15 North Korean defectors ”arrested” by Chinese police... South Korean government: ”Forced repatriation is prohibited under any circumstances”

"On the 21st of this month, 15 North Korean defectors were arrested by Chinese public security while attempting to travel to South Korea from the border area between China and Southeast Asia," the report said.
In response to this, the South Korean government made clear its principled position that "the forced repatriation of North Korean defectors is prohibited," even though the facts have not been confirmed.
At a regular press conference on the 27th, a spokesman for the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that there was "nothing confirmed" about the recent reports, but added that "the government will not allow North Korean defectors living overseas to return to their home countries freely under any circumstances."
They should not be forcibly repatriated against their will. An official from South Korea's Ministry of Unification said, "We are in contact with the private organization and are currently confirming the facts."
The US radio station Radio Free Asia (RFA) quoted the head of a North Korean human rights group on the same day, saying, "15 North Korean defectors have been arrested in Yunnan, China.
He was arrested by the police."