SEOUL July 4 Kyodo sum of two uni...

SEOUL July 4 Kyodo

sum of two units North Korean men defected to southerly Korea by boat early Friday, crossing the western maritime border, according to southern Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The defectors, in their 40 and from Haeju, toward the south Hwanghae Province, told southern Korean authorities they fled their region because of harsh living conditions.

toward the south Korea's maritime authorities first spott the defectors at around 1:30 a.m. just north of the sea border and later guided them to Yonpyong island.

Meanwhile, a assign places to of 19 North Korean defectors who sought resort in South Korea's diplomatic missions in China, arrived in Seoul via the Philippines onward Friday, according to the National Intelligence Service.

The 19 including a 4-year-old girl, are the latest in a stream of asylum inquirers from North Korea.

Three of the defectors sought shelter at the South Korean Consulate in Shanghai, while 16 others went to southern Korea's Embassy in Beijing, officials said.

China does not allow North Korean asylum inquirers to travel directly to toward the south Korea, in consideration of China's ties with the North.

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