Unification Minister Yu Woo-ik has asked Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi to allow North Korean escapees in China to enter South Korea as soon as possible if that is what the defector wishes.

Currently in China on a visit, Yu said in a meeting with Yang that repatriating North Korean defectors to North Korea puts them in danger. To prevent that from happening, Yu asked China to take a developed measure.

Yang responded that China would deal with the escapees reasonably based on Chinese and international laws as well as on humanitarian principles.

Yu also thanked China for its numerous efforts to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue as the Chair of the six-party talks. Yang responded by saying that China is doing its best to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula. The Chinese foreign minister then asked South Korea to make joint efforts to defend peace and stability in Asia as well as to resume the stalled multilateral dialogue.