Chinese relatives of victims reject N. Korea's compensation plan: report
2015/04/08 18:42
BEIJING, April 8 (Yonhap) -- Relatives of four Chinese people killed by a North Korean army deserter during a robbery attempt at a Chinese border village about four months ago have rejected a compensation plan by the North and appealed to the Chinese authorities to provide China's own state compensation, a news report said Wednesday.
The North Korean soldier, who was shot dead by Chinese police during a manhunt, killed four Chinese nationals after crossing the border in late December while attempting to steal money and food.
China lodged a protest with North Korea over the killing but appears to avoid further straining ties with its only treaty ally, Pyongyang, describing the border incident as "an individual criminal case."
North Korea offered US$1,500 per victim as compensation to a Chinese border military unit last month, but the Chinese relatives of the victims refused to receive the compensation from the Chinese military unit, Hong Kong-based Phoenix television reported on its website, citing the relatives.
In Beijing, the relatives appealed to Chinese authorities to provide China's state compensation because they were responsible for failing to protect the safety of Chinese nationals, according to the report.
In the wake of the Dec. 28 killing, China's Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, which shares a 500-kilometer border with North Korea, stepped up its border patrols, China's state media have reported.
Ethnic Koreans account for about 30 percent of the population in the Yanbian prefecture.
It has not been uncommon for North Korean soldiers or citizens to cross the border into Chinese towns and attempt robberies in search of food.
(END)
