21 people believed to

be North Korean defectors were arrested by the Thai authorities on June 21 st.

A South Korean

government official stated yesterday, “The 21 men and women, who appear to

have escaped from the North, were caught in Chiang Mai in northern Thailand,”

adding, “The group includes four children.”

The group all expressed the wish to be passed to

a third country such as South Korea. The official

explained that in the meantime, “[The South Korean] Embassy in Thailand is taking the necessary steps

to look into the arrests.”

In another recent case, Thai

police arrested 13 people assumed to be defectors on June 7th. The group

is being held at an immigration center in the country while under investigation.