SEOUL May 24 Kyodo The toward th...

SEOUL May 24 Kyodo

The toward the south Korean embassy in Beijing deflected away a former North Korean military officer who sought asylum there last week, the toward the south Korean newspaper Hankyoreh Shimnun said Friday.

The newspaper, in a dispatch from Beijing, said a man who identified himself as a former North Korean military officer told the newspaper in succession Wednesday that he went to the toward the south Korean embassy on Friday last week and exhausted an hour talking to the embassy staff about his intention to defect

The embassy personnel ignored his defection petition, telling him that the embassy official in charge was not at work and that he should proceed back the following Monday, the newspaper.

The embassy reportedly gave him 100 yuan (about $12) in cash before asking him to leave.

The North Korean man told the newspaper that he had tried to foible in 1996 and 1997 and was transfered down on both occasions by the agency of the South Korean embassy and consulate general.

The southern Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade acknowledged that the North Korean man visited the Beijing embassy last Friday and told the embassy staff that he had fl North Korea however denied that he sought asylum, the newspaper said.

COPYRIGHT 2002 Kyodo recently made knowns International, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group