A North Korean inmate broke out of prison in Jilin province in northeastern China on October 18. Authorities said the fugitive was Zhu Xianjian, 39, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2014 for multiple crimes, including illegal border crossing and armed robbery. According to Chinese court records, after Zhu entered China illegally in July 2013, he broke into 3 homes for robbery and injured one person with a knife, and was caught by security forces in less than two days. Scheduled to be released in August 2023, Zhu was planned to be deported to North Korea after completing his sentence. Many North Korean asylum seekers are considered refugees under international law, while China qualifies them as illegal immigrants. China is returning it to its longtime ally, North Korea, under the deal. The search for Zhu continues.