Female N. Korean defector dies in Laotian camp: missionary

SEOUL, Dec. 18 (Yonhap) -- A female North Korean defector has died in a Laotian
camp, and two other defectors are on the verge of being forcibly evicted to
China, a South Korean missionary active in Laos said Thursday.

"Kim Kyung-hee, 27, who had been detained in a camp run by the Laotian
immigration authorities, suddenly died while coughing up blood Sunday," Kim
Hee-tae, who helps North Korean defectors in Southeast Asian countries, told
Yonhap News Agency over the phone.
According to the missionary, Kim and a couple defected from North Korea together
to seek asylum in South Korea by way of China and Laos, but were recently
captured near the Laotian border.
Immigration officials had demanded the defectors pay US$2,500 in fines by Monday,
warning that otherwise, they would be expelled to China, said the pastor. The
defectors failed to secure the money, he added.
The pastor said he did not know exactly what was behind Kim's death, but assumed
that extreme stress from the fear and horror of forced deportation might have
been the cause.
The couple, also fearing repatriation, attempted suicide by swallowing pieces of
iron, he said.
The pastor said, "I was notified by the immigration office that the couple will
be forcibly repatriated to China unless the fine is paid by Saturday."
Kim said he unsuccessfully tried to seek help from the South Korean Embassy in
Laos, which was passive on political issues.
Meanwhile, South Korean Ambassador to Laos Park Jae-hyon told Yonhap, "We are
well-informed on the facts, and are making efforts (to get them released)."
(END)