North Korean and Chinese officials discuss what to do with Koreans who have illegally entered China.
October 11, 1959
Cable, Chinese Embassy in North Korea to the Foreign Ministry Consular Affairs Department
This document was made possible with support from Henry Luce Foundation
Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
(59) Korean Consular No. 085
To the Consular Affairs Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs:
Received letter (59) First Consular Affairs No. 6/48.
On October 9, the [North] Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs Consular Affairs Department Head Ri Chang-jeong [Ri Chang Jong] visited our embassy Consular Section chief Comrade Xin Minsheng to offer several opinions on China's handling of illegal border crossers.
Ri said: China's proposal for handling the cases of Korean citizens who illegally crossed the border into China is good. They agree in principle with the proposal and expressed thanks for China's willingness to send as many border crossers back as possible to participate in Korea's national construction. He said that there are two questions outstanding that the Chinese and Korean sides should discuss:
[handwritten note in left margin: According to the Ministry of Public Security, with respect to those who have been issued documents, our side will not force them to go back.]
1. Many Korean citizen border crossers have gone into districts under the jurisdiction of the cities and counties of China's border areas. Most of them go there to see close relatives (spouses and children). Many have lived in those Chinese border areas for a long time. If the Chinese side were to [underlined in archival copy] send them all back, arranging work for them might be difficult. If we do not consider their preferences but just send them all back, chaos could result. Does the Chinese side have any specific suggestions for resolving this problem? Of course, should the Chinese side decide to send them all back, the Korean side would happily accept them all.
2. With regards to those border crossers to whom the local public security office has already granted a foreign residence certificate, is China willing to enter them into the category of cross-border people [yuejing renyuan][?] That would be a suitable procedure for addressing the issue.
Please study these opinions and provide a response.
[Seal:] Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
October 11, 1959
[stamp] First Consular Department No. 6/48(6)
October 11, 1959
North Korean and Chinese officials discuss what to do with Koreans who have illegally entered China.
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PRC FMA 118-01026-01, 33. Translated by David Cowhig.
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