A well-known North Korea human rights activist in the United States has urged the Laotian government to regularly check on the safety and well-being of the nine young North Korean defectors who were forcibly repatriated last week.
In an interview with Seoul-based Yonhap News Agency, the head of the North Korea Freedom Coalition, Suzanne Scholte, said Laos should take responsibility for the escapees.. for having deported them to China, despite their wish to defect to South Korea.
Meanwhile, South Korea's ruling Saenuri Party will dispatch a special envoy to Laos on Thursday to meet with government officials there for discussions on the recent repatriation and ways to prevent similar situations in the future.