Four North Koreans arrive in South via Japan

SEOUL, June 16 (Reuters) Four North Koreans who arrived by boat at a Japanese port two weeks ago reached South Korea, their desired destination, today, with one shouting ''Freedom'' as he arrived.

Three men and a woman who had been taken into custody in northern Japan on June 2, believed to be a couple and their two adult sons, departed Japan by plane today morning and landed at South Korea's Incheon International Airport.

Footage from South Korea's news channel YTN showed the North Koreans, with their faces concealed by masks and caps, walk through the airport escorted by security staff.

''Freedom, democracy and human rights'', one man shouted and briefly raised his fist, before quickly lowering his head again to avoid camera flash.

''It's good,'' he said, when the four were asked by reporters how they felt about being in South Korea.

Earlier, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said in a statement the family had departed for South Korea.

''We made arrangements with South Korea for their departure from a humanitarian standpoint and based on their wishes,'' the ministry added.

The North Koreans had arrived in Japan in a small wooden boat after a sea journey they said began on May 27.

They said they wished to go to South Korea, and Japanese officials had said they would be treated sympathetically.

The four told police they left Chongjin on the east coast of North Korea and headed south, but changed course due to heavy security and ended up at Fukaura in Japan's northern Aomori prefecture, 800 km (500 miles) to the east.

They were quoted in the media as saying that they were lucky to be able to eat bread every other day, but local media reports said they were wearing wristwatches, raising questions about how poor they actually were.

Some North Korea watchers said the watches suggested they might be middle class and their departure hinted at growing frustration among middle class North Koreans since the poor couldn't leave and the elite wouldn't need to.

Japan can grant asylum seekers a six-month permit under its immigration law, and a 2006 ''North Korean human rights law'' also states the government must take measures to protect and support defectors from North Korea.

North Korean defectors have fled to Japanese missions and other premises in China in the past, and Tokyo has allowed them to leave for third countries, but it is rare for North Koreans to flee to Japan.

Their arrival had raised concerns relations between Tokyo and Pyongyang - which have no diplomatic ties - could worsen if North Korea demanded their return, but no such demands were made.

Japan is feuding with North Korea over the fate of Japanese citizens kidnapped decades ago by Pyongyang's agents to help train spies.

Abe has said that without a resolution to the abduction issue, Japan will not provide funds for a multilateral deal reached in February under which North Korea agreed to scrap its nuclear arms programme in return for energy aid.

REUTERS JK BST1135