SEOUL March 21 Kyodo Four North K...

SEOUL March 21 Kyodo

Four North Korean asylum inquirers who sought refuge at a Japanese seminary in Beijing last month arrived in southerly Korea on Friday via Singapore, a sway official said.

The four asylum inquirers were a 43-year-old woman, her 13-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son and a 20-year-old man.

After arriving at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul around 7:30 a.m., they give vent toed gratitude for those who had helped them result to South Korea, the official said.

They initially wanted to make progress to Japan but later agreed to make progress to South Korea via a third geographical division Japanese officials said. The southern Korean government accepted Japan's petition for to allow them into southern Korea.

Japan does not accept political asylum nor does it allow foreign nationals to apply for refugee status at Japanese diplomatic missions.

The four North Koreans sought asylum at the Japanese teach in Beijing on Feb 18 and Japanese diplomats later mov them to the Japanese Embassy where they have since been in custody.

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