North Korean soldier shoots three Chinese dead

[Darth Rotor]

I was surprised, I have a Chinese friend living in N. Korean bordering Liaoning Province, and while he mentioned the shooting, he didn't seem upset or concerned by it.

Probably because he wasn't the one shot.

 

[Wolfman]

(Bolding mine). How is this possible? One gets the impression that the North Korean border zone is ten miles deep and consists of endless barbed wire, mines, rabid guard dogs and rabid guards. Is this not true of the NK/Chinese border?

Also, if it's not a major incident, why publicise it?

North and South Korea are in a permanent state of war; of course their border is militarized. China and North Korea, on the other hand, are historical allies. There are actually very few border controls, and vast tracts of land that one can get across relatively easily.

With the shortage of women in China, one of the options is to buy a North Korean bride. The money will be paid to her family, and she'll be smuggled across the border into China to join her new husband. Since she enters China illegally, she'll have no passport or visa, and thus no legal rights; her husband can do pretty much whatever he wants, and she has no recourse to seek help.

 

[DC]

With the shortage of women in China, one of the options is to "buy" a North Korean bride. The money will be paid to her family, and she'll be smuggled across the border into China to join her new husband.

its not "buy" its plain and simple buy.

 

[Wolfman]

its not "buy" its plain and simple buy.

Very good point.

*fixed*

Oh...and by the way...it's not "its", it's "it's" plain and simple

 

[DC]

Very good point.

*fixed*

Oh...and by the way...it's not "its", it's "it's" plain and simple

very good point
but cant fix it anymore plaind and simple

 

[ComsatAngel2017]

North and South Korea are in a permanent state of war; of course their border is militarized. China and North Korea, on the other hand, are historical allies. There are actually very few border controls, and vast tracts of land that one can get across relatively easily.

With the shortage of women in China, one of the options is to buy a North Korean bride. The money will be paid to her family, and she'll be smuggled across the border into China to join her new husband. Since she enters China illegally, she'll have no passport or visa, and thus no legal rights; her husband can do pretty much whatever he wants, and she has no recourse to seek help.

Thanks, Wolfman, a very interesting answer.

I do wonder, then, why China doesn't have a more "formally-organised" (i.e. miles of barbed wire, mines, rabid - etc etc) border, if their supposed fear of millions of starving North Koreans heading China-wards in the event of a national collapse, is correct?

 

[rjh01]

Thanks, Wolfman, a very interesting answer.

I do wonder, then, why China doesn't have a more "formally-organised" (i.e. miles of barbed wire, mines, rabid - etc etc) border, if their supposed fear of millions of starving North Koreans heading China-wards in the event of a national collapse, is correct?

The sort of barrier a country would erect is different depending on if it fears starving people flooding into the country or unfriendly armed forces. A simple barrier would be enough for the former.

 

[Wolfman]

Thanks, Wolfman, a very interesting answer.

I do wonder, then, why China doesn't have a more "formally-organised" (i.e. miles of barbed wire, mines, rabid - etc etc) border, if their supposed fear of millions of starving North Koreans heading China-wards in the event of a national collapse, is correct?

I'd say there are three reasons:

1) Putting up such a border defense would be taken very negatively by the paranoid North Korean leadership; the most likely response would be a sudden massive build-up of N. Korean troops along the Chinese border.

2) The North Koreans do a pretty damn good job of keeping their people in...its really only a small number who manage to get out. There's no massive wave of unwanted refugees.

3) The majority of North Koreans who do make it into China are smuggled in (brides, labor, etc.) with the aid of Chinese, and have a place here. These aren't refugees who are causing problems for China...and as such, are not a priority for the Chinese gov't. Those refugees who do come to the attention of the Chinese government are simply picked up and shipped back to N. Korea (where at best they'll be imprisoned and 're-educated'; at worst they'll be executed).

 

[Undesired Walrus]

On one of the northern DPRK beaches there is a long wire fence to keep the locals in. It's crudely made up to look like an deadly electric fence, with red buttons and the like, but really it is just a wire fence.