A local daily newspaper says the North Korean Refugees Foundation under the Unification Ministry gave money to North Koreans seeking to cross the border of North Korea and China.
 
The Hankyoreh daily says the foundation offered millions of won to a human rights group in July 2012 to help two North Koreans pay off border guards and escape North Korea. The daily referred to the funding as “river crossing money.”
 
The Unification Ministry has responded to the report, saying there seems to have been a misunderstanding since the foundation has never provided money to people trying to flee North Korea.
 
The ministry said the foundation only has a program to provide immediate support for North Korean escapees in danger of being repatriated to North Korea. It said the foundation incorrectly used the term “river crossing” in the its documents in discussing people who are already in a third country.
 
The human rights group also said the financial support was not “river crossing money.” The group said it asked for the foundation's support as the two North Koreans called for help after escaping to China last year.