Pacific Affairs: An International Review of Asia and the Pacific

Volume 74, No. 3

 

China's Two-Korea Policy at Trial: The Hwang Chang Yop Crisis
By Chae-Jin Lee and Stephanie Hsieh

 

Abstract

The defection of high-profile North Korean leader Hwang Chang Yop, commonly referred to as the architect of chuche ideology, in Beijing in February 1997, created a tense diplomatic situation that challenged China's two-Korea policy. This article discusses who Hwang was, why he defected, why his case was important, how China negotiated with both Koreas, and how the case affected China's approaches toward the Korean Peninsula. While North Korea claimed that Hwang was kidnapped by South Korean intelligence agents and that China should repatriate him to Pyongyang, South Korea insisted that since Hwang defected of his own free will, China should allow his safe and direct passage to Seoul. The Chinese rejected both demands, conducted patient and even-handed negotiations with Seoul and Pyongyang, refused to recognize Hwang's legal status as a political refugee or an asylum seeker, and decided to "expel" him to a third country to save face for North Korea. This decision enabled Hwang to stay in the Philippines for a month before traveling to South Korea. As a result, China minimized the damage to North Korea, respected Hwang's free will, met South Korea's ultimate expectations, preserved peace on the Korean Peninsula, and maintained its two-Korea policy intact.