North Korean and Chinese officials discuss what to do with Koreans who have illegally entered China.
April 20, 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. 026
To the Consular Affairs Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs:
Regarding the handling of illegal border crossers, our Embassy's Consular Section, according to Ministry of Foreign Affairs telegram of December 21, 1957, “Opinions on the Handling Illegal Border Crossing Cases,” discussed our views with the [North] Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs Consular Affairs Department.
In May of last year, the two sides exchanged views on specific procedures for handling these cases. At the time, our side, in order to facilitate research into the proper handling of cases of Chinese residents who illegally crossed the border into Korea, provided the Korean side a form (see the sample form attached). Korea agreed with the form design and information items and suggested that China adopt the same form for handling cases of Korean residents who illegally crossed the border into China.
Ever since we provided this form, various Interior Ministry organs in various localities of Korea have been using the information fields in this form to register Chinese residents who illegally crossed the border into Korea.
On April 6 of last year, the Korean Foreign Ministry Consular Affairs Department Head, Ri Chang-jeong [Ri Chang Jong], gave our Embassy Consular Section's Secretary Xin Minsheng the first files received from the Korean Interior Ministry on the checks on and registration of 231 Chinese citizens who had illegally crossed the border into Korea. Ri again asked that the Chinese departments concerned provided the same kinds of information using the same procedure for Korean residents who had crossed the border illegally into China.
We therefore request that the Consular Department and the departments concerned study this question and reply in order to facilitate our reply to the Korean side.
In addition, on the matter of the files on the 231 border crossers that the Korean side provided to our Embassy, judging from the files, all of the 231 border crossers want to renounce their Chinese citizenship and acquire Korean citizenship. The Korean Interior Ministry's opinion is that it is willing to receive applications from them for Korean citizenship.
Based on the principle of consulting with the relevant departments, we will handle this matter separately. If the Consular Affairs Department has any opinions on how to proceed, please provide guidance.
[seal] Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
April 20, 1959
Attachment: sample copy of the form.
[stamp] First Consular Department No. 6/48
June 20, 1959
Name in Chinese: | Gender: | Citizenship: | |||||||
Name in Korean: | Nationality: | Occupation in China: | |||||||
Household Status: | Place of Birth: | Occupation in Korea: | |||||||
Place of Service in China: | Address in China: | ||||||||
Place of Service in Korea: | Address in Korea: | ||||||||
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Family Members | Name | Gender | DOB | Relationship | Citizenship | Occupation | Address | ||
Time and Place of Illegal Border Crossing: |
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Reasons for Applying to Retain Citizenship or to Apply for Korean Citizenship: |
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Behavior After Arriving in Korea: |
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Continuing exchanges between Chinese and North Korean officials over illegal cross-border migration.
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PRC FMA 118-01026-01, 5-7. Translated by David Cowhig.
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