North Koreans Defect to Japan

Here is one of the more amazing and unusual defections from North Korea I have read about:

Japan is likely to offer temporary protection to four people believed to have fled North Korea who are seeking asylum in the South after they arrived by boat at a Japanese port, Japanese officials said on Sunday.

The three men and a woman, who were taken into Japanese custody on Saturday, claimed to be a family, a police official said. They told authorities they had been out at sea in the small wooden boat since May 27 after leaving North Korea for the South.

They told Japanese officials they had left Chongjin on the east coast and headed south, but then changed course due to heavy security and ended up at Fukaura in Japan’s Aomori prefecture, 800 kilometers (500 miles) to the east, the police official added.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out considering the issue of the kidnapping of Japanese citizens by the North Koreans is still a hot topic in Japan. 

This is actually the first defection by sea by North Koreans to Japan.  This feat is quite impressive considering they survived in a small wooden boat for nearly a week to cross the Sea of Japan which is well known for its rough waters. 

You can read more over at DPRK Studies where a map of the approximate route of the defectors is posted.  Just by taking one look at that map you can see what they did was no small feat.  Hopefully Japan grants them asylum and they can find a better lives for themselves away from the hell of North Korea.