Unification minister kept in dark on N. Koreans' recent defection

South Korea's top official in charge of relations with North Korea said he was kept in the dark about a recent defection by a North Korean family of nine.
The North Koreans -- three men, two women and four children -- crossed the tense western sea border into South Korea last Saturday to seek refuge in the South, according to revelations made by a government source on Wednesday.
Military and intelligence officials apparently did not share the information with Unification Minister Hyun In-taek, leaving him in the dark about the latest defection that could further complicate inter-Korean relations.
Asked when he first became aware of the defection, Hyun, speaking at a parliamentary session on Wednesday, told lawmakers that he first heard about the incident through media reports.
The lack of information shared among officials raised key questions on the government's policy coordination on this important issue.
The North's state media have not yet mentioned the latest defection, which came four months after a group of 31 North Koreans drifted across the tense western sea border aboard a fishing boat in distress.
Seoul has since repatriated 27 of them to the North while allowing the other four to remain in the South in accordance with their wishes.
However, the North claimed that South Korea kidnapped the 31 North Koreans and accused the South of forcing the four who wished to stay into defection, a charge that Seoul denies.
More than 21,000 North Koreans have defected to the South to avoid chronic hunger and political oppression since the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a cease-fire.