By Ryu Jin
Staff Reporter


The Chinese Embassy in Seoul allegedly made a phone call to a local opposition lawmaker, who took it as a ``warning’’ against his campaigning to help North Korean refugees in China, an aide to the legislator claimed Monday. Comments from the embassy have been unavailable.

A councilor of the Chinese Embassy called the office of Rep. Hwang Woo-yea of the Grand National Party last Thursday to complain about his involvement in a drive aimed at urging Beijing not to repatriate North Koreans in its custody to their communist homeland, according to the aide who took the call.

On Thursday 22 non-governmental organizations assisting North Korean refugees launched a coalition. Hwang assumed co-chairmanship of the coalition

``A legislator is in a very high-level post. I don’t think it is appropriate for him to participate in this,’’ the Chinese diplomat was quoted as saying by Hwang’s aide, who requested anonymity. ``The Chinese government will push for harder policies if the situation is like this. Our government is concerned. Please report this to Rep. Hwang.’’

Hwang expressed anger at what the aide called a ``warning’’ from the Chinese Embassy, arguing that a South Korean politician can articulate any kind of thought or idea and do anything he believes is right.

An ideological ally of North Korea, China does not recognize North Koreans crossing the border as political refugees and is obligated to repatriate them under a treaty.

South Korean human rights groups estimate that more than 200,000 North Koreans are living in hiding in China, waiting for a chance to defect to South Korea.

Nearly 6,000 North Koreans have defected to South Korea since the Korean War ended in 1953, including 1,139 in 2002, 1,281 in 2003 and about 1,500 so far this year.

An official at South Korea’s Foreign Affairs-Trade Ministry said there might have been some misunderstanding in the telephone conversation and avoided further comment on the case by suggesting the details could differ depending on each side’s claims.

``It would be a grave issue if a Chinese diplomat really made such improper remarks,’’ the official said. ``But we’ll have to check what was said in the phone call.’’

jinryu@koreatimes.co.kr