Why is South Korea capital so close to North Korea?
In July of 1953 a ceasefire agreement was reached, which changed the border between North and South Korea. ‘Both countries’ are now separated by what the front line was when the war was over. That brought the North Korean border even closer to Seoul.
Why can’t South Koreans go to North?
Since South Korea does not permit its naturalized citizens to travel to the North, they have made their way back to their home country illegally, and thus became “double defectors”. From a total of 25,000 North Korean defectors living in South Korea, about 800 are missing, some of whom may have returned to the North.
What happens if you cross the North Korean border illegally?
Instead, North Korea has long regarded unauthorized departure as an act of treason. Individuals who are caught emigrating or helping others to cross the border illegally are detained in political penal-labor colonies, known as kwan-li-so.
How do people migrate from South Korea to North Korea?
Migration to North Korea, on the other hand, primarily involves temporary visits by (mostly South Korean) business managers, investors, and tourists. Most movement is a result of the South Korean Ministry of Unification’s efforts to bring the North and South economically, socially,…
Can North Koreans legally leave the country without permission?
Despite being a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights since 1981, North Korea does not uphold Article 12 (2) of the law, which states, “Everyone shall be free to leave any country, including his own.” Instead, North Korea has long regarded unauthorized departure as an act of treason.
How did the North Korean nuclear crisis get worse?
Before either agreement could be brought fully into operation in 1992, North Korea’s increasingly obvious nuclear ambitions and the resulting reaction in South Korea and in the United States interrupted the process. The nuclear crisis grew worse until 1994 when it was resolved, temporarily it now appears, by the Agreed Framework.