More Defectors Enter German Embassy

From Norbert Vollertsen, some mixed news from Beijing. The good news is that five defectors got in. An American and a South Korean ran the operation together. The bad news is that they refused to let in a sixth, refusing to accept his ID papers as proof of his North Korean nationality. One wonders who else would want shelter in a German school in Beijing. Does anyone else see some stupendous historical irony there?

Norbert also included some interesting biographical info on the defectors:

25, male, Chongjin City, Hamkyong Bukdo, Pharmaceutical Plant worker
25, male, Chongjin city, Farm worker
27, male, Chongjin City, Factory worker
24, female, Chongjin City, Farm Propaganda worker
24, male, Moosan City, Hamkyong Bukdo, Miner

Nothing in that information suggests that these people would be considered undesireables at home. It suggests that North Korea’s heavy industry and skilled laborers are demoralized and fragmented, and that the cities have their share of discontent, too.