Yu Suk-ryul of the Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security thinktank in Seoul said US-Chinese talks were a long way from reaching any kind of agreement on the refugees.
But he said any deal could have far-reaching implications: "The same thing may happen as the exodus of East Germans."
While some East Germans risked death to escape over the Berlin Wall, few North Koreans have made it through the mined and guarded Demilitarized Zone bisecting the Korean Peninsula.
But even that border is no longer impervious now rail and road links are being forged, prompting Pyongyang to bolster its defenses there.
RSS