Around 30 South Korean nationals were deported in December from northeast China. The number was unprecedented for a simultaneous deportation, raising fears that China is retaliating over the joint decision of the U.S. anti-missile system deployment in South Korea.
"Most of the South Koreans had been active as missionaries, but new visa restrictions by Chinese authorities have resulted in refusals to renew their visa," said a local resident near the China-North Korea border.
The deported group were all documented or residing legally in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in the northeastern Jilin Province, which included Christian missionaries and other long-term residents.
While some of the deportees have only been residing in China for a short period, others have been living in the country for as long as 10 years. The South Koreans were suddenly notified by the Chinese government that their visas or residence permits could not be renewed.
They were given a two-week notice prior to deportation. Some of the deportees were unable to liquidate their assets before returning to South Korea.
A few of the deportees were known to have been involved in assisting North Korean defectors. Meanwhile, the others were told that they were being deported because of their religious activities, and their work as missionaries were in violation of local law.
But according to a South Korean diplomatic source, this is not an isolated case. There are frequent cases where visas are not extended in other parts of China which include Shanghai and Guangzhou.
However, with this big a group of people being deported simultaneously, it sparked curiosity if this had anything to do with the upcoming deployment of the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in South Korea.
With no signs of South Korea backing out of the agreement, the anti-Korean sentiment in China has since intensified in the business sector.
No one is quite certain if the deportation is politically motivated or not. But it seems that South Korean citizens are now paying the price for its government's mistake.