Dong Guangping after arriving in Canada, as shared by Chinese-Canadian activist Sheng Xue on the 27th (local time) [X Capture]

Dong Guangping (68), a Chinese dissident who was arrested last month after entering South Korean territorial waters in a rubber boat, has finally arrived in Canada and reunited with his family.

According to The New York Times (NYT) on the 27th (local time), Dong arrived at Toronto Pearson International Airport the previous night to meet his wife and daughter, who have settled there.

This marks the culmination of over a decade of failed attempts to escape from China.

"I'm so happy," Dong said in a video interview with the NYT. "It feels like I've finally come home."

Dong departed from Weihai, Shandong Province, China, in a small rubber boat in the early hours of the 24th of last month. After sailing approximately 200 km over 36 hours, he was discovered by a fishing boat off the coast of Taean on the night of the 25th.

The Korea Coast Guard arrested him and requested an arrest warrant for violating the Immigration Control Act, but the request was rejected by the court.

Dong noted that the moment he was allowed to meet with a lawyer during the Coast Guard investigation was a critical turning point in his journey.

Comparing his past experiences in China, Thailand, and Vietnam, he said, "I knew then that they (South Korean authorities) would send me to Canada because they were following legal procedures."

He added, "A democratic country governed by the rule of law would not send me back to China."

Dong Guangping after arriving in Canada, as shared by Chinese-Canadian activist Sheng Xue on the 27th (local time). [X Capture]

Dong revealed that his initial plan was to reach Japan before heading to Canada.

Having no prior experience operating a boat, he attempted to cross the Yellow Sea at a slow speed of about 5 km/h out of fear of engine failure. The boat was equipped only with 178 liters of gasoline, cooked beef, and crackers.

The first day went smoothly, but poor weather conditions on the second day caused him to lose his bearings, and his smartphone ran out of battery. He faced a crisis when the engine also began to malfunction.

After spotting lights in the distance, he sailed desperately until he encountered a South Korean fishing boat and requested help. "My condition was already a mess," he recalled. "I nearly died from exhaustion."

A former police officer and military service member in China, Dong was dismissed from the police force in 1999 for signing a petition related to the Tiananmen Square protests. He was detained by authorities after participating in a 2014 Tiananmen commemoration event.

After his release the following year, he attempted to escape to countries including Thailand and Vietnam, but was either forcibly repatriated to China or imprisoned.

While in South Korea, Dong stayed at an immigration detention center in Incheon. He once received permission to leave and visited the War Memorial of Korea in Seoul. He explained that he was curious about the history of the Korean War and wanted to compare the propaganda he had been taught in China with the history recorded in South Korea.

He expressed his intention to continue his pro-democracy activities in the future.

"Achieving constitutional democracy in China is essential," Dong said. "I will make that my life's work."