Fugitive Chinese Ex-Police Officer Detained After Drifting to South Korea
"Highly likely to be a political asylum case."
— Kim Joo-kwang, lawyer for Dong Guangping
Taean County, South Korea — A former Chinese policeman, Dong Guangping, was found drifting in a small rubber boat off the coast of Taean County, South Chungcheong Province, on Monday night. He has since been detained and questioned for allegedly violating South Korea's immigration laws, according to the Taean coast guard.
Dong’s lawyer, Kim Joo-kwang, confirmed his client's identity to AFP. The vessel involved was a 3.3-meter-long rubber boat powered by a 10-horsepower engine. The exact launch point remains unknown.
A History of Flight and Detention
Dong’s legal troubles in China date back over two decades.
- 2001: He was imprisoned for three years for "inciting subversion of state power."
- 2014: He was detained again for activities related to the Tiananmen Square protests.
- 2015: After fleeing to Thailand with his family—who later resettled in Canada—Thai authorities handed him over to China despite him holding UN refugee status.
- Previous escapes: Dong has also fled to Vietnam and Taiwan but was returned to China each time.
Calls for Asylum
South Korea’s opposition People Power Party has urged the government to offer Dong protection and facilitate his travel to Canada, where his family now lives. The South Korean Foreign Ministry has not yet commented on the case.
Context on Refugee Policy
- South Korea’s refugee approval rate remains in the low single digits.
- In 2023, Chinese dissident Kwon Pyong fled to South Korea by jet ski, was convicted of illegal entry, and received a suspended sentence.