A 68-year-old former police officer and Chinese activist escaped China using a small inflatable boat before being found drifting in South Korean waters, after years of being pursued by the Chinese government. South Korea's opposition party is urging the government to provide humanitarian protection and safely transfer him to Canada.
Dong Guangping’s lawyer confirmed that his 68-year-old client, a prominent Chinese dissident activist, fled China by traveling on a 3.3-meter inflatable boat equipped with a 9.9-horsepower engine, crossing international waters to reach South Korea.
South Korea’s Taean Coast Guard revealed that a fishing vessel found Dong adrift at sea, about 38 nautical miles (approximately 70 kilometers) from South Korea’s west coast, on Monday night (25 May). This location is the shortest direct route between China and South Korea, totaling roughly 310 kilometers. Authorities detained him for immigration violations and took him in for further questioning.
Dong Guangping is a highly wanted individual by Chinese authorities due to his long history of political activism. He formerly served as a police officer but was dismissed after signing a petition commemorating the 10th anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. In 2001, he was imprisoned for three years on charges of "inciting the overthrow of state power" and was arrested again in 2014 for organizing activities commemorating the Tiananmen incident.
He previously fled with his family to Thailand and obtained United Nations refugee status, but in 2015 Thai authorities deported him back to Chinese police amid protests from human rights groups. He also attempted to escape to Vietnam and Taiwan but was ultimately returned to China.
Currently, his family holds refugee status and resides in Canada. South Korean lawyer Kim Joo-kwang stated that this case "has a very high likelihood of being a political asylum case."
Although South Korea has allowed applications for political asylum since 1994, very few applicants have been approved in practice due to strict screening procedures and slow government processing.
However, South Korea’s opposition People Power Party has called on the government to provide "full protection" for Dong. Party spokesperson Chu Hyun-chul said in a statement, "The government should urgently take humanitarian measures to ensure he can safely travel to Canada, where his family awaits him anxiously. This is a fundamental responsibility as a free democratic state."
So far, South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not commented, nor have the Chinese Embassy in Seoul or China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded to requests for comment on the case.
This is not the first such case. In August 2023, Chinese activist Kwon Pyung made headlines by jet-skiing over 300 kilometers from China to South Korea, carrying five extra fuel tanks, braving rough seas. He was later sentenced by a South Korean court to prison but received a suspended sentence for illegal entry.