Tiananmen Exile Seeks Asylum in South Korea: A High-Stakes Move

On Dec. 9, 2019, Dong Guangping exhausted himself while trying to swim to Taiwan’s Kinmen Island, was rescued by a fishing boat and repatriated to China. This time, his bid for asylum in South Korea has brought the Tiananmen pro-democracy figures back into focus. / From the social media of Cheng Xue, a Chinese acquaintance of Dong who is now in Canada.

Ahead of the 37th anniversary of the Tiananmen pro-democracy movement on June 4, attention has turned again to the movement’s key figures — including 68-year-old Dong Guangping (董廣平), who landed in Taean, South Korea, on the 25th in an inflatable boat and attempted to seek asylum. The events occurred decades ago, and many of the pro-democracy activists are now elderly, but sources say a significant number remain active both inside China and abroad.

Beijing sources familiar with political affairs told reporters on May 28 that the renewed interest in these nearly-forgotten figures stems largely from widespread international coverage of Dong’s sudden action. The United States reportedly verified Dong’s identity and expressed urgent concern even before South Korea did. By contrast, at its daily briefing the Chinese Foreign Ministry said it had no knowledge of the matter, a notable contrast in responses.

According to sources, Dong originally worked as a police officer in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, and actively supported the Tiananmen protests locally, for which he was disciplined. On the 10th anniversary of the events in 1999, he was reportedly dismissed after signing an open letter memorializing the victims. He later became more involved in human rights work and was arrested and jailed several times. Before his unauthorized entry into South Korea, he attempted to flee China three times — aiming for Thailand, Vietnam, and Kinmen, an offshore island administered by Taiwan.

Most of the other prominent figures associated with the Tiananmen movement, aside from Dong — whose success in obtaining asylum in Korea remains unclear — are reported to be living in exile in the United States. Notable examples include former student leaders Wang Dan (王丹, 57), Chai Ling (柴玲, 58), and Zhou Fengxiao (周鋒銷, 59). They remain vocal on Chinese human rights issues.

In addition, Uighur student leader Wu’er Kaixi (吾爾開希, 58) has settled permanently in Taiwan and continues his anti-Beijing activities. He is known to be close to members of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, which favors Taiwanese self-determination. Branded by Beijing, a return to China during his lifetime seems virtually impossible.

Many figures have also died over the decades. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo (劉曉波), human rights activist Qi Zhiyong (齊志勇), and noted cultural scholar Liu Zaifu (劉再復) are among them. They died in 2017, 2024, and May of this year at ages 52, 67, and 85, respectively. One of the Lius spent 33 years living in exile in the United States and died four years after returning to China.

Dong’s case underscores that the Tiananmen incident remains a live issue. Yet, given the strong public support in China for the Communist Party leadership under General Secretary and President Xi Jinping (習近平), major systemic change appears highly unlikely. Dong’s attempt to seek asylum in South Korea seems to have been a last-resort move driven by those realities.