The four North Korean defectors who arrived by boat in Aomori Prefecture will be transferred to an immigration facility in Ibaraki Prefecture on Wednesday, informed sources said.
After being taken to the Ushiku facility by helicopter, immigration authorities are likely to quickly launch procedures to allow them to travel to South Korea, the sources said Tuesday night.
Earlier in the day, the government said it had yet to decide when it might allow the four defectors to go on to South Korea because it was still not certain whether they are true refugees.