Asylum sought in Seoul

SEOUL - A man claiming to be a North Korean sought asylum in South Korea after arriving in Seoul's international airport from…

SEOUL - A man claiming to be a North Korean sought asylum in South Korea after arriving in Seoul's international airport from China on Sunday, and media reports said he was a former political prisoner.

Mr Kang Chul ho said he had fled to China from North Korea in October 1992, an official said.

Last Thursday, a North Korean woman in her 20s fled barefoot and hungry to South Korea through the heavily mined and guarded demilitarised zone that has bisected the Korean peninsula since the end of the 1950-1953 Korean War.

  • Join The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date

  • Sign up for push alerts to get the best breaking news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone

  • Listen to In The News podcast daily for a deep dive on the stories that matter