러시아인 27명, 코로나19 봉쇄 북한서 귀국…'북 특별배려'

"열차로 평양서 러시아 극동까지 이동"…양국 우호관계 고려한 듯

귀국용 열차로 평양을 출발하는 러시아인들

[주북 러시아 대사관 페이스북 계정 사진. 재판매 및 DB금지]

(모스크바=연합뉴스) 유철종 특파원 = 북한 당국이 신종 코로나바이러스 감염증(코로나19) 확산차단을 위해 국경 봉쇄 등의 강력한 제한조치를 유지하고 있는 와중에 20여명의 자국 체류 러시아인 귀국을 허용한 것으로 전해졌다.

평양 주재 러시아 대사관은 29일(현지시간) 자체 페이스북 계정에 올린 글을 통해 "오늘 러시아인 27명이 북한에서 러시아로 돌아갔다"고 전했다.

대사관은 "(북한 당국의) 국경 폐쇄와 국내 지역 이동 금지, 국제선 항공편 운항 중단 등으로 대사관이 이들을 대피시키는 데 큰 어려움이 있었다"고 소개했다.

이어 "하지만 북한 관리들, 러시아 외무부·철도공사('RZD')·다른 정부 기관 등의 지원으로 성공적으로 차질없이 귀국 조치를 마무리 지었다"고 설명했다.

대사관에 따르면 10명의 어린이를 포함한 러시아인들은 먼저 북한 열차를 이용해 평양에서 북-러 접경 지역의 두만강역까지 간 뒤 이곳에서 러시아 열차로 갈아타고 국경을 넘어 러시아 쪽 국경역 하산까지 이동했다.

러시아인들은 하산역에서 다시 연해주 도시 블라디보스토크로 이동한 후 각자 고향으로 돌아갈 예정이라고 대사관은 덧붙였다.

평양에서 귀국하는 러시아인들을 환송하는 마체고라 주북 러시아 대사(맨앞)

[주북 러시아 대사관 페이스북 계정 사진, 재판매 및 DB금지]

귀국한 러시아인들은 북한에서 여러 차례 진단검사를 받고 오랫동안 격리 상태에 있었으며 코로나19 음성 확인서도 받은 것으로 전해졌다. 하지만 러시아 주거지 도착 후 한번 더 진단검사를 받을 것이라고 대사관은 덧붙였다.

북한은 지난 2월 초부터 코로나19 방역 조치로 모든 정기 국제항공편 운항을 중단하고, 중국·러시아와 연결되는 열차 운행도 중단시켰다.

동시에 외국인들의 출입국을 금지하고, 북한 내에서도 자국민과 외국인에 대해 이동 제한 등의 강력한 봉쇄 조치를 취해왔다.

북한은 코로나19에 감염된 것으로 의심되는 탈북민이 지난 19일 남측에서 분계선을 넘어 고향인 개성으로 월북했다고 밝힌 뒤, 지난 25일 국가비상방역체계를 최대비상체제로 격상했다.

북한 외무성은 전날 이 조치와 관련해 자국 주재 외국 공관들에 통지문을 보내 외교관들이 평양을 벗어나거나 다른 지역으로 여행하지 말고, 대중 밀집 장소 방문을 자제해 줄 것 등을 요청한 것으로 알려졌다.

이런 상황에서 북한이 펑양에 체류해 오던 러시아인들의 귀국을 허용하고 여러 가지 배려를 한 것은 러시아와 밀접한 관계를 고려한 '특혜 조치'로 해석된다.

귀국하는 러시아인들이 탄 열차를 전송하는 북한 역무원들

[주북 러시아 대사관 페이스북 계정 사진. 재판매 및 DB금지]

cjyou@yna.co.kr

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