Two North Koreans were reported enroute to another country after entering a tightly guarded US embassy compound, becoming the latest asylum-seekers to test Beijing's agreement with Pyongyang to repatriate them. The pair's entry into the American compound came a day after an asylum bid at the German embassy in Beijing by another North Korean, who arrived in the Philippines last night. The two at the US embassy have been accepted for resettlement in another country, US officials said.

As far as we know, the two North Koreans left the American embassy in Beijing Saturday morning for a third country, said a South Korean foreign ministry official in Seoul, speaking on condition of anonymity. If they wish to come to South Korea, our government will accept them.

The US embassy spokesperson, speaking on Saturday on customary condition of anonymity, would not identify the third country in question but did say it was not the United States. China's foreign ministry had no immediate comment but said it was looking into both the German and US embassy incidents.
Bureau Report