HELONG, China: After fleeing famine in North Korea, Kim Cheol Ok laid low in China for decades — until a doomed run for freedom got her sent back to her repressive homeland, her family says.
She is among hundreds of North Koreans repatriated by China in recent months, according to rights groups, which say they face imprisonment, torture and even execution back home.Kim Cheol Ok's family took the rare and risky decision of publicizing her case after she vanished last year.In a frantic farewell call, she 'said that she would be sent back to . . . North Korea in two hours, and hung up,' her sister Kim Kyu-li told Agence France-Presse.
She hoped her sister would then be able to travel to South Korea, which grants citizenship to North Koreans. From there, Kim Cheol Ok would join her in Britain. But no reunion ever took place.'Usually, when they enter , we get a call within a week from the broker saying that they've arrived safely,' said Kim Kyu-li.'But after 10 days, there was no news.
Koreans In China Vanish As Border Reopens
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