Fears over fate of young defectors sent back to North Korea After crossing the border into China, their lives were no less challenging, with problems including severe frostbite, skin disease and regular beatings from being caught attempting to steal food, according to the missionary, who housed them for two years in China before assisting their passage to Laos. Describing how they had to hide from the authorities in China, the missionary, referred to as M.J, told CNN: "The children had been fugitives for a long time so they were used to this situation. We had a bed which was buttressed with quite a few books on the bottom as legs. The kids would go under the bed and kick out the books, so the bed would sit low and it would not look like anyone was hiding under it. The missionary and his wife, who live in China, said the group had hoped to claim asylum in Laos and be sent to South Korea. However, after crossing the border, they were detained during an unexpected police search during a bus journey to the capital. After being held by immigration, the young defectors were reportedly informed that they were being sent to South Korea - the goal of their four-year odyssey - before being put on a plane to North Korea, according to CNN. The missionary added: "What I am concerned about is what is going to happen after the propaganda is gone and the rhetoric is over. If we don't pay attention, if we don't keep asking where these children are, then these children will be lost forever and we will never know what happened to them.