China's Repatriation of North Koreans

China's repatriation of North Koreans is apparently not a contem-porary pheno-menon.

According to an article (Ethnic Korean Migration in Northeast Asia) by Jeanyoung Lee from Kyunghee University, during the Qing dynasty, the Chinese court had agreed in a treaty with Choson (Korea) to repatriate Koreans who had migrated to Manchuria, which is today's Northeastern China.

The Choson court (pictured) wanted to prevent Koreans from migrating "for fear of losing tax revenues and to ensure the safety of the border with China."

After they were repatriated, convicted Korean criminals were reportedly beheaded.

History is fascinating as it, among other things, helps shed light on contemporary developments.