SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A Chinese political dissident is in South Korean custody after making a perilous escape from his country in a small rubber boat, officials and his friend said. It was his fourth known attempt to escape China, a risk he reportedly took hoping to be reunited with his family.Dong Guangping, 68, was aboard a 3.3-meter (10.8-foot)-long rubber boat in the waters off a western South Korean island on Monday night when he was detained by South Korea’s coast guard for allegedly violating the country’s immigration law.The coast guard sought a warrant to formally arrest him, but a local court on Thursday refused to issue one, saying it’s “difficult to recognize sufficient grounds and necessity” for his arrest. Prospects for Dong’s fate are still unclear. Investigative authorities could pursue Dong’s arrest again or indict him without his physical detention. If Dong applies for refugee status, South Korea’s Justice Ministry said it will review it.
While Dong’s submission of evidence of his political oppression in China could increase his chances for getting refugee status, observers still note that South Korea’s acceptance rate for refugee status applications has been less than 2% in recent years.
