Mongolian Foreign Minister Tsendyn Munkh-Orgil says his country has no plans to build a refugee camp in the near future for North Korean asylum-seekers.

But he said that his government WILL accommodate all North Korean escapees that manage to enter Mongolia. Mongolian media quoted Munkh-Orgil as saying Thursday that North Koreans identified as asylum-seekers would be provided with food and temporary accommodations until they leave for South Korea or a third country.

Munkh-Orgil went on to say that North Korean escapees who enter Mongolia would not be deported and would not be repatriated to China, and that relevant orders had already been given to guards at the Mongolian-Chinese border.

North Koreans asylum-seekers seeking to arrive in Mongolia must run a dangerous gauntlet through China, passing illegally through the Communist nation before reaching Mongolian soil.