National Assembly adopts resolution urging China not to repatriate NK refugees

The parliamentary chamber during a plenary session at the National Assembly in Seoul is shown in this June 30 file photo. Yonhap

The National Assembly on Thursday adopted a resolution urging China to stop sending North Koreans back to their country.

The resolution, which passed with support from 253 out of 260 lawmakers in attendance with seven abstentions, also calls for China to recognize North Koreans in the country as refugees and allow them to move to South Korea or other countries.

It also urges the South Korean government and international organizations to step up efforts to prevent such forced repatriations.

The Assembly also passed a motion extending the deployment of a South Korean military contingent in the United Arab Emirates, also known as the Akh unit, and the Cheonghae Unit, dispatched in the Gulf of Aden, until the end of 2024. (Yonhap)