General activities at the Korean Embassy in Beijing, China has been restricted due to the sudden increase of North Korean refugees. Therefore visa services are temporarily suspended since Oct. 7. 

For that, business trips and tourism to Korean is suffering from the inconvenience on visa services and seriously damage Korean-Chinese businesses. 

The Korean consul gave previous notice by posting an announcement of the temporary suspension at the front gate of the embassy building at 2 p.m. on Oct. 6 and also on its home page. 

Suspension of civil affairs such as issuing visas and passports, military services and other affairs has only happens during ware or natural disasters, so this special case is unparalleled in history. 

A consular representative said, “The temporary suspension of civil affairs is expected to continue for at least a week. Many Chinese and also Korean may have to put to the inconvenience when trying to visit Korea but the measurement itself is inevitable due to the increase of North Korean refugees. Civil affairs will soon resume if the refugee matter is settled through a amicable agreement with the Chinese government.” 

The consul will execute other affairs that do not acquire the use of the Public Service Center such as accidents but visas and other foreign related affairs will have to be taken to the consulate general in Qingdao, Guangzhou, Shanghai. 

The suspension is because about 120~130 North Korean refugees has come to the refugee accommodations at the Embassy which has a capacity for only 50. 

(Omission) 

Source : Maeil Business Newspaper, Oct. 7, 2003