju Island, the free trade agreement with the United States (KORUS FTA) and nuclear power plants.
Lee urged the main opposition party not to politicize these issues which are closely linked to the national interest.
The President said it was “extremely regrettable” to hear key DUP members change their positions on these issues to curry favor with voters ahead of the April 11 general election.
The former Roh Moo-hyun government decided to push for the naval base and the KORUS FTA as key members of the then government, including Han Myeong-sook — now the DUP leader — were convinced that they would serve the best interests of the nation, Lee said.
“It was the right decision,” Lee said.
Quoting key DUP members’ previous remarks on these issues, the President said their about-face won’t help the country.
Lee also countered some DUP members’ call to scrap plans to build nuclear reactors and their move to boycott the Seoul Nuclear Security Summit slated for March 26 and 27.
He said each household will need to pay an additional 860,000 won ($763) annually if the government suspends the plan to construct nuclear reactors.
Last week, the DUP joined forces with civic groups to boycott the Seoul Nuclear Summit.
Regarding the corruption scandals involving his relatives and aides, Lee stopped short of offering an apology. He said he was upset, had sleepless nights and blamed himself after hearing the news.
The DUP said Lee’s remarks on the corruption row were very disappointing as he didn’t apologize. It said citizens had expected him to offer a sincere apology over the corruption, but he didn’t.