Group urges radiation tests for 900 North Korean escapees

By KIM TONG-HYUNG
Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Human rights advocates are urging South Korea to test hundreds of North Korean escapees who lived near the country’s nuclear facility for radiation exposure. Such testing conducted in 2017 and 2018 found nine people with abnormalities that could indicate high exposure, though no link to radiation was established. The Transitional Justice Working Group said Tuesday that North Korea’s six nuclear detonations have put nearby residents at risk through rainfall and groundwater contamination. North Korea rejects safety concerns but has denied inspectors access to its Punggye-ri nuclear testing facility. The Seoul-based advocacy group also urged South Korea, Japan and China to investigate the contamination risks of smuggled North Korean agricultural and seafood products.