Dong Guangping, a 68-year-old former Chinese police officer turned dissident, has reached South Korea after a perilous 30-hour journey across the Yellow Sea in an inflatable boat. He was rescued by the South Korean Coast Guard near the western coast after departing from Weihai in Shandong province. Dong, who lost his job in 1989 for signing a pro-democracy letter, has a long history of activism and persecution, including multiple prison sentences for participating in Tiananmen memorial events.

After fleeing to Thailand in 2015 with his family, Dong was deported back to China while his wife and daughter were granted asylum in Canada. He made several subsequent escape attempts, including swimming toward Taiwan and crossing into Vietnam, where he was arrested and later deported. His latest attempt, though successful in reaching land, has left him in immigration detention in South Korea.

Human rights groups, including Human Rights in China, are urging South Korea not to deport Dong, warning he faces severe risks including torture or disappearance if returned to China. His case has drawn attention amid South Korea’s efforts to maintain diplomatic ties with Beijing, placing President Lee Jae Myung’s administration in a difficult position between humanitarian obligations and geopolitical pressure.