Chinese activist who mocked Xi Jinping flees to South Korea on jet ski, arrested

South Korea’s coastguard mentioned Tuesday it had arrested a Chinese nationwide who tried to enter the nation after travelling by jet ski from China — a journey of greater than 300 kilometres (186 miles).

Wearing a life vest and helmet, the person crossed the Yellow Sea on a 1800-cc jet ski from Shandong province, utilizing binoculars and a compass to navigate and towing 5 barrels of gasoline.

“He refilled the petrol on the ride and dumped the empty barrels into the sea,” the coastguard mentioned in a press launch.

When his jet ski acquired caught in tidal flats close to the western port metropolis of Incheon’s cruise terminal, he known as for rescue.

The coastguard mentioned the person, who they didn’t determine, was arrested after he “attempted to smuggle himself into” Incheon.

Authorities mentioned they discovered no signal that the person was a spy.

The jet-ski escapee is Chinese rights activist Kwon Pyong, based on South Korea-based campaigner Lee Dae-seon of NGO Dialogue China.

Kwon, 35, had posted footage on social media mocking Chinese President Xi Jinping, and hung out in jail in China for subversion, Lee informed AFP Tuesday.

“While his means of entry into South Korea in violation of the law was wrong, surveillance of the Chinese authorities and political persecution of Kwon since 2016 are behind his life-risking crossing into South Korea,” Lee mentioned.

“He is now weighing whether to apply for refugee status in South Korea or choose a third country,” he mentioned.

South Korea solely grants a handful of refugees asylum annually.

The Chinese embassy in Seoul declined to remark when contacted by AFP.

Edited By:

Devika Bhattacharya

Published On:

Aug 23, 2023