두만강유역 경제협력지대 건립을 통한 재중 탈북자 보호방안 = Plans To Protect The Status of North Korean Refugees In China By Establishing An Economic Cooperation Zone In The Du-Man Gang Basin

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

North Korean defectors who are not admitted in South Korea and are staying in a third country, neither South Korea nor North Korea, are in blind spots of human rights while those who entered into Korea are relatively well protected because they are frequently exposed to media and Korean government actively support them. North Korean defectors often choose China for an escape route. However, their basic human rights are not protected at all because of China and North Korea`s political relationship. They can effectively be protected by obtaining refugee status. However, China, the country that has the authority to make the final decision of their status, refuses to admit their refugee status but regard them as economic immigrants. And also, China government has its own political and diplomatic circumstances for not accepting them as refugees. Under these given conditions, it is almost impossible to take care of them with refugee status. Considering and to solve these difficulties, this article proposes to establish an economic cooperation zone in the Du-Man Gang River basin positioned in North Korea, China and Russia. In this project, it is required that four following countries take part; South and North Korea, China, Russia. Du-Man economic cooperation zone, when established would improve legally unprotected defectors status. Therefore, this thesis examines the position of China which has the power of final decision to grant refugee status to defectors, and other interested countries. And then, it also looks into the attitude of UNHCR about the problem. In the end, it would try to find a specific solution to build the economic cooperation zone embracing the North Korean refugees.