The Thai office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees says it will settle the issue of the one-hundred-75 North Korean defectors before U.N. High Commissioner Antonio Guterres visits Thailand next week.

An official from the Thai office said that 16 defectors who had received travel certificates from the UNHCR have already been released and will leave for South Korea Friday.

The office has also been in talks with the Thai government to allow the rest of the one-hundred-59 defectors to go to South Korea as well, and will issue their travel certificates after they pay fines or complete their detention.

The official said the UNHCR will connect defectors who wish to go to the United States with the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok.

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