A group of North Korean escapees has sued the South Korean government for disclosing their identities, claiming that it harmed their families left in the North.

Five North Korean escapees including a 39-year-old identified only as Yi filed the suit with the Seoul Central District Court. They claimed that a government agency investigating their escape in 2006 broke a promise to keep their identities confidential, releasing their information to the media.

Yi said that, through a broker, he found out that 23 members of his family in North Korea were missing. He believed they were made to suffer for his escape after his identity was disclosed.

The group said the government broke its promise to keep their identities confidential and put their families in danger. It demanded that Seoul pay 200-million won, or about 200-thousand dollars in compensation.

[Photo : ]