From Russia to America

A refugee has been granted passage to the US from, of all places, Russia

A North Korean refugee in Russia has been given asylum in the U.S. Having gained approval of both the Russian and U.S. governments, Han Dong-man, who had been a logger in Siberia, left for the U.S. on Tuesday afternoon. He has been under protection of the Moscow Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees since October last year. He is the first North Korean defector to find asylum in the U.S. from Russia, which has refused to recognize North Korean defectors as refugees and approve their seeking of asylum to the U.S. for fear of harming diplomatic ties with the North. Han is reportedly to settle near Los Angeles.

This is significant as Russia, like China, do not recognize North Koreans as refugees. While I am dismayed that the asylum process is still at a snail’s pace, it is encouraging that there are still many options (albeit all dangerous ones) for North Koreans seeking freedom.