On 06/01/2012 21:55, Wolfgang Schwanke wrote:
The Real wrote
in :

What was West German policy towards those who escaped from the East?
Were they allowed to settle in the West as a matter of right?

Yes. East Germans were considered German nationals according to West
German law. They had full citizenship by birth, thus full entitlement
to all social benefits, the right to vote, and the right to settle
down. (Citizenship was another area of disagreement between East and
West Germany. Ask if you're interested, otherwhise I'll leave it at
that.)

Same situation applies for those leaving North Korea for South Korea.

The South Korean government sees itself as the rightful government of
the entire peninsula, so anybody coming in from the north is
automatically a citizen of the Republic of Korea.