Tough stand on refugees fuels anger in Seoul

IN THE LEAFY, tranquil diplomatic section of Sanlitun district in Beijing, the South Korean Consulate is so heavily fortified that it looks like a fortress under siege.

Barbed wire protects the walls of the building, which is located separately from the embassy, while at the main gate hawk-eyed police keep a constant look out for North Koreans attempting to seek political asylum.

It is an amazing testimony to their courage and resourcefulness that despite these tight measures, dozens of North Koreans have managed to penetrate the consulate or the nearby embassy compounds in recent months. When they are not gate-crashing by pushing aside the guards, they slip in with forged passports.

Today, other nations' embassies in Beijing - even consulates in Shenyang - are worried that they may be the next target.

Twelve North Korean men and women are taking refuge in the South Korean Consulate in Beijing, having entered in recent days, waiting for clearance from the Chinese government to travel to Seoul via Manila or Bangkok. They are sent to South Korea by way of a third country to save face for China and the North Korean regime.

Last month, 24 refugees departed after a four-week standoff with the Chinese Foreign Ministry, which had unsuccessfully insisted they should be handed over for deportation to North Korea. In another case in March, a group of 25 North Koreans left Beijing after storming the Spanish Embassy.

A Korean-American Protestant minister, Reverend Douglas Shin, works for a missionary group called Durihana, which helps North Korean refugees escape through China. He said: 'No amount of barriers can stop people determined to escape from hunger and repression.'