{"id":4393,"date":"2019-12-31T12:52:32","date_gmt":"2019-12-31T03:52:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.01.asiapress.org\/rimjin-gang\/?p=4393"},"modified":"2020-01-03T11:55:52","modified_gmt":"2020-01-03T02:55:52","slug":"border-crime","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.02.asiapress.org\/rimjin-gang\/2019\/12\/society-economy\/border-crime\/","title":{"rendered":"\uff1cNorth Korea\uff1e \u201cExecute the Murderer!\u201d: Bereaved Chinese Family Calls for Death of Suspected Korean Killer as Desperate Border Crossers Turn to Crime"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"

A young North Korean man and woman gaze across at the Chinese side of the Yalu River. Perhaps they are a couple. Photograph taken in September, 2019, by ISHIMARU Jiro.<\/p><\/div>\n

Chinese relations with Pyongyang are said to be rapidly deteriorating following the murder of a Chinese citizen in Changbai County, Jilin Province by a North Korean. A reporting partner living in Ryanggang Province, across the Yalu River from Changbai, gave the following report in early December.<\/p>\n

According to the reporting partner, the murder took place in late November when a North Korean man who had snuck across the border to Changbai was attempting to burgle a private home. Confronted by the homeowner, the thief killed the man before fleeing back across the border. Now, Chinese officials are officially calling for the murderer\u2019s extradition.<\/p>\n

The culprit\u2019s escape has greatly angered the bereaved family, who have since set up loudspeakers to hurl insults across the border and to demand for North Koreans to \u201cexecute the murderer.\u201d
\nNext page :Increase in crime due to worsening living conditions...<\/strong>
\n<\/p>\n

\u25a0 Increase in crime due to worsening living conditions<\/h2>\n

Regarding the background of the suspected murderer, the reporting partner said, \u201cAn increasing number of people are suffering from the economic deterioration and, among young people, there are even some who routinely cross the border to steal from the Chinese. The thieves, referred to as \u2018xiaotou\u2019 (\u5c0f\u5077) in Chinese, cross the border to steal expensive ginseng from fields and various items from houses.<\/p>\n

Recently, China has tightened its crackdown and has been arresting and repatriating North Koreans. These repatriated citizens are usually sent by the secret police to \u201clabor training camps\u201d for at least 6 months.<\/p>\n

\u203b\u201cLabor training camps\u201d are short-term forced labor facilities for those who have \u201cdisturbed the social order.\u201d The police run the camps and often order sentences for citizens without a trial.<\/p>\n

According to the reporting partner, the murder suspect is a man in his 20\u2019s living in Hyetang-dong, Hyesan. Currently detained by security authorities, the suspect is said to have killed the homeowner for fear of being repatriated to North Korea and sent to a labor camp.<\/p>\n

The reporting partner explained North Koreans\u2019 feelings about the incident, saying, \u201cIf you are caught in China, you can beg for forgiveness or be repatriated and sent to a labor camp for 6 months. It\u2019s ridiculous to kill someone. How difficult must life be for people to have to cross into China to steal things...It is quite true that there is a sympathetic atmosphere here.\u201d (Kang Ji-won)<\/p>\n

\u203bASIAPRESS contacts reporting partners in North Korea through smuggled Chinese mobile phones.<\/p>\n

\n
\uff1cRelated Article\uff1e<\/div>\n