Group of Sakhalin's ethnic Koreans repatriated to SKorea

YUZHNO-SAKHALINSK, February 17 (Itar-Tass) - Yet another group of
ethnic Koreans has left Sakhalin Island for the Republic of Korea (ROK)
for permanent residence. Twenty-eight people -- 14 families -- left
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk by air on Thursday. One more family is to arrive in ROK
from Moscow.
Nikolai Park, president of the regional public organization "Sakhalin
Koreans" said, "Arrangements for departure of members of the first
generation of Sakhalin Koreans have been made at the expense of the
Japanese Red Cross organization. The second-generation members leave for
ROK due to financial assistance from the ROK government".
Boarding houses and living facilities have been built for the
homecomers in various cities of ROK. According to repatriation terms, if
both husband and wife in a family couple are members of the first
generation, Japan allocates 220,000 yen to them for the purchase of
household goods, and a half of the sum if only one family member is a
first-generation repatriate.
Among the repatriates are people who were born before August 15, 1945,
and who were brought to Sakhalin under a forced labor mobilization.
Southern Sakhalin was under the administration of Japan from 1905 to 1945
and bore the name of Karafuto Prefecture.
In all, since 1997, four thousand and three hundred ethnic Koreans
have left for the historical homeland. It is expected that next year more
than 80 Sakhalin Koreans will be able to get repatriated.