ROK SAYS CHINA DEPORTED DPRK WOMAN CHOI EUN-SUN

S E C R E T SEOUL 000911 SIPDIS SIPDIS NSC FOR CHA E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/18/2015 TAGS: PHUM PREF KS KN CH SUBJECT: ROK SAYS CHINA DEPORTED DPRK WOMAN CHOI EUN-SUN REF: STATE 42206 Classified By: POL M/C Joseph Y. Yun. Reasons 1.4 (b),(d). ¶1. (S) On March 17, poloff conveyed reftel demarche on USG concern about a North Korean women arrested in China after trying to enter a South Korean school in December 2005 to Pak Ji-yun, Deputy Director of the Inter-Korean Policy Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Pak was familiar with the particulars of the case but noted that the ROK understood that the name of the North Korean woman in question was Choi Eun-sun, rather than Kim Chun-hee. ¶2. (S) On March 21, Kim Ki-woong, Director of the Inter-Korea Policy Division, told poloffs that the woman in question had been deported to North Korea by China. Kim said that PRC officials informed the ROK on March 20 simply that Choi Eun-sun, also known as Kim Chun-hee, had been "sent to North Korea." He explained that the Chinese had provided no additional information. The ROK was considering its options for protesting the PRC action, Kim said. VERSHBOW