A Chinese dissident, Dong Guangping, has been detained in South Korea after attempting to flee China in a rubber boat. The 68-year-old former police officer turned government critic was picked up by the South Korean coastguard on Monday evening, having spent more than 30 hours at sea.
Dong, who has a history of escape attempts, was spotted about 38 nautical miles off the coast of Taean in western South Korea. He was on a 3.3-metre boat with a 10-horsepower motor when he was intercepted. South Korean authorities have requested an arrest warrant on charges of illegal entry.
According to friends, Dong travelled from Weifang in Shandong province, covering over 300km to reach South Korean waters. Zang Xihong, a dissident in Canada who has been in contact with Dong, said he was 'almost unconscious' upon arrival. She noted his determination to leave China, stating, 'I knew he had that determination and that willpower.'
Dong has previously been jailed for his activism related to the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. He has attempted escape multiple times, including a 2015 flight to Thailand where he was deported despite UN refugee status, and a 2020 attempt to reach Vietnam. In 2019, he tried to swim to Taiwan's Kinmen island but was rescued by fishermen and returned to China.
Dong is believed to be hoping to resettle in Canada, where his family lives. His case echoes that of Kwon Pyong, an ethnic Korean Chinese national who fled to South Korea by jetski in 2023 and later resettled in the US. The Chinese embassy in Seoul has been approached for comment.
