‘Chinese Activist’ Makes 300-Km Jet Ski Ride to South Korea

SEOUL (Reuters) – A Chinese language man who rode a jet ski greater than 300 km (186 miles) throughout the ocean to South Korea from China was jailed in his homeland a number of years in the past for making enjoyable of its chief, Xi Jinping, a South Korean activist stated on Wednesday.

South Korea’s Coast Guard stated it had detained a Chinese language man in his 30s on Aug. 16 after he had travelled from China on a 1,800 cc jet ski, carrying a life jacket and helmet and carrying a telescope, compass, and 5 containers of gasoline.

The Coast Guard didn’t determine the person who was taken into custody within the western coastal metropolis of Incheon. Reuters was not instantly capable of contact the person and a press officer on the Chinese language embassy declined to remark.

South Korean activist Lee Dae-seon recognized the person as Kwon Pyong. Lee stated he had been jailed in China after posting a selfie on social media of him carrying a T-shirt with slogans mocking President Xi in 2016.

“He seems to have determined to flee after feeling political stress,” stated Lee, who stated he had visited Kwon in a detention centre on Tuesday.

“He’s contemplating searching for refuge in a 3rd nation for now,” stated Lee, who describes himself on his web site as an activist for worldwide solidarity and the pinnacle of the Seoul workplace of group referred to as “Dialogue China”.

Kwon seemed to be in good well being after his jet ski voyage, which South Korean media stated took 14 hours, Lee stated.

U.S.-based Radio Free Asia reported that Kwon was jailed in 2017 after he “used phrases, pictures and video to insult and slander this nation’s authorities and the socialist system” on social media.

A South Korean Coast Guard official stated the person had made no point out of refuge or asylum throughout their investigation.

(Reporting by Soo-hyang Choi; editng by Robert Birsel)

Copyright 2023 Thomson Reuters.